What Insects Eat Pineapple?

The pineapple is a major cash crop of Hawaii.

Pineapples originated in Paraguay. Once the pineapples were discovered by Columbus, they spread to all tropical locations. The pineapple, which resembles a large pine cone, is topped with prickly leaves. The edible inside will only reach full flavor if left to ripen on the plant. The yellow pulp is high in sugar and acids. If an inner crown leaf can be easily plucked, the fruit is fully ripe. Only one pineapple is produced by each plant, and ripening can take up to 22 months.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs live at the bottom of the pineapple plant.

Mealybug wilt contributes the most damage to the pineapple crop, causing crop failure in Hawaii. Mealybug wilt can cause the collapse of roots by the invasion of organisms or by drying the root. There are three larval stages before the mealybug becomes an adult. The average lifespan of the adult is about 95 days. The larvae have flat bodies with long hairs that eventually develop a waxy covering. Mealybugs usually live at the base of the pineapple plant, around the roots or the butt of the pineapple. There are four species of mealybugs that eat some or all of the pineapple plant. Each insect lays about 350 larvae, which soon begin to suck the plant juices, causing the leaves to wilt and the spread of disease.

Scales

Although difficult, checking for insects on pineapples is necessary for control.

Scale insects grow from 0.08 mm to 5 mm long. They come in circular, oval and gumdrop shapes. Some are concave and others are convex. Scales range in color from white to almost black. Large numbers of scales cause yellowing and dropping of the plant leaves, less fruit setting and plants that do not thrive. The female adult scale protects her eggs under her body until they hatch four days later. The egg goes through three larval stages before becoming an adult. All stages of a scale's development drink the juice of the pineapple by inserting a stylet mouthpart into the fruit. Scales will attack all parts of the pineapple plant, including the roots, buds, flowers and fruit.

Beetles

The rhinoceros beetle is named for the animal it resembles.

The dried fruit, yellow-shouldered souring and rhinoceros beetles cause pineapple crops to wilt after they make holes at the stem base of the plant. The larvae of beetles, usually called grubs, eat the fruit of the plant. The rhinoceros beetle is almost black with a horn on its head.

Thrips

Thrips are tiny insects that puncture leaves, flowers and stems of the pineapple plant to suck the sap out. This causes the leaves to wither, curl and die. The female thrip lays her eggs, 22/1000-inch long, inserted into the leaves, petals or sepals of the pineapple plant.

Caterpillars and Moths

The markings and colors of caterpillars indicate the mother butterfly or moth.

The caterpillars of the Pacific fruit-piercing moth and the bud moth eat the leaves of the pineapple plant, while the moths pierce the fruit and drink the juices. The moths feed at night, making it difficult for the farmer to detect until the damage has been done. Just one female moth can lay up to several hundred eggs during her lifetime. The eggs hatch in three to four days.

Other Insects

Minor pests to the pineapple crops also enjoy munching some part of the plant. These insects include sowbugs, pillbugs, cockroaches, mites and centipedes. Large numbers of these insects found in a farmer's pineapple crop would indicate a significant change in recent weather conditions.

References

• Transport Information Services: Pineapple Product Discription
• Hawaii University: Pineapple, Insects and Other Pests
• Proceedsings of Hawaiian Entomological Society; Interaction of Ants and Mealybugs on Pineapples; Gary C. Jahn et al.; 2000
• Tamilnadu Agricultural University: Crops: Pineapple