9. Orange trunk borer: Anoplophora versteegi (Lamiidae: Coleoptera)

Distribution and status: Found in citrus growing regions. Major pest

Host range: Orange

Damage symptoms

Grub tunnels into the trunk and feeds on the internal content of the trunk resulting in death of the tree. Adult - feeds on the leaf tissue along the midrib, keeping margins intact.

Bionomics

One female lays 35 -85 eggs singly in cracks on bark upto 2 feet height from the ground.  Grubs feeds on sapwood making horizontal galleries before entering into centre of the trunk, larval period 267-290 days. Pupation takes place inside the gallery pupal period 33-43 days. Adult is sluggish.

Management

1. Prune the infested branches
2.   Plug the fresh boreholes with absorbent cotton soaked in monocrotophos 5 ml/ 20 ml    

  water