INSECT PEST OF BANANA

Borers
Rhizome weevil - Cosmopolites sordidus
Pseudostem weevil - Odoiporus longicollis
Fruit fly - Bactrocera dorslais
Sap feeders
Aphid - Pentalonia nigronervosa
Tingid or lace wing bug -Stephanitis typicus
Hard scale -Aspidiotus destructor
Leaf thrips - Helionothrips kadaliphilus
Fruit rust thrips -Chaetanaphothrips signipennis
Flower thrips - Thrips florum
Mealybug - Ferrisia virgata
Spiraling whitefly -Aleurodicus dispersus (Russell)
Leaf feeders
 Castor Hairy caterpillar - Pericallia ricini
 Leaf eating caterpillar - Spodoptera litura
 Banana skipper or Palm giant red eye or Banana leaf roller - Erionota thrax.

Banana weevil/ Rhizome weevil/banana root borer, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar)

(Coleoptera:Curculionidae)
 Monophagous
 Native to southern Asia
 Distribution: Africa, Pacific islands, Australia, northern South America, Central
America, West Indies, Mexico, Florida and Hawaii
 Major pest in Nanjangudu (S Karnataka)
Identification
 Eggs are yellowish white elongated oval in shape (cylindrical)
 Grubs: Apodous yellowish white with red head , bulged at middle and tapering at ends
 Pupa: Pupate in fibrous cocoon in tunnels near periphery, pupa exerate and white in
colour
 Adult weevil: Dark brown to grey black/black in colour, newly emerged weevil is
reddish-brown in colour
Biology/ life History/Bionomics
 Incubation period: 3-4 days
 Grub period: 28 – 30 days
 Pupal period: 7 – 9 days
 Infestation begins at rainy season and continue throughout

Nature of damage
  Damaging stage: Grubs
 Adult female lays eggs on root stock/rhizome/ leaf sheath just above the ground/ at the
base of pseudostem
 Grubs bore into rhizome and feed internal content of rhizome by making tunnels
 Secondary infection of pathogens cause rotting
Symptoms
 Presence of bored holes on the rhizome
 Presence of dark colour tunnels in the rhizome
 Yellowing and Withering of outer leaves and finally dries off
 Infested plant shows weakening symptom at the beginning
 Eventually rotting and finally collapse due to wind and rain

Management
 Avoid infestation at the beginning by selecting pest residue free suckers
 Sucker treatment (prolinage technique): Clean the suckers and dip them in dung or clay
slurry prepared in tray and pepper 5-10g Carbofuran 3G granules on treated suckers
 Add 10 g Carbofuran 3G or 5 g Phorte 10G and 250g neem or pongamia cake per pit at
the time of planting
 Follow clean cultural practices and maintain sanitation in the orchard
 Intercrop with marigold may reduce the infestation
 Collect and destroy the infested plants along with pest residues
 Trap the adults using chopped pseudostem and destroy
 Can also use Cosmolure to trap and monitor adults
 Drench with Chlorpyriphos @ 4ml/l
 Inject Monocrotophos 3ml/Rhizome
 Weevils multiply in old corms and pseudostems after harvest. Therefore, chop and spread
banana residues after harvest.
 Split pseudsotem,
 Cut in 25cm long pieces.
 Put the pseudostem pieces with
 The flat side down at the base of the plant.
 Weevils are attracted and will hide under the trap.
 Collect and kill the adult weevils after 2-3 days.
 Pheromones, Sordidin and marketed as Cosmolure used in pheromone traps @ 5/ha

