Pests and Birds 101
infestations; the leaves fall prematurely, fruit production is affected and their secre-
tions promote the growth of sooty mold on foliage and fruits (Reiger 2006). Nymphs
and adults suck the sap from undersurface of the leaves and yellowing may take place.
Infested leaves are usually removed and appropriate pesticides applied to orchards.
Removal of host plants, installation of yellow sticky traps and spraying or dusting
should begin when adults are noticed. At threshold level, the population of white-
flies can be controlled by foliar spray of imidacloprid (0.01%) or dimethoate (0.05%)
or Metacystox (0.02%) at an interval of 10 days. Release of predators (Coccinellid
predator and Cryptolaemus sp.) and parasitoids (Encarsia haitierrsis and E. guade-
loupae) are very effective to control the severity of infestation (da Silva et al. 2007).
9.4 Aphids
These are tiny lice-like insects with colour ranging from pink yellow to brown to
black. Incidence of papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) coincides with the number of
aphids trapped four week prior to infection suggesting a strong link between the
aphid vectors and PRSV incidence (Mora-Aguilera et al. 1992; Kalleshwaraswamy
et al. 2007). Since A. gossypii is numerically dominant vector in south India besides,
being a more efficient vector capable of inoculating PRSV to multiple plants, it
should be the target vector for control strategy. All the individual of A. gossipii or A.
craccivora are potentially capable of PRSV transmission, though efficiency varied
between individuals (Kalleshwaraswamy and Kumar 2007). PRSV is transmitted by
FIGURE 9.3 (See colour insert.) Yellow panel trap for female fruit fly.