Symptoms of attack and nature of damage

• Infests green succulent branches.
• Young plants - main stem may be attacked.
• Presence of shot hole
• Initial symptom - drooping of leaves
• Withered (faster in young branches and delayed in older twigs) or dried branches
• Attacked Leaves fall and prematurely
• Terminal leaves wilt, droop and dry up.
• Severe infestation - loss of considerable number of productive branches.

Identification of the pest

• Adult - brown to black with a short, sub cylindrical body and covered with fine hairs.
• Females are darker and larger (1.5 to 1.8 mm)
• Males are dull and small (0.8 to 1.0 mm)

Management

• Insecticide applications do not provide for shot hole borer control.
• Grub entered into twig and make tunneling – Ambrosia fungus developed from the tunneling. Female lays eggs on the tunneling
• After egg hatching, the white milky larvae feed on the ambrosia fungus
• Prune the affected twigs 2 to 3 inches beyond the shot-hole and burn (September)
• Remove and destroy all the unwanted/infested suckers during summer (avoid breeding).
• Maintain thin shade and good drainage.