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A. M. Varela
Is this a Minor Pest?
Yes
Minor Pest Title
Cashew weevil (Mecocorynus loripes)
Minor Pest Description
The cashew weevil is large weevil, about 20 mm long, and of a knobbed appearance. It is dark grey-brown in colour. The female weevil lays single eggs in small holes in the bark of the trunk or branches. The larvae are legless grubs, whitish in colour with a brown head. They bore through the bark and move downwards tunnelling under the bark while feeding on the sapwood.
Brown-black gummy frass is seen on the trunk and main branches. Heavily attacked trees become ringed by damaged sapwood and eventually die. Neglected plantations are likely to be severely attacked. Fully-grown larvae pupate in a chamber about 2 cm below the bark.
Minor Pest What to do.
- Cut away bark from damaged areas of lightly infested trees and kill the larvae and pupae underneath. Repeat this every month for a further six months if required.
- Destroy severely infested trees. First collect and destroy all adult weevils; then fell the tree and remove the bark to expose all larval galleries; kill all larvae and pupa and burn the tree.
Minor Pest Position
3
Minor Pest Firstcontent
204
Pest Type
insect
Host Plants
Cashew
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