This Presentation from Dr. M. Thippaiah, Professor of Entomology is about insect pests of Arecanut and their Management for UG students.

1. Insect pests of Arecanut and their management
Dr M Thippaiah
Professor
Department of Entomology
University of Agricultural Sciences
GKVK, Bangalore- 65

2. Arecanut (Areca catechu) is an economically important plantation
crop in India.
The major arecanut growing countries are India, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines
India leads the world in production followed by Sri Lanka and
Bangladesh
In India widely grown in Karnataka, Kerala, TN and Assam
In Karnataka, this crop is being cultivated in coastal districts
(South Canara, North Canara and Udupi districts),
Malnad region (Shimoga, Chikmagalur and Hassan),
Maidan regions (Davanagere, Chitradurga, Tumkur and Mysore).
Dr. M. Thippaiah

3. The productivity of this palms is affected by number of pests and
diseases and nutritional disorders depending upon the climatic
conditions prevailing.
Areca palm is attacked by over 120 insects and non insect pests.
However, only a few of them are economically important.
Mites, scales, spindle bug, pentatomid bug, root grubs,
inflorescence caterpillar and nut borer are the major insect pests.
Giant African snail, birds and squirrels are the non insect pests.
Dr. M. Thippaiah

4. Major insect pests of Arecanut are classified as
Root feeding insects
White grubs
or
Root grubs
Leucopholis coneophora
L. lepidophora
L. burmeisteri
Scarabaeidae Coleoptera
Termite Odontotermes obesus Termitidae Isoptera
Sucking insects
Aphids Cerataphis lataniae Aphididae Hemiptera
Spindle bug Carvalhoia arecae Miridae Hemiptera
Pentatomid bug Halymorpha marmorea Pentatomidae Hemiptera
Inflorescence pest
Inflorescence caterpillar Tirathaba mundella Pyralidae Lepidoptera
Non insect pests
Red spider mite Tetranychus fijiensis
Tetranychidae Acarina
White mite Oligonychus indicus
Scarlet mite Raoielia indica Tenupalpidae Acarina
Dr. M. Thippaiah

5. Root feeding insects
Dr. M. Thippaiah

6. White grubs : ( Scarabeidae : Coleoptera )
 Arecanut is a major commercial crop grown in hilly regions
(Malnad region) and coastal regions of Karnataka.
This crop is suffering from various insect pests and diseases.
 Among them, white grubs or root grubs are the major pests
causing very high yield losses
 They feed on tender roots and drastically affect the growth
of the Palms
 They have annual or biannual life cycle depending on the
species and adults emerge during July – August
 Grubs feed on the growing roots
 Severe infestation causes yellowing of leaves, stunted growth
and death of palms
Dr. M. Thippaiah

7. There are three species white grubs reported on Arecanut
1. Leucopholis coneophora
2. Leucopholis lepidophora
3. Leucopholis burmeisteri
Dr. M. Thippaiah

8. 1. Leucopholis coneophora – Restricted to coastal areas of
Karnataka and Kerala
Adult beetles are brown in colour and body covered with fine hair
like yellow coloured scales
Relatively flat body and smallest of the three species
 Serious pest mostly on coconut in Kerala
 Severe on both coconut and arecanut in Karnataka – recorded up to Ankola in
North canara district
 Adult emergence during the month June
Dr. M. Thippaiah

9. 2. Leucopholis lepidophora
Adult beetles are black in colour and body covered with flat, oval
dull white coloured scales similar to fish scales
 More oval robust species
 This species widely distributed in Karnataka, TN and Maharashtra
 More than 95 % of the areca gardens are infested by this species
 Also attacks sugarcane, coffee, coconut are the other crops are seriously affected
 Mostly unusual biology – adults emerge during August first week or 10-12 weeks
after on set of monsoon
Dr. M. Thippaiah

10. Leucopholis burmeisteri – largest among the three
brownish in colour, and thorax black in colour
These beetles lays
eggs in soil mostly
up to 10cm depth
Early instar grubs feed
on the roots of grasses
and other humus
The grubs period with
three instars is completed
in 7 to 8 months
The pupation is in soil in
cocoon of mud
P.P – one month
Dr. M. Thippaiah

11. Nature of damage
IInd and IIIrd instar larvae feed on tender and mature roots of the palm
Arecanut is the most preferred plant within the garden
Preferentially feed on the growing soft parts of the root , by cutting
Repeated feeding results in death of the
roots
Damage by up to 50 larvae, plant can
tolerated for about a year
Beyond that, the plant parts above ground
show symptoms of damage
Severely damaged plants loose all the roots and anchorage
Dr. M. Thippaiah

