Here are the scientific names, family, order, damaging stage, nature of damage, oviposition, pupation site, and management strategies for several pests that affect trees:
1. Snails and Slugs:
- Scientific name: Class Gastropoda (includes various species of snails and slugs)
- Family: Various families (e.g., Helicidae, Arionidae)
- Order: Various orders (e.g., Stylommatophora, Pulmonata)
- Damaging stage: Adult stage
- Nature of damage: Feeding on leaves, stems, and fruits, leaving irregular holes and slime trails
- Oviposition: Snails lay eggs in clusters in moist areas, while slugs lay eggs in the soil.
- Pupation site: Snails do not pupate, as they undergo direct development. Slugs lay their eggs in the soil.
- Management: Remove hiding places like leaf litter and debris, handpicking, use of barriers like copper tape, use of iron phosphate baits, and application of diatomaceous earth.
2. Mealybugs:
- Scientific name: Family Pseudococcidae (various species within the family)
- Family: Pseudococcidae
- Order: Hemiptera
- Damaging stage: Nymph and adult stages
- Nature of damage: Sucking sap from plant tissues, causing yellowing, wilting, and stunted growth. They also produce honeydew, promoting the growth of sooty mold.
- Oviposition: Mealybugs lay their eggs in a cottony mass, usually on the undersides of leaves.
- Pupation site: Mealybugs undergo incomplete metamorphosis and do not have a pupal stage.
- Management: Physical removal by wiping or spraying with water, use of insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, or neem oil, and biological control using natural enemies like parasitic wasps or ladybugs.
3. Scale Insects:
- Scientific name: Superfamily Coccoidea (includes various families and species of scale insects)
- Family: Various families (e.g., Diaspididae, Coccidae)
- Order: Hemiptera
- Damaging stage: Nymph and adult stages
- Nature of damage: Sucking sap from plant tissues, causing yellowing, wilting, and distorted growth. Some species also produce honeydew and sooty mold.
- Oviposition: Female scales lay eggs beneath their protective scale covers.
- Pupation site: Scale insects undergo incomplete metamorphosis and do not have a pupal stage.
- Management: Physical removal by scraping or pruning heavily infested branches, use of horticultural oils or insecticidal soaps, introduction of natural enemies like ladybugs or parasitic wasps, and systemic insecticides for severe infestations.