Pseudostem weevil, Odoiporus longicollis, Coleoptera: Curculionidae

Serious pest of banana in North East India particularly Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Delhi and
Uttar Pradesh
 Eggs: Yellowish white, Elongate oval/ cylindrical shape
 Grubs: Apodous, fleshy, creamy white with dark reddish brown head
 Pupa exerate, pupate in the pseudostem
  Adults reddish brown weevil, larger than rhizome weevil
Nature of damage
 Female adult lays eggs randomly on cut ends (air chamber) of pseudostem
 Damaging stages: Both grubs and adults
 On hatching, grubs bore into the pseudostem and make tunnels by feeding internal
content
 Adult feeds on tissues of leaf sheath and also on decaying tissues of pseudostem
Symptoms
 Presence of holes on outer surface of pseudostem
 Exudation of plant sap from hole at initial stage
 Later blackened mass comes from the bore hole
 Tunneled part decomposes due to secondary pathogens attack and pseudostem becomes
weak
 Yellowing, Wilting, withering of the leaves in the plant.
 Collapse of plant if there is heavy wind and rain
 Activity enhanced in summer
Management
 Collect healthy suckers (planting materials) which are free from pest residues
 Follow Prolinage technique
 Fill the pits with 10g Carbofuran 3G + 250g neem cake before planting
 Remove damaged leaves and sheaths from healthy plants
 Inspect plants for any cut wounds on the pseudostem
 Infested plants should uproot and burn them to prevent further multiplication
 Follow pseadostem trap method
 Inject Diluted (1:1) Monocrotophos @ 3 ml/ plant into holes on pseudostem 45cm above
ground level and 30 cm below from top
 Pour 250 ml of solution made from liquid formulation of B. bassiana around the base of
the plant close to the stem at the 3rd month to prevent the corm weevil infestation.
 Smeared longitudinal split banana stem with 20ml of B. bassiana solution. Place it near
the plant base cut surface facing the ground.

Banana Aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa ( Hemiptera:Aphididae)

Serious pest of banana, if it carries virus inoculums, Clumpy distribution,

Identification:
• Small oval or pear shaped soft bodied sucking insect
• Rreddish-brown to almost black
• Have two characteristic projections on 6th abdominal segment – Cornicles
• Veins are prominent on wings of macroperous and Brachypterous
• There is polymorphism i.e. Apterous, Brachypterous and Macropterous
 • Colonised between pseudostem and leaf sheath
• Prefer young leaves and under leaf sheaths
Bio-Ecology
• Aphid movement is highest during the windy season
• Reproduction: Parthenogenetic and viviparous
• Female give birth to young nymphs
• 30-50 nymphs/ Adult ♀,
• Nymphal period: 15-20, adult period: 28-29 days
• Short life cycle in summer
• Aphid movement is highest during the windy season
• Infestation is not intense in high rainfall areas (>60 inches)
• Discourage aphid movement and establishment.
• Aphid is regularly scouted throughout the crop cycle
• ETL is one banana aphid per plant when banana bunch top virus (BBTV) is present.
• Aphid movement is highest during the windy season
Damaging stages: Nymphs and adults
Nature of damage:
1. Both nymphs and adults suck sap from tender leaves pseudostem and leaf sheet.
2. Secrete honey dew – sooty mold – stunted growth/ reduced yield
3. Act as vector of BBTV
Symptoms:
 Curling, yellowing of leaves
 Growth of sooty mold - affect photosynthesis
 Stunted growth - rosette appearance
 Mottled Leaf Sheaths and Inflorescence
 Small fruit bunches- small fruits
 Do not produce bunches
Management
 Use Healthy seed material: free of pest and diseases
 Ensure clean cultivation
 Destroy diseased plants with rhizome (Virus infected)
 Install yellow sticky trap @4-5/acreApply 5-10 g carbofuran 3G per plant
 Spray dimethoate 2ml/lt, phosphomidon 0.75ml/l or imidacloprid @ 0.5ml/l
 Direct the spray towards the crown and pseudostem base up to ground level
 Inject monocrotophos 3ml/plant (1:4 ml dilution)
 Avoid injection of monocrotophos after flowering
 Encourage activity of predators: Chilomenes sexmaculatus, Coccinella septempunctata
Chrysoperla jastrowi , syrphid maggots and other coccinellids
 The entomopathogenic fungus, Lecanicillium lecanii (2gm/lit) in between the banana
leaf sheath at the base.
Palm Redeye or Banana Skipper Erionota thrax (Hübner) (Lepidoptera:Hesperiidae)
Serious defoliator throughout the South East Asia and Papua New Guinea.
 In India, reported from Calcutta, Assam, Pune and Kolar (Wynter Blyth, 1957),
 Palani Hills (Ghorpade and Kunte, 2010) and Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh (Tipple
and Ghorpade, 2012).
 Distribution: Madurai, Theni, Coimbatore and Erode Districts of Tamil Nadu, Udapi,
Chitradurga and Chamrajnagar District of Karnataka.
 Preferred variety: Njalipoovan variety
Identification:
• Adults: pale brownish in colour, measuring 70-76 mm in wing expanse, Upper side of the
wings is pale brownish. Three pale yellowish orange marks/spots in the centre of the
upper side of the forewing of which two are more or less equal in size while the other is
relatively small. Hind wing without any spots. Hooked antennae with tip curved. similar
to Giant Red eye Gangara thyrsis (Fb.)
• Eggs: eggs are round, hyaline, pale reddish, and measures 0.30 mm in size.
• Female adults active during dusk and lay their eggs in groups on upper or under surface
of the leaf and ~25 eggs are laid at a time, IP: 3 to 4 days.
• Larva: white in colour with black head and bearing whitish fine bristles on the body, the
growing larva covered with waxy material
• Larva construct leaf roll and live within
• Larval period: 20-25 days
• Pupate within the leaf roll itself.
• Pupa – cylindrical and pale yellow in colour
• Anterior end is slightly broad and posterior end is narrow.
• Pupal period: 8-10 days.
• Life cycle takes about a month for completion.
Nature of damage
 Roll the leaf and feed within
Symptoms
 Presence of leaf roll bits in the plant
 Defoliation of plant by leaving only veins
Management
 Collection/ Handpick and destruction of leaf rolls containing the caterpillars.
 Collect eggs and caterpillars and place them in screened boxes close to banana plants
with rolled leaves for the emergence of parasitoids.
 Encourage bird predators
 Foliar spray with Chlorpyriphos @ 2ml, Quinalphos @ 2ml, Flubendiamide@0.5g,
chlorantraniliprole @0.2ml per litre water, etc
Lacewing bug, Stephanitis typicus (Hemiptera:Tingidae)
 Minute, slight yellow colour bug with shiny transparent wing having reticulation on the
wings
 Nymphs are also yellow in colour without wings, however wing pads are present
 The pest infestation is more common during the post monsoon period especially in drier
regions of the country.
Damaging stages: Nymph and adults
Nature of damage:
 Both stages suck sap from leaves
 Inject toxic saliva into leaf – grayish yellow necrotic spots
 Under sever infestation, leaf dry off
Symptoms: leaves turn yellow and black resinous excretions in the form of tiny spots may be
seen between the damaged areas.