12. Dr. M. Thippaiah

13. Management practices
 Collection and destruction of adult beetles in the evening after the
pre-monsoon showers and kill them
 Digging or raking of the soil to collect the larvae and destroy
 Application of phorate 10G @ 15gm / palm apply to soil 3-4 weeks
after adult emergence
or
 Soil application of phorate 10G around the plant twice a year
 Before onset of South-East monsoon (May)
 After the monsoon ( Sept- Octo)
 Use of pathogens – Bacillus popiliae
Beauveria brongniartti
 In severely infested gardens, the soil should be drenched with
eco-friendly insecticides Dr. M. Thippaiah

14. Termites : Odontotermes obesus
( Termitidae : Isoptera )
It damages the seedlings and young plants
by feeding at their bases
Dr. M. Thippaiah

15. Sucking insects
Dr. M. Thippaiah

16. Aphids : Cerataphis lataniae
(Aphididae : Hemiptera)
 Nymphs and adults suck the sap from the inflorescence and
young nuts
 As a result preventing nut development and premature shedding
of nuts
 Aphids also excrete honey dew as a result sooty mould develops
Dr. M. Thippaiah

17. Areca spindle bug : Carvalhoia arecae
( Miridae : Hemiptera )
Adult is a red and black coloured bug and measuring about 6mm
long and 2.5mm broad
Distribution : Serious pest of arecanut in Kerala, Karnataka and parts
of TN
Dr. M. Thippaiah

18. Life cycle of the pest
Eggs : are thrust with in the tissues of the tender unopened spindle
I.P – 9 days
Nymphs : The light violet brown coloured nymphs have greenish
yellow border.
They become adult in 2-3 weeks
The nymphs under going - 5 instars
The bugs lives in colonies with in the leaf axils
Dr. M. Thippaiah

19. Nature of damage
 The adults and nymphs suck the sap from the unopened spindle
and young fronds
 The feeding point appears as elongated brownish scars which
ultimately die and drop off
 In severe cases the feeding scars which coalesce leading to the
complete shredding of the leaves and stunting of palms
Dr. M. Thippaiah

20. Elongated brownish scars on the leaves
Dr. M. Thippaiah

21. Control measures
 Maintain proper drainage in the plantation area
 Uproot the heavily infested palm and burn them
 Filling the inner most spindle with granular insecticides like
phorate 10G ( 10gm / palm)
 Drenching the spindle with lindane 1.3 % D @ 2.5gm / lit.
 Application of suitable contact insecticide i.e
dimethoate @ 0.05%
or
quinalphos @ 0.025%
at monthly intervals especially on the spindles and young fronds
Dr. M. Thippaiah

22. Pentatomid bug: Halymorpha marmorea
(Pentatomidae: Hemiptera)
Distribution : Kerala and Karanataka
Incidence of this bug is seen from March/April to July/August.
Host range: Arecanut, cowpea, bitter gourd.
 Adults are bronze colured with brown spots and measure about
1.75 cm long.
 Alternating dark and light bands occurs on
the last two antennal segments
 Head and pronotum are covered with patches
of coppery or bluish metallic coloured
punctures
 Margins of the pronotum are smooth
 The exposed lateral margins of the abdomen are marked with alternate
bands of brown and white colour
 Faint with white bands are also evident on the legs Dr. M. Thippaiah

23. Eggs :
The white or pale green coloured barrel shaped
are laid in clusters (25eggs)on the lower surface
of leaves I.P – 4-5 days
Nymphs : Nymphs have lack of fully
developed wings and are tick like in
appearance
Ranging in size from 2.4 to ( 1st instar)
12mm ( 5th instar)
First instars are orange or red
in colour and remain cluster
around egg mass
 The 2nd instars appear black
in colour and subsequent
instars( 3rd , 4th and 5th )
resembles adult in colour
Each nymphal instar – lasts
for 10 days
Dr. M. Thippaiah

24. Nature of damage
 This bug causes tender nut drop in areca gardens
 The later instar nymphs and adult bugs pierce the tender nuts and
suck the kernel sap.
 As a result, the kernel dries up and the tender nuts drops down.
 Characteristic pinprick black marks are seen at the point of feeding
sites, which lead internally to the kernel.
Management practices
1. Monitor cow pea and bitter gourd, if any, in the vicinity to remove
mechanically and destroy.
2. To conserve egg parasitoid, Anastatuis bangalorensis
3. Spray fenvalerate to the bunches of the affected palm and the
neighboring palms Dr. M. Thippaiah

