International Journal of Pest Management (2010) 56, 103-107

Marc Rhainds and Juan C. Cabrera-La Rosa (2010)
Oiketicus kirbyi (Lepidoptera, Psychidae), a key pest in Peruvian orchards of avocado
International Journal of Pest Management 56 (2), 103-107
Abstract: In recent years, the bagworm Oiketicus kirbyi (Guilding) has become a pest of increasing importance in Peruvian avocado orchards. A study conducted in six commercial orchards evaluated the ecology of, and feeding damage caused by, bagworms on avocado on the southern coast of Peru. In March 2009, the population of live individuals at different locations consisted of second to sixth larval instars. The sex-ratio in the previous generation of bagworms (the parents of larvae) was female-biased, and the mortality rate was higher for females than males. The percentage of mated females varied between 76.7 and 99.1% and declined when the proportion of males was low. The damage caused by bagworm larvae usually results from defoliation, but in the case of O. kirbyi on avocado, the presence of larvae on the fruits was associated with blemishes that limit the marketability of fruits; thus bagworms cause direct economic losses for avocado growers. Future studies are needed to assess the timing of larval emergence with a view to preventing widespread infestation by dispersing neonate bagworms.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Marc Rhainds, Juan C. Cabrera-La Rosa

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
damage/losses/economics
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Oiketicus kirbyi	Avocado (Persea americana)	Peru