TESSARATOMA JAVANIVA(THUNBERG): AN EMERGING MAJOR PEST OF THE LITCHI FRUIT

Litchi is one of the tropical and deliciously juicy fruit. Litchi growers reported bug infestation. Many bug attacks the litchi but one of the bugs Tessaratoma javanica is the most destructive one which decreases the quantity and quality of crops. T. javanica is polyphagous in nature and has a hemimetabolous life cycle. The reason for infestation is the migration of bugs in an alternate host plant the adult and nymph mainly cause severe loss of litchi fruit about 80% loss. To protect the litchi crops use of chemical pesticides did not give positive results because of its hard hemelytra and waxy ventral surface protection from the effect of chemical pesticides. The idea of applying Anastatus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) and O. phongi Trjapitzin et al. (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) for biological control of notorious pests, resulted in a positive effect in China and Thailand and also two natural enemies were found in the litchi crop field, viz., Anastatus bangalorensis Mani & Kurian and Ooencyrtus sps. infesting egg of litchi stink bug, if we reared in mass and released in the field, it would help integrated pest management. This outbreak is an alarming situation and needs an urgent response from the researchers of the country to develop pest management strategies to protect the litchi fruit.