Mango fruit flies
This Oriental fruit fly is 6-8 mm long, reddish-brown/yellowish insects with transparent wings and black abdominal ‘T’ markings. They are identified by stinging ripening fruit to lay eggs, leading to brown rotting spots, oozing, and creamy-white maggots inside.
Problem Category: Fungal disease
Symptoms: • Maggot bore into semi-ripen fruits with decayed spots and dropping of fruits. • Oozing of fluid, Brownish rotten patches on fruits. • The nuts affected by this insect quickly wither and fall off. The mother flies are light red in color and have transparent wings. When the nut is about to ripen, this fly lays eggs under the skin of the nut. The larvae hatch from the eggs and grow into adults by eating the flesh of the fruit.
Comments:
Management: Collect the fallen fruits and destroy them away from the orchard. The late-harvesting varieties of Neela, Totapuri and Nileshan hybrids are more susceptible to these flies. • Keep the field clean.
Control: To control fruit fly infestation during the months of May-June when the fruit is ripe, one methyl eugenol fruit fly bait should be placed for every 5 mango trees a month before harvest to prevent fruit fly damage.
