- E A de Villiers
- Navorsingsinstituut vir Sitrus en Subtropiese Vrugte, Nelspruit
- 1988
Die belangrikste bogrondse plae by li ets jies is vrugtevliee, lietsjiemot, vrugtevlermuis en basboorder.
Summary:
- The main above-ground pests affecting litchis include fruit flies, litchi moth, fruit bats, and bark borer.
- Fruit Flies
- Two major fruit fly species attack litchis: Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) and Natal fruit fly (Pterandrus rosa).
- Damage results from fruit stings causing fermentation, skin splitting, and secondary decay, mostly without larval development.
- Control is preventative: apply poison bait weekly starting mid-September to mid-October depending on harvest time, spraying one side of the tree as high as possible.
- Covering fruit with specialized litchi bags from early November effectively protects against fruit flies, litchi moth, fruit bats, and sunburn.
- Eradication of wild host plants (wild guavas, brambles, bugweed) reduces fruit fly breeding sites.
- Pheromone traps for male flies help monitor fruit fly populations and guide control efforts.
- Litchi Moth
- The litchi moth (Argyroploce peltastica) lays eggs on fruit skin; larvae bore into the seed causing rot and skin damage leading to fruit cracking.
- Control includes using litchi bags and orchard sanitation with removal of fallen or spoiled nuts and host plants like macadamia, Pride of Barbados, flamboyant, Bauhinia, and Acacias.
- Fruit Bats
- Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) feed on litchis, with losses reported up to 204 boxes per week in a 300-tree orchard.
- Various deterrents have been tested but only litchi bags offer effective protection.
- Bark Borer
- Bark borer moth larvae (Salagena sp.) feed on tree bark and wood causing branch dieback.
- Hosts include litchis, pecan, macadamia, guava, avocado, marula, wild fig, and others.
- Control involves parasitic wasps and targeted insecticide sprays on affected areas.