Cocoa-pest
Guides
Cadra
Cadra is a genus of small moths in the family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae. The genus is characterized by reduced forewing venation with veins 4, 7, and 9 absent, resulting in nine forewing veins total. Several species are significant stored product pests, particularly of dry plant materials including seeds, nuts, and dried fruits. The genus is closely related to Ephestia, and species are sometimes assigned interchangeably between the two genera in non-entomological literature.
Ferrisia virgata
striped mealybug, grey mealybug
Ferrisia virgata, commonly known as the striped mealybug, is a highly polyphagous pest species in the family Pseudococcidae. First described from Jamaica in 1893, it spread globally within approximately a decade and is now established in all tropical and subtropical zoogeographic regions. The species is recognized by two dark dorsal longitudinal stripes and is a significant agricultural pest with a host range spanning over 203 genera in 77 plant families. It vectors plant badnavirus diseases affecting cocoa and black pepper, and has been demonstrated to acquire but not effectively transmit 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus', the bacterium associated with citrus huanglongbing.
Xyleborus ferrugineus
Xyleborus ferrugineus is an ambrosia beetle (subfamily Scolytinae) that cultivates symbiotic fungi for nutrition rather than feeding directly on wood. Females bore into host trees to create galleries where they farm ambrosia fungi, which serve as the sole food source for adults and larvae. The species exhibits strong sexual dimorphism, with females being larger, more numerous, and solely responsible for gallery formation and colony founding. It has been documented as a potential vector of Ceratocystis cacaofunesta, the causal agent of lethal wilt disease in cocoa.