Identification, Symptoms and nature of damage: Stem borer, Shoot borer and Bark eating caterpillar of Mango

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Identification, Symptoms and nature of damage
Stem borer, Shoot borer and Bark eating
caterpillar of Mango
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Mango stem borer Batocera rufomaculata
(Cerambycidae Coleoptera)
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Introduction

• Stem borer is widely distributed in India and
  attacks a variety of fruit trees including mango.
• Damage is caused by the grub of this beetle as
  it feeds inside the stems boring upward resulting
  in drying of branches and in severe cases
  attained stem also dies.

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Identification of Mango Stem Borer

• Grub - Full grown grubs are linear, fleshy, cream
  coloured, apodous with dark brown head and 90 x
  20 mm in size.
• Adult - Grayish beetle, 35-50 mm in size, are
  stout with two pink dots and lateral spine   

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Biology of Mango Stem Borer

• Female laid eggs either in the slits of tree
  trunk or in the cavities in main branches and
  stems covered with a viscous fluid.
• Eggs hatch in about 1 - 2 weeks.
• After hatching grub in the sap wood and
• feeding the vascular tissue. Grub feeds for
• 3 - 6 months.
• Pupation takes place inside the tunnel
• itself within the stem.
• The adult emerges in about 4 - 9 months in
  July-August. There is only one generation of the
  pest in a year.

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Symptoms and Nature of Damage

• Grub tunnels in the sapwood on the trunk or
  branches
• Grub bore into the sap wood and making irregular
  tunnels.
• Feeding the vascular tissues
• interruption of nutrient and water transport on
  the tissue
• Drying of terminal shoot in early stage
• Frass comes out from several points and some time
  sap oozes out of the holes
• Wilting of branches or entire tree

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Mango Shoot Borer Chlumetia transversa
(Noctuidae Lepidooptera)
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Introduction

• Shoot Borer (Chlumetia transversa) is a serious
  pest of mango especially seedlings and young
  trees.
• Larvae eats developing leaves and tunnels into
  the midrib and terminal shoots.
• This pest is found all over the country. 

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Identification

• Adult- Adult moths are stout grayish brown in
  colour with wings having wavy lines and measure
  about 17.5 mm with expanded wings. Hind wings are
  light in colour.
• Caterpillar-Young caterpillars are yellowish
  orange with dark brown prothoracic shield.
• Full grown caterpillars (20-24mm) are dark pink
  with dirty spots.

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Symptoms

• Terminal shoots show tunnel from top to down
  wards.
• Stunting of seedlings with terminal bunchy
  appearance.
• Larvae of this moth bore into the young shoot
  resulting in dropping of leaves and wilting

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Nature of Damage

• Female moths lay egg on tender leaves.
• After hatching, young larvae enter the midrib of
  leaves and then enter into young shoots through
  the growing points by tunneling downwards
• Larvae of this moth bore into the young shoot
  resulting in dropping of leaves and wilting of
  shoots. Larvae also bore into the inflorescence
  stalk.
• There are four overlapping generations of the
  pest in a year and it overwinters in pupal stage.

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Bark eating caterpillar Indarbela
tetraonis (MetarbalidaeLepidoptera)
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Introduction

• This pest is found damaging a variety of plants
  including a number of fruit trees, forest trees
  and ornamentals all over India.
• It attack trees of all ages, particularly the
  older ones, lowering their vitality.
• When severely infested, the entire branch or tree
  may die. old, shady and neglected orchards are
  more prone to attack by this pest.
• Larvae of this moth feed on the bark and weaken
  the tree.

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Identification

• Adult The moth is light grey in colour with dark
  brown dots and measures about 35-40 mm with
  expanded wings.
• Larvae The full grown caterpillar is dirty brown
  in colour and is about 35-45 mm in length.

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Symptoms

• The attack by this pest is characterized by the
  presence of long-winding, thick, blackish or
  brownish ribbon-like masses composed of small
  chips of wood and excreta.
• Young trees may succumb to the attack.
• Caterpillars bore into the trunk or junction of
  branches
• Caterpillars remain hidden in the tunnel during
  day time and come out at night, feed on the bark.
  
• By continuously devouring the tissues, as it
  tunnels through the stem and branches.
• This injury weakens the stem, resulting in drying
  of the branches and finally of the tree itself.

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Nature of damage
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Summary

• Stem borer Batocera rufomaculata (Cerambycidae
  Coleoptera) beetle attacks variety of fruit
  trees including mango. Grubs suck the sapwood and
  make irregular tunnels in the sapwood which cause
  wilting of braches or the entire tree.
• Shoot borer Chlumetia transversa belongs to order
  Lepidoptera. Adult moths are grayish brown.
  Larvae of moth bore in to young shoots and
  tunnels downwards, causing dropping of leaves and
  wilting of shoot .
• Bark eating caterpillar Indarbela tetraonis
  infests many trees including fruits, particularly
  older ones. Severely infested trees may die.
  Larvae bore into trunk and feed on bark during
  night.

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