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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mayaguez, Puerto Rico » Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #419708
Research Project: Conservation and Utilization of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit, Cacao, Coffee, and Bamboo Germplasm and Associated Descriptive Information

Location: Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research

Title: First Report of Phidotricha erigens injurying mango inflorescences in Puerto Rico

Author
item LOPEZ LAURENTI, MARICE - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item ARON, YAIR - Martex Farms
item VARGAS-GARCIA, CHRISTIAN - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/22/2025
Publication Date: 9/11/2025
Citation: Lopez Laurenti, M., Aron, Y., Vargas-Garcia, C. 2025. First Report of Phidotricha erigens injurying mango inflorescences in Puerto Rico. Florida Entomologist. vol. 108, no. 1, 2025, pp. 20240078. https://doi.org/10.1515/flaent-2024-0078.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/flaent-2024-0078

Interpretive Summary: Mango production in Puerto Rico is vulnerable to various pests, however, the specific impact of the insect Phidotricha erigens has not been studied in detail. The damage of P. erigens in mango inflorescences was evaluated in a commercial mango farm in Puerto Rico. The analysis found that inflorescences infested with this pest had significantly fewer pea-stage mangoes and lower flower weight compared to control group. The pest's larvae and pupae were found in greater numbers in the infested mango flowers, confirming their detrimental impact on flower development and subsequent fruit yield. This information is crucial for developing early pest management strategies to protect mango crops in Puerto Rico and similar tropical and subtropical areas. Early intervention during mango flowering can help mitigate damage and prevent yield losses, offering mango growers better control over this emerging threat.

Technical Abstract: Puerto Rico is an emerging mango (Mangifera indica L.) producer, with a market value of $25 million and 19 million kilograms annually. Phidotricha erigens Raganot (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae adversely affect the reproductive organs of various fruit trees, but little is known on their specific impact on mango inflorescences. This study was conducted in summer 2024 (July 12 to 30) on a commercial mango farm in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico to assess the extent of damage caused by P. erigens on mango inflorescences through a no-choice semi-field experiment. Independent samples Welch’s t-tests demonstrated that inflorescences treated with P. erigens adults had significantly lower larval and pupal progeny, flower weights, and pea-stage mangoes per panicle, respectively, compared with the untreated control. Multiple linear regression analysis and Kruskal-Wallis test confirmed that a higher number of pedicels were a significant predictor of a higher progeny, specifically the pupal and fifth larval instar preimaginal stages. These findings highlight the pest's potential to adversely affect mango yields by compromising floral development. Given the year-round vulnerability of mango inflorescences, the study underscores the need for early pest management strategies to mitigate yield losses in mango agriculture, particularly through timely intervention during the flowering stage.