DISTRIBUTION, BIOLOGY, NATURE OF DAMAGE AND MANAGEMENT OF WOOLLY APPLE APHID, ERIOSOMA LANIGERUM (HAUSMANN), (HEMIPTERA: APHIDIDAE) IN APPLE ORCHARD: A REVIEW

Abstract

Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausmann), the woolly apple aphid (WAA), is a major worldwide pest that feeds on Malus species. It is one of the most important invasive apple pests in the world, having spread from eastern North America to almost every apple-growing region on the planet. The crown and root systems of apple trees are infested by this aphid species. This aphid’s crawlers migrate up and down an apple tree continually, and the root colonies serve as a persistent source of infestation on aerial portions The WAA’s salivary gland secretions drive the injured tissues to create abnormal growths or galls that obstruct the transport of water and nutrients within the plant, weakening the tree. On the above-ground portions and on the roots of apple trees, the aphid develops tightly packed colonies coated with white, waxy, filamentous secretions. The use of resistant rootstocks, chemical, and biological control, or a combination of all three, are the mainstays of WAA management. Aphid resistance has emerged as a result of decades of pesticide usage, necessitating research to find alternatives to chemicals for pest control. This study has merely highlighted the information on the biology of the woolly apple aphid, the sorts of damage it produces, and management approaches for reducing it.