25. Inflorescence pest
Dr. M. Thippaiah

26. Inflorescence caterpillar : Tirathaba mundella
( Pyralidae : Lepidoptera )
 Adult is a ash coloured moth measures about 28-35mm in
wing expanse
 The adult moth can be found during the day or night, flying in a
rapid and haphazard fashion
Distribution : Widely distributed in Karnataka and Kerala
Dr. M. Thippaiah

27. Eggs : are laid on unopened spathe
/ mechanically damaged portion
of the spadices
I.P – 5 days
Caterpillar :Larvae complete their development
within the fruit.
The full grown larva measures 23-25 mm long
Dirty yellow or white in color
with brown coloured head
L.P – 26 days
Pupa : pupation takes
place within the
larval galleries
P.P – 9-11 days
Life cycle of the pest
Dr. M. Thippaiah

28. Nature of damage
 The caterpillar feeds on the female flowers and destroy them
 Tender nuts are also eaten up
 The tender branches of inflorescence are webbed together with
galleries of silk and frass within the spike
 Wet mass of excreta protrudes out of the web
 Bored holes are seen at the base of unopened spathes, which are
plugged with excreta
 In case of severe incidence, they bore in to the tender buttons
and tender nuts as well
Dr. M. Thippaiah

29. Control measures
 Removal and burning of affected inflorescence
 Spray the crop with malathion @ 2ml / lit. of water
Symptoms
Delayed spathe opening
Yellowing of spadices
Presence of small holes with frass and drying patches on the
spathe are external symptoms of attack
Dr. M. Thippaiah

30. Non insect pest
Dr. M. Thippaiah

31. Red spider mite : Tetranychus fijiensis
( Tetranychidae : Acarina)
 Red spider mites occurs in Karnataka infesting leaves of Areca palm
 Maximum population occurs in March to June
 Adults are orange red in colour and females develops dark makings
on the dorsum of the body after feeding
Eggs and other stages are under silken webs I.P – 4-5 days
Dr. M. Thippaiah

32. Larva : pale yellow in colour and becomes green after feeding starts
L.P – 43-68 hours
Quiescent period – 11-20 hours
Protonymphal and deutonymphal periods – 47-57 and 47-72 hours
respectively
Nature of damage
 The mites feed on the lower side of the leaf causing yellow speckles
and blotches on the leaves are the feeding damage
 In severe infestations yellowing of leaves is quite prominent
The reddish mites are
seen on green leaves
Dr. M. Thippaiah

33. White mite : Oligonychus indicus
( Tetranychidae : Acarina)
 These are microscopic, greenish yellow coloured oval shaped mites
and they found on ventral surface in colonies, they forms webs
 Nymphs are pale yellow in colour
Dr. M. Thippaiah

34.  Adults and nymphs of this spider mite colonise on the lower surface
of leaves and suck sap,
 which causes yellowing and drying of leaves.
 The colony is found below a white web on the leaves.
Life cycle is of short duration.
The total duration of the immature stages
varies from 6.5 to 9 days.
Control measures
 Removal of heavily infested and dried leaves and burn them
 Spraying under surfaces of leaves and crown with Dicofol (2 ml / litre)
or
Rogor (1.5 ml/litre)
 Repeat spraying at an interval of 15-20 days Dr. M. Thippaiah

35. Scarlet mite : Raoiella indica
( Tenupalpidae : Acarina )
White coloured nymphs and light brownish yellow adults suck the
sap from the leaves, tapering stems as a results of which the
leaves turn yellow and brownish and finally dry up
 Neglected and poorly irrigated gardens and nurseries, particularly
those in exposed conditions are prone to severe infestation.
 Colonies of these mites start declining with the onset of rains in June.
Dr. M. Thippaiah

36.  More common in summer months nursery seedlings and young
plants suffers more
 The tender fruits are also attacked by the mites causing
malformation and finally fall off
Control measures
 Predatory mites and coccinellid beetle play an important
role in their suppression
 Use of acaricides like Sulphur 80WP @ 5gm/ lit
or
dicofol 18.5EC @ 2.5ml /lit
Dr. M. Thippaiah

37. Dr. M. Thippaiah