5. Mealy bug:  Ferrisia virgata, Maconellicoccus hirsutus  (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera)

Distribution and status: All over India and other grapevine growing countries.
Host range: Grapevine, Hibiscus, mulberry, guava, custard apple, okra, tamarind and glyricidia.

Damage symptoms

Both nymphs and adults suck sap that results in crinkling and yellowing of leaves and rotting of berries.

Bionomics

Female lays 350-500 orange coloured eggs in a loose cottony terminal ovisac; egg period 5-10 days. Crawler nymphs orange coloured, females and males with  3 and 4 nymphal instars respectively. Adult females pinkish and sparsely covered with white wax. One generation per month,  but, life cycle extends in winter months.

Management

• Debark the vines and swab with methylparathion @ 1 ml /L to minimize the population
• Spray dichlorvas 1.0 L or chlorpyriphos 1.25 L or  buprofezin 25 SC 1.0-1.5 L or methomyl  40 SP 1.25 kg with 500 L water/ha.
• Release Australian lady bird beetle Cryptoleamus montrouzieri @ 2500 – 3750 per ha
• Conserve coccinellid Scymnus craccivora and  lepidopteran predator Spalgis epius
• Avoid spraying methyl parathion, carbaryl, monocrotophos, dimethoate, methyldemeton, quinalphos, diazinon, malathion etc as they are toxic to predators.