Symptoms of damage

• Maggots puncture into semi-ripe fruits with decayed spots
• Oozing of fluid and brownish rotten patches on fruits.
• Dropping of fruits.

Identification of pest

• Egg - pear shaped, light yellowish
• Nymph - Oval, scale-like, greenish white
• Settle down on a succulent part of leaves.
• Adult - White, tiny, scale-like adults.

Management

• Collect fallen infested fruits and dispose them by dumping in a pit and covering with soil.
• Provide summer ploughing to expose the pupa
• Monitor the activity of flies with methyl eugenol sex lure traps.
• Heavy application of dust and sprays of pyrethrum or BHC
• Spray malathion 50 EC 2ml/lit.
• Field release of natural enemies Opius compensates and Spalangia philippines

Note

• Prepare bait with methyl eugenol 1% solution mixed with malathion 0.1%.
• Take 10 ml of this mixture per trap and keep them in 25 different places in one hectare between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.
• 250 ml capacity wide mouthed bottle fitted with hanging device at its neck.
• Change the solution at fortnightly interval from March to July.