Hawaii’s newest agricultural pest could threaten to put a dent in the state’s $1.6 million avocado industry.
“It could be really bad,” said Ken Love, executive director of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers, which represents avocado growers across the state.
State agriculture officials say they have confirmed the presence of
the avocado lace bug, an insect that has tormented avocado growers on the mainland for more than
a century.
The pest was recently confirmed by state Department of Agriculture entomologists with the help of University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources experts.
The avocado lace bug, or Pseudacysta perseae, was first detected in Pearl City in December and was later identified on Hawaii island and from plants in retail outlets on Maui that were either destroyed or treated, officials said.
It is not known how the lace bug was introduced
in Hawaii.
Officials said the insect feeds on the leaves of avocado plants and extracts nutrients from foliage, causing a gradual annihilation of the leaves and
possible reduction in fruit yield.
Annual avocado production in Hawaii is estimated at 1.74 million pounds. That’s enough to make
Hawaii the third-largest producer of avocado in the United States. Nearly 200 varieties are grown on more than 800 acres across the islands, with the Sharwil variety produced primarily for out-
of-state export.
A few growers have noted lace bug damage in posts on the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Production Facebook page. But others haven’t seen it.
Michael Krones, owner of Avoland Hawaii Farms in South Kona, told West Hawaii Today on Friday that he heard the bug was on Oahu, but he didn’t know it had spread to the Big Island.
“I need to start looking at my trees and do some more research,” he said.
Hawaii has been called the invasive species capital of the world, and Love said the state needs to do more to prevent such bugs from reaching the islands.
State lawmakers, he said, should seriously consider a proposal to implement a 5-cent inspection fee on every imported crop that is also grown here. That would raise $41 million to help do a better job of
keeping out pests.
According to agricultural officials, the avocado lace bug does not feed on the fruit itself, but causes green to yellowish blotches on the leaves. Heavily damaged leaves become dry and might curl and drop prematurely.
Adult lace bugs are about 2 millimeters long, with black heads and mostly black bodies with a black stripe across the width of their lacy wings. Immature avocado lace bugs can range in color from reddish to dark brown to black, depending on life stage.
The eggs are black, look like specks of excrement and may be found in clusters on the undersides of the leaves.
The avocado lace bug
was first seen in Florida in 1908 and has since spread through the Southeast and into California. It is also found in the Caribbean,
Central and South America, and Portugal.
State officials said University of Hawaii extension agents are working to figure out effective treatment plans. Biological and chemical controls have been used in Florida and California with varying degrees of success.
If you see what you believe is avocado lace bug infestation, report it to the state’s Plant Pest Control Branch at hdoa.ppc@hawaii.gov.
