Mangosteen is relatively free from pests and diseases. The major insect pests are the leaf eating insect (Stictoptera sp) which feeds on the young leaves and shoots, the leaf miner (Phyllocnictis citrella) which bores into the leaves, and beetle which lays eggs on the fruit and its larvae feeds on the flesh and seeds. The first two insect pests can be controlled by using methamidophos and fenthion, while the third, by destroying all infested fruits. The diseases include canker (Zignoella gorcirea), which affects the branch resulting in defoliation and death of the tree, and pink disease (Corticium salmonicolor) that infects the trunk and branch causing wilting and leaf drop.

Stictoptera sp
Phyllocnictis citrella
(adult - left; larva - right)

The canker-infected trees should be destroyed by burning to avoid the spreading of the diseased. Pink disease can be controlled by removing the infected parts and treating with tridemorph and improving air circulation. A leaf-eating caterpillar in India may perhaps be the same as that which attacks new shoots in the Philippines and which has been identified as Orgyra sp. of the tussock moth family, Lymantridae. A small ant, Myrnelachista ramulorum, in Puerto Rico, colonizes the tree, tunnels into the trunk and branches, and damages the new growth. Mites sometimes deface the fruits with small bites and scratches. Fully ripe fruits are attacked by monkeys, bats and rats in Asia.

In Puerto Rico, thread blight caused by the fungus, Pellicularia koleroga, is   often seen on branchlets, foliage and fruits of trees in shaded, humid areas. The fruits may become coated with webbing and ruined. In Malaya, the fungus, Zignoella garcineae, gives rise to "canker"-tuberous growths on the branches, causing a fatal dying-back of foliage, branches and eventually the entire tree. Breakdown in storage is caused by the fungi Diplodia gossypina, Pestaloti a sp., Phomopsis sp., Gloeosporium sp., and Rhizopus nigricans (Yaacob and Tindall 1995).

For some diseases of mangosteen refer to Table 3 (below).

Table 3. Main disorders and diseases of mangosteen

Disorder/disease

Symptom

Control procedure

Gamboge/gummosis

  • yellow exudate on fruits and branches
  • avoid injury
  • avoid fruit dropping on ground during harvest

Translucent flesh

  • flesh becomes watery translucent - inedible

 

Pestalozzia   blight and stem canker (Pestalotiopsis sp. associated)

  • branch splitting
  • gummosis and blistering
  • (especially during stormy and windy conditions)
  • spray with copper oxychloride
  • sun protection essential
  • plant windbreak early

Pink disease (Corticium salmonicolor)

  • infected area (stem/branch) covered with pink mycelium
  • wilting of leaves and shoots
  • proper and appropriate pruning
  • spray with copper oxychloride
     
Corticium salmonicolor
Mangosteen tree infected by Zignoella garcineae
     
Canker by Diplodia gossypina
Scorching effect caused by Pestalotia sp.

The mangosteen is affected by a range of pests.The more common insect pests of mangosteen are given in Table 4 (below)

Table 4. Insect pests of mangosteen

Insect

Symptom

Monitoring

Red-banded thrip (Selenothrips rubrocinctus)

  • infests flowers and damages the fruit skin, leaving a brown rusty appearance on the fruit
  • monitor newly emerged flower panicles for thrips on 10-20 trees/ha with a x 10 handlens. If 50% of trees have thrips spray with registered chemical. Critical monitoring period is prior to flowering

Fruit-spotting bug (Amblypelta lutescens lutescens and Amblypelta nitida)

  • insects cause damage by feeding on newly developing fruit and foliage. Feeding damage can be seen as black / brown sunken spots on the fruit and leaves
  • spot spray affected trees with registered chemical if damage is observed

Larvae of leaf webber (Pyralidae)

  • chewing damage to foliage, flowers and fruit
  • not normally needed
  • spray with Bacillus thuringiensis if fruit damage is observed

Redshouldered leaf beetle (Monolepta australis)

  • chewing damage to foliage, flowers and fruit
  • spot spray trees with registered chemical if beetle numbers are higher then 10 adults

Flat mite (Brevipalpus sp.)

  • leaf damage
  • mottling of foliage
  • defoliation in severe cases
  • not needed in north Qld

Citrus mealy bug (Planococcus citri)

  • sap sucking honey dew producing insect which can cause sooty mould on the fruit and leaves. Usually farmed by ants.
  • control ants and release the mealybug predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

Green tree ant (Oecophylla smaragdina)
  • farms citrus mealybug and are very territorial and aggressive if disturbed making harvesting of fruit difficult. These insects will web the fruit together to protect mealybug colonies
  • inject ant nests with appropriate registered chemical

Larvae of the Tortricidae moth.

  • chewing damage to foliage flowers and fruit
  • not normally needed
  • spray with Bacillus thuringiensis if fruit damage is observed

Physical and Physiological disorder: A major physiological problem called "gamboge" is evidenced by the oozing of latex onto the outer surface of the fruits and on the branches during periods of heavy and continuous rains. Fruits exposed to strong sun may also exude latex.

Gamosis also occurs inside the fruit whereby the affected fruits become harden and the flesh tastes bitter. In most instances gamosis is the result of physical injury thus affecting eating quality. For example, mangosteens produced in Honduras often have crystal-like "stones" in the flesh and they may render the fruit completely inedible.

 
 
 
 
 
"Gamboge" physiological disorder of mangosteen
 

In another situation, fruit-cracking may occur because of excessive absorption of moisture. In cracked fruits the flesh will be swollen and mushy. Bruising caused by the force of storms may be an important factor in both of these abnormalities. Mangosteen fruits stored at low temperatures result in hardening of the pericarp. This condition reduces acceptability of the fruits due to difficulty in opening them.

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