5. Lac insect: Laccifer lacca (Kerridae: Hemiptera)

Distribution and status: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China and Thailnad.
Host range: Ber, kusum, palas and khair, pomegranate, amla, litchi, sugarapple and tamarind

Damage symptoms

Desapping by adult reduces the vitality and vigour of the trees. Cottony appearance due to long wax filaments and sooty mould appearance on the leaves

Bionomics

Adult lays 200-500 eggs and hatch within few hours. Emerging nymphs crawl on branches, settle down gregariously and start sucking the sap. Once settled the nymphs do not move and start secreting resin from glands. The lac secretion from adjacent cells coalesces to form a continuous encrustation.

Management

• Prune all severely infested branches and burn without delay.
• Avoid overcrowding and growing other lac insect host plants like wild ber in the vicinity of fruit trees.
• Spray 625 ml dimethoate 30 EC in 625 L of water /ha in April and again in September.