Symptoms of damage

• Rusty reddish discolouration on the fingers
• Yellowing of leaves and rusty growth over fruit

Identification of pest

• Eggs: Eggs are laid either at stem or undersurface of the fruit
• Larvae: Are wingless, whitish in colour resembling adult lice
• Adult : Yellowish white with shaded wing.

Management

• Destroy all volunteer plants and old neglected plantations
• Use healthy and pest free suckers for planting
• Hot water treatment prior to planting.
• Bunch covers (which cover the full length of the bunch) protection applied very early.
• Regular checking of fruit under the bunch covers is essential to ensure that damage
• Bunches, pseudostem and the suckers should be sprayed chlorpyrifos
• Soil application fipronil and bifenthrin
• Field release of coccinelid predators like lacewings, ladybird beetles