Management of mango mealy bug (Drosicha mangiferae) through innovative glue traps under field conditions

Abstract

Mango mealy bug, Drosicha mangiferae is a cryptic, destructive and polyphagous pest found throughout India and its neighboring countries. We devised, tested and validated the different modules/ techniques as alternatives to synthetic insecticides for managing D. mangiferae under field conditions. The physical barriers, namely glue traps, were found to be highly effective followed by the bristle rings to restrict the bug mobility towards the plant canopy on Mangifera indica and Alistonia scholaris. Among various modules, the holistic module (96.71 to 99.04 percent) proved to be highly effective in significantly suppressing the population of mealy bugs followed by the physical barrier module (82.66 to 89.10 percent). A significant reduction in the nuisance level of this pest in the urban ecosystem was recorded and most of the respondents scored significantly fewer Participants Risk Perception of the pest in terms of pest being plentiful, looking scary, crawling and outdoor reproduction. In contrast, for flying and indoor reproduction it remained non-significant. Similarly, in terms of tolerance level, the respondents contended with the magnitude of control as they recorded a significantly lower score on the three essential questions. The physical modules based upon glue traps are recommended for the eco-friendly management of D. mangiferae on different trees and this technique has the potential to be adopted by resource-poor farmers in India and other countries.