Pests of Tea

1. Presentation on,
Insect Pests of Tea
Ravi. Pujari
UHS11PGM142
1
KITTUR RANI CHANNAMMA COLLEGE OF HORTICULTURE, ARABHAVI 591 310

2. Pests in relation to different
parts of the plant
Bud – Mites
Aphids
Tortrix
Matured foliage – Tortrix
Mites
Matured branches – Shot hole borer
Red stem borer
Trunk and collar region – Termites
Grubs

3. Sucking Pests
1. Tea green leaf hopper ( Emposca flavescens)
2. Tea aphid (Toxoptera auranti)
3. Tea Mosquito bug (Helopeltis theivora)
4. Thrips (Taeniothrips setiventris)
5. Scales(Lacenium uride)
6. Mealy bugs

4. Defoliators
1. Leaf miner
2. Tea tortrix/Flush worm(Helopeltis theivora)
3. Bunch caterpillar (Andraca bipunctata)
4. Tea semiloper (Biston supprersaria)

5. Borers
1. Red borer ( Zeuzera coffeae)
2. Shot hole borer (Xyleborus fornicates)

6. Non insect pests(Mites)
1. Red Spider mite: (Oligonychus coffeae)
2. Scarlet mite : (Brevipalpus californicus )
3. Purple mite : (Calacarus carinatus )
4. Yellow mite : (Hemitarsonemus latus )

7. Tea Mosquito Bug: Helopeltis theivora
( Miridae: Homoptera)
Damaging stage – Nymphs and Adults
Nature of damage – They suck sap from leaves, buds
and tender stems.

8. Life cycle
Adult lay eggs on midrib of leaves
Fecundity- 100
Incubation period- 10-13 days
Nymphal period- 22-23 days
Adult – Black head, pale yellow and black thorax,
yellow and greenish black abdomen.
Nymph is dirty yellow

10. Symptoms
• Leaves show many dry parts due to feeding
and also injection of toxic saliva
• Die back symptoms

11. Management
• Collection and destruction of parts with pest
• Spraying with Dimetoate 1.7 ml / ltr
• Helopeltis are predated by Oxyopes sheweta
(Lynx spider).

12. Tea green leaf hopper: Emposca flavescens
( Cicadellidae: Homoptera)
• Damaging stage- Nymphs and Adults
• Nature of damage – They suck sap from leaves

13. Life cycle
Eggs are laid by inserting in the tissue of new tea buds and
shoot, particularly in the internode. In one bud upto 7 eggs
are laid.
Fecundity 100 eggs during her lifetime.
Depending on the temperature, the eggs will hatch after 5 -
10 days, producing nymphs. There are five nymph stages.
The total nymphal development period is 7 - 16 days being
faster in warm weather condition.
So, it takes from 12 - 30 days for leafhoppers to complete a
generation.
There can be as many as 10 generations in a year.
The life span of the adults is 14 - 21 days; females in general
live longer than males.

15. • Nymphs are more damaging than adults. Due to intensive
sucking the affected leaves curl downwards; the margins
become curved, then turn brown and gradually dry up. This
typical symptom is called “Rim Blight”.
• The midrib and veins of affected leaves also show some what
brownish discoloration. Photosynthetic activities is drastically
reduced due to loss of chlorophyll, this coupled with
imbalance in growth hormones results in stunted plant
growth.
• Hoppers feeding marks appear small yellow spots. Under dry
conditions, the upper part of leaves dry out. The less
seriously affected leaves may develop a purple colour.

16. Management
• Natural Management:
Ladybeetles, Neuropterans, praying mantids feed on
leafhoppers
• Tea growing under shade trees tends to have less leafhoppers
problem. Mulching also helps to increase humidity and
therefore reduce leafhopper populations.
• Spraying with Verticillium lecanii @ 2 gm/ltr
• Use of light taps
• NSKE 5%
• Sprays with Monocrotophos @ 1.25 ml/ltr or Imidacloprid
0.25ml/ltr

17. Defoliators

18. Tea tortrix : Homona coffearia
(Tortricide : Lepidoptera)
 Eggs are flat and deposited in overlapping
clusters
 Larvae is dark green with a shiny black head
 The newly hatched larvae tend to move upwards
to the growing points of the bush and begin
feeding
 From the second to the fifth instar they make
nests by webbing two or more leaves together
 Mature larva pupates inside the final nest

19.  The adult moth emerges about 10 days later
 Adult is a grayish brown moth with brown
markings on wings
 Wing span is 16 to 20 mm
Larvae

20. Pupa Adult

21. Damage
 leaves are folded longitudinally. They also attack
fruits, shoots, and flowers

22. Management
 The introduction of the braconid Macrocentrus homonae
Nixon from Indonesia was extremely successful and
reduced Homona coffearia to the status of a minor
seasonal pest
 This situation continued until the mid-1950s. Since then,
this leaf roller has become serious pest because of the
use of chemicals for controlling the shot-hole borer
 Sprays with NSKE 5%
 Sprays with Carbaryl 4 gm/ ltr

23. Bunch catrerpillar: Andraca bipunctata
( Bombycidae: Lepidoptera)
• Damaging stage- Larva
• Nature of damage- It first feeds on leaf surface
by scraping later feeds on leaf margins and
they remain clustered in bunches on branches

