Is this a Minor Pest?
Yes
Minor Pest Title
Tea weevils (Aperitmetus brunneus, Entypotrachelus meyeri)
Minor Pest Description
Adult weevils feed on the foliage and chew the leaf edges and also bore irregular holes through the leaf surface. The larvae are the most destructive, feeding on the taproot and causing wilting, stunting, and eventual death of young plants. Stems of young plants may be bark-ringed at ground level by the larvae.
In Kenya, the tea root weevil (Aperitmetus brunneus), which is about 7-9 mm long with pale grey scales on its body, is considered a serious pest in tea nurseries. Losses of 30 to 40% are common. The tea weevil or Kangaita weevils (Entypotrachelus meyeri) occasionally defoliate young tea newly transplanted to the field.
Minor Pest What to do.
- Laboratory experiments suggested that a neem-based product Godrej Achook formulated as wettable soluble powder, containing 0.03% (300 ppm) azadirachtin has an antifeedant effect on the tea weevil (E. meyeri) (weevils stop feeding or eat less) when applied at concentrations of 10 and 20% (Sudoi, 1998).
Minor Pest Position
7
Minor Pest Firstcontent
141
Host Plants
Tea