Management
 Collection and destruction
 Spray systemic insecticides and insecticide having translaminar action

Hard scale, Aspidiotus destructor (Hemiptera:Diaspididae)

 Adult are brown, oval & semitransparent
Damaging stages: Nymph and adults
Nature of damage:
 Both stages suck sap from leaves, inflorescence, pseudostem and fruits
Symptom
Yellow patches on leaves
Discolored patches of fruits
Sever infestation on pseudostem leads to stunted growth
Management
 Collection and destruction of infested plant part
 Encourage natural enemies, Chilochorus nigritus, Symnus croccivori
 Spraying of neem oil @ 0.2 – 0.5 %,
 Application of Neem cake @ 250-300g/plant, 10-15 phorate 10G/plant
Fruit rust thrips, Chaetanaphothrips signipennis (Thysanoptera:Thripidae)
 Adult: Yellowish white with shaded and fringed wings,
 asymmetrical rasping and sucking mouth parts,
Damaging stages: Nymph and adults
Nature of damage:
 Both stages rasp and suck sap from developing fruits
Symptom
Rusty reddish discoloration on fingers, also cause damage to leaves i.e. yellowing and rusting on
leaves
Infestation persisted upto fruiting stage
In severe cases the skin develops longitudinal cracks
Identification of pest
 Eggs -Not visible to the naked eye.
 Larva- wingless creamy white larvae
 Prepupa and Pupa- white similar to the larvae and are capable of crawling.
 Adult- creamy yellow to golden brown with delicate feathery wings.
 Oviposition: below the fruit or pseudostem surface.
 Egg period: 8 days in summer.
 Larval period: 8 to10 days.
 Pupal period: 7 to10 days.
 Pupation in soil.
 The complete life cycle in 3 months.
 Host plant- Citrus