24. Life cycle
• Fecundity- 150-500
• Incubation- 10-11 days
• Larval period- 3-4 days
• Pupal period- 16-20 days ( soil)
• Adult is brownish with dark wavy lines on
wings

25. Life stages

26. Symptoms
• Scraped leaef surfaces
• Concave cutted leaf margins
• Clustering of leaves on branches

27. Management
• Collect and destroy the clustered leaf bunches
on branches
• Spray with Quinolphos 2 ml/ltr

28. Tea semilooper: Biston supprersaria
(Geometritidae: Lepidoptera)
• Damaging stage- Larva
• Nature of damage- It first feeds on leaf surface
by scraping later feeds on leaf margins

30. Life cycle
• Fecundity-200-600
• Incubation- 10-11 days
• Larval period- 8-9 days
• Pupal period- 20-22 days ( soil)
• Adult is greyish moth with black and yellow
bands and spots.
• Caterpillar is brown

31. Symptoms
* Scraped leaef surfaces in early stages
* Apperance of holes on leaves
Management
* Collection and destruction of infested
branches
* Sprays with Quinolphos 2 ml/ltr

32. Tea mites
1. Red spider mites
2. Scarlet mite
3. Purple mite
4. Yellow mite

33. The Red spider mite: Oligonychus coffeae
(Tetranychidae : Acarina)
 Spherical bright red eggs are deposited by the
female on leaves at the rate 4 – 6 eggs a day
 Three developing stages are found to occur six
legged larvae
 Elliptically shaped female body is broadly
rounded at the posterior end and carry the large
purple markings

34. Damage
 Infest the upper surface of mature leaves
 Infestation starts along midrib and veins
and spreads to the entire upper surface of
leaves
 Affected leaves - bronzed, dry and
crumpled

36. The scarlet mite : Brevipalpus californicus
(Tenuipalpidae : Acarina)
 This species is found on tea and associated
trees in tea plantations
 Eggs are scarlet, Bright red, elliptical and laid
under side of the leaves
 Adults are scarlet, red in color and ovate in
shape

37. Damage
 This species is found on tea and
associated trees in tea plantations
 Feed on the under surface of leaves, near
the mid rib and the petiole of maintenance
foliage
 Heavy infestation leads to defoliation of
bushes

39. Purple mite : Calacarus carinatus
(Eriophyidae : Acarina)
 They are minute worm like mites, having a vast
range of host plants including tea
 Adult female is deep purple colored
 Body is elongated and spindle shaped, with a
broad anterior end

40. Damage
 It prefers older leaves to feed on, but during dry
spells under heavy infestations, even younger
leaves are infested
 Found on both surfaces of the foliage
 Affected leaves look dull and matty with a
purplish brown discoloration

43. Yellow mite : Hemitarsonemus latus
(Tarsonemidae : Acarina)
 Eggs are relatively larger – 0.1 mm long
 Female lays 4 or more eggs a day
 Life cycle is shorter with no active nymphal
stages

44. Damage
 Common on tea recovering from pruning
and on young tea during post – monsoon
periods
 Losses are felt quickly, because the pest
attacks the harvestable part of the plant

45. Management of Mites
• Collection and destruction of infested parts
• Spraying of acaricide Dicofol 0.5 ml/ltr

46. Shot-Hole Borer :Xyleborus fornicates
(Scolytidae: Coleoptera)
 Damaging stage- Adult
 Nature of damage- It makes holes on the
roots and on the lower part of main trunk
 Grubs, upon hatching feed on a fungus
Monocrosporoum embrocium

47. Life cycle
• Fecundity-
• Incubation- 10-12 days
• Larval period- 45-60days
• Pupal period- 20-30 days (tunnel)
• The adults are small in size brown, reddish
brown or black in colour, head completely
bending downwards with blunt end
• Activity- Winter months

48. Larvae Pupae Adults

49. Symptoms
 Yellowing of lateral branches
 Small pin holes on main trunk
 Oozing of fiberous material from the trunk
 Crop losses due to the SHB have been
assessed to be in the rang of 18 – 40 %

51. Management
• Avoid water logging
• Swab Carbaryl paste around stem upto 2 feet
from base
• Drenching with Chloropyriphos 2.5 ml/ ltr

52. • Red stem borer : Zeuzera coffeae (Cossidae:
Lepidoptera)
• Adult - orange colour, medium sized moth
The adult has white and black spotted wings
The larva is red coloured

53. Life cycle :
 Eggs are usually laid singly on the bark
 Eggs hatch in 8 – 12 days and larval
development takes 3 – 4 months
 Pupation takes place inside the stem and the
adult emerges in about 2 months
 Adult is a nocturnal moth

55. • Damaging Stage : Larva
• Nature of damage & Symptoms of damage:
• Caterpillar bores into the stem or branches to
feeds on the wood.
• In early stages of attack, young plants or
braches show wilting.
• Pellet-like excrement of the larva hangs out
and accumulates at the base of the plant.
• In advanced cases, the branch dries up.

56. Management
• Affected plants or twigs should be cut and
burnt.
• Providing good shade to plantation.
• Field release of white muscardine fungus B.
bassiana and braconid parasite Amyosoma
zeuzerae.
• Spraying NSKE at 4 percent.