Pest identification
What's eating my cupuaçu?
Cupuaçu fruit borer (Conotrachelus humeropictus)
Signs: Weevil larvae develop inside the fruit, consuming pulp and seeds; infested fruits drop prematurely and are totally lost
Control: Collect and destroy fallen and infested fruits immediately; apply pyrethroid-based sprays timed to adult weevil activity; encourage ground-feeding birds as predators of pupae
Mirids / cocoa shield bug (Bathycoelia thalassina and related Sahlbergella spp.)
Signs: Piercing-sucking bugs inject toxic saliva into fruitlets and young stems, causing lesions, premature drop, and die-back
Control: Apply contact insecticide during peak nymph emergence; maintain canopy shade at recommended levels; remove weed hosts from the orchard floor
Pink hibiscus mealybug (Maconellicoccus hirsutus)
Signs: Dense colonies on young shoots and flower buds inject toxic saliva causing distorted growth, bud drop, and honeydew-driven sooty mold
Control: Introduce Anagyrus kamali parasitoid wasp as biocontrol; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap; prune out heavily infested shoots
Keep cupuaçu pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Cupuaçu pests — FAQ
What is eating my cupuaçu?
Cupuaçu's worst pest is the cupuaçu fruit borer (Conotrachelus humeropictus), a weevil whose larvae develop inside fruits and destroy the pulp. Mirids (shield bugs) pierce stems and fruitlets. Witches' broom disease (Moniliophthora perniciosa) devastates crops in Amazon regions. Remove and destroy infested fruits promptly; plant resistant cultivars where available.
How do I get rid of cupuaçu fruit borer (conotrachelus humeropictus) on cupuaçu?
Weevil larvae develop inside the fruit, consuming pulp and seeds; infested fruits drop prematurely and are totally lost Collect and destroy fallen and infested fruits immediately; apply pyrethroid-based sprays timed to adult weevil activity; encourage ground-feeding birds as predators of pupae
How do I get rid of mirids / cocoa shield bug (bathycoelia thalassina and related sahlbergella spp.) on cupuaçu?
Piercing-sucking bugs inject toxic saliva into fruitlets and young stems, causing lesions, premature drop, and die-back Apply contact insecticide during peak nymph emergence; maintain canopy shade at recommended levels; remove weed hosts from the orchard floor
How do I get rid of pink hibiscus mealybug (maconellicoccus hirsutus) on cupuaçu?
Dense colonies on young shoots and flower buds inject toxic saliva causing distorted growth, bud drop, and honeydew-driven sooty mold Introduce Anagyrus kamali parasitoid wasp as biocontrol; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap; prune out heavily infested shoots