Banana leaf and fruit scarring beetle / flea beetle: Nodostoma (=Basilepta) subcostatum, N.
viridipennis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
The beetles feed on tender unfolded leaves and fruits and remain hidden under unfolded leaves.
The leaves of central whorl are worst affected.
The beetles scrape epicarp of the tender fruits, blemish them and render unmarketable.
Scarring marks on fruits and leaves.
Follow clean cultivation and sanitation in the orchards.
Spray after pollination chloropyriphos @2ml or Quinolphos @2ml during April-Septermber
coinciding with emergence of new growth,
Repeat spray at fortnightly interval if required. Stop spraying 15 days before bunch harvesting.

Castor Hairy caterpillar/ Hairy caterpillars/ woolly bear Pericalia ricini (Lepidoptera: Arctidae)

Identification of the pest

 Larva - Black with brown head having long brown hairs

 Adult - Dark spots on the Grey coloured fore wing and pinkish coloured hind wings.

Symptoms of damage
 Caterpillar scraping the chlorophyll content and windowing in unfurled leaves at initial stage.
 Later the mature larvae feed on leaves completely

Management
 Collect and destroy egg masses and infant caterpillars
 Use burning torch to kill the congregating larvae
 Use light trap to attract and kill the adults
 Spray chlorpyriphos 20 EC or quinalphos 25 EC 2ml/lit
Tobacco cut worm/ Tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae)
Polyphagous – tobacco, crucifers, banana, groundnut, safflower, castor, tomato, etc.
Adult: Medium sized, stout moth, brownish body, forewings are brown with wavy white
marking, hind- wings are pale colour with a brown patch along the margin.
Egg: laid on leaves in mass and covered with brown hairs.
Larva: stout, cylindrical, pale greenish brown with dark markings.
The body may have rows of dark spots or may have transverse and longitudinal grey and yellow
bands. Gregarious in the early stages later distribute all over the host plants.
Pupa: brown colour, pupation takes place in soil in an earthen cell.
IP, LP, PP are 4-5 days, 2-3 weeks and 2 weeks, respectively.
Nature of damage and symptoms: Freshly hatched young caterpillars found in group on ventral
surface of the leaves, scrape the green matter of leaves resulting in skeletonisation.
Later instar caterpillars get distributed all over the host plant, and defoliate the leaves.
Affected unfurled leaves when open shows windowing symptoms (series of holes transverse
holes on leaves).
The caterpillars hide during day in crevices found in the soil and become active during night feed
on the leaves voraciously.
Management:
Summer ploughing to expose pupae to sunlight and natural enemies
Collect and destroy egg mass, leaves with gregarious early instar larvae and also grown up larvae
Grow castor along border as trap crop
Setup light trap at 1/ha
Setup pheromone trap with Spodolure at 10-12/ha
Poison bait: Rice bran 5 Kg + Molasses or jaggery 500g + Methomyl or thiodicarb 500g. mix the
ingredients well and keep/ spread between the rows in the evening hours.
Release egg parasitoids, Trichogramma chilonis @ 2.5 lakh /ha. Spray SlNPV @250LE / ha
along with 1% jaggery and 0.1% teepol in the evening.
Spray Bacillus thuringiensis formulation @ 2g/L
Spray Azadirachtin 1.0 % EC (10000 ppm) @ 1.0 ml/ lit or NSKE 5% Insecticides
Chlorpyrifos 20EC @2ml or Quinalphos 25EC @ 2ml or Cypermethrin 25 EC @ 0.5ml or
Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC @ 0.2ml or Flubendiamide 39.35 SC @ 0.3ml or Emmamectin
Benzoate 5Sc @ 0.5g or Indoxacarb 14.5 SC @ 0.5 ml or Spinosad 45SC @0.3ml or Thiodicarb
75 WP @ 0.5 g per litre of water.

Bihar Hairy caterpillar Spilosoma obliqua (Lepidoptera:Arctidae)

Tussock moth Euproctis fraterna (Lepidoptera:Lymantridae)
Slug caterpillar, Latoia lepida (=Parasa lepida) (Lepidoptera:Limacodidae)