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Other Fruits With Insecticides Known to Have Labels for Use¹

Insect Pests of Annona Crops

The production of Annona spp. (sugar apple, atemoya, custard apple) in Florida has escalated from backyard trees to commercial groves. This change has also increased the importance of insect pests attacking these crops. The insects that affect production of Annona in Florida include major pests such as the seed borer Bepratelloides cubensis Ashmead, and secondary pests such as the papaya scale Philephedra tuberculosa Nakahara and Gill. The impact incidental pests such as various lepidopterous (sphinx moths, fruit piercing moths) larvae and some hemipterans (Acanthocela femorata (F.)) have on Annona is unknown.

Annona Seed Borer, Bephratelloides cubensis Ashmead

The adult female (Figure 1) of the seed borer is a reddish or reddish-brown colored wasp, 1/4 to 1/3 inch long. The main distinguishing characteristic of this wasp is the almost complete absense of males. The adults can be observed at rest, emerging from fruits or ovipositing during the hottest times of the day. The female life span ranges between 1 to 11 days; the female oviposits its eggs in developing seeds and the incubation of the eggs last 12 to 14 days, the larval stage lasting 42-55 days. The larva is near white to cream colored, legless and swollen near the center. The pupal stage lasts 12 to 13 days. The emerging female tunnels a distance of 0.6 to 1.1 cm through the pulp, leaving a circular hole in the fruit epidermis.

Figure 1. 

Annona seed borer adult female.

Dynamics

The annona seed borer populations develop during winter months mostly in bullock's heart (Annona reticulata). Because this fruit is not grown extensively, populations of adult wasps, which emerge from February to late May at the end of the fruiting season, are relatively low. Atemoyas which begin setting fruit in April, become infested (Figure 2) early in the season because they are setting fruits when the majority of seed borers are emerging from bullock's hearts. Emergence and new infestations in atemoyas and sugar apples occur for several weeks, and may not abate until the end of the fruiting season. The wasp prefers fruit sizes in the range of 1/2 to almost 2 inches in diameter.

Figure 2. 

Damage caused by annona seed borer.

Cultural Control

Bagging the fruits is the best cultural method to prevent infestation by the annona seed borer. Polyethylene bags held up well for the duration of fruit growth. Small fruits should be bagged before they reach the vulnerable size of 2 inches in diameter.

Chemical Control

See Table 1.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.

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