Symptom of damage

• Infestation - under side of leaves, base of petioles and nodes of tender shoots.
• Infested plants give withering appearance.

Identification of the pest

• Body of the scale is covered with white wax like mealy substance.
• Small, soft bodied insects.
• Female is wingless, oval body clothed with white threads.

Management

• Maintain adequate shade
• Destroy nets of red ants and cocktailed ant
• Dust Quinolphos 1.5% or methyl parathion 2% or malathion 5%
• Spray the affected patches with Quinolphos 25 EC 2ml per lit of water.
• Conserve natural enemies like predatory lady bird beetle, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
• parasitoid Leptomastix dactylopii.