Mango Hopper
Idioscopus clypealis
📖 Description
Mango Hopper (Idioscopus clypealis, along with related species I. nitidulus and Amritodus atkinsoni) is the most destructive pest of mango across the Indian subcontinent, causing 50-100% yield loss in outbreak years. Both adults and nymphs congregate on mango inflorescences, tender leaves, and young fruits, sucking phloem sap and excreting copious honeydew. The honeydew promotes sooty mold growth that further reduces photosynthesis and fruit quality. Heavy infestation causes withering of inflorescences, failure of fruit set, and even fruit drop. Outbreaks are favored by crowded canopies, excessive nitrogen, and warm humid weather. Spraying during full bloom must be avoided to protect pollinators — pre-bloom and post-fruit-set applications are safest.
⚠️ Symptoms to watch for
- Honeydew deposition on leaves and panicles
- sooty mold growth on honeydew
- withering and drying of inflorescences
- fruit set failure
- hopperburn on leaves
- yield loss 50-100% in severe cases
🩹 Treatment
- Spray neem oil 5ml/L with sticker at panicle emergence
- apply systemic insecticides at flowering
- conserve predatory bugs
- prune crowded branches to improve air circulation
- avoid excessive nitrogen
🌿 Organic treatments
- Spray neem oil 5 ml/L with sticker at panicle emergence
- apply 5% NSKE
- release predatory bugs (Mallada boninensis)
- apply Lecanicillium lecanii @ 5 g/L
- prune crowded branches
- avoid excessive nitrogen
🧪 Chemical treatments
- Imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 0.3 ml/L
- Thiamethoxam 25 WG @ 0.4 g/L
- Acephate 75 SP @ 1 g/L
- Lambda-cyhalothrin 5 EC @ 1 ml/L
- Dimethoate 30 EC @ 1.5 ml/L (avoid during full bloom to protect pollinators)
🛡️ Prevention
- Prune crowded branches to improve air circulation
- avoid excessive nitrogen fertilization
- monitor orchards weekly during panicle emergence
- spray at early infestation before flowering peak
- conserve predatory bugs and spiders
- remove alternate host plants
- maintain orchard sanitation
🪴 Affected plants
- Mango
- Occasionally Other Anacardiaceae
🦋 Natural predators
- Mallada boninensis
- Spiders
- Predatory Bugs
- Lacewings
- Syrphid Larvae
🌱 Host plants
- Mangifera indica
🔄 Lifecycle
- Female lays 100-200 eggs inside tender leaves and inflorescences.
- Eggs hatch in 6-9 days.
- Nymphs pass through 5 instars over 12-18 days.
- Adults live 30-60 days.
- Total life cycle 25-35 days; 4-6 generations per year, with peak activity during mango flowering season (Feb-Apr).
📅 Season
- Year-round on mango, peaks Feb-Apr during flowering and Mar-May during fruit development
🔎 Appearance
- Small, brownish wedge-shaped hoppers with a distinctive head shape and translucent wings.
- Adults jump and fly quickly when disturbed.
- Nymphs are pale greenish with wing pads, found on mango inflorescences and tender leaves.
💥 Damage level
- High
🔁 Reproduction rate
- Fast
🗺️ Geographic regions
- Indian Subcontinent
- Southeast Asia
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