Mango red-banded caterpillar (281)

By A Mystery Man Writer

Mango red-banded caterpillar (281) - Widespread distribution. Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania. On mango, both the cultivated, and wild species. Eggs laid on fruit stalks. Larvae bore into fruit, and one bores to the seed, and the others disperse. When mature, the larvae are white, have black heads and 11 red bands. Adults are greyish/pale brown; and nocturnal. Spread by flight and by the trade in fruit. Natural enemies: wasp parasitoids and ants. Cultural control: if trees are pruned to a suitable height bag the fruit; remove fruit with stains (a sign of larvae inside). A pheromone has been trialed. Chemical control: thiacloprid (a neonicotinoid) used in Papua New Guinea, and synthetic pyrethroids in the Philippines.