1Department of Entomology, School of Agriculture, Mohan Babu University, Tirupati517102, Andhra Pradesh, India
2ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, Ranchi834010, Jharkhand, India
3Department of Entomology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema797106, Nagaland, India
4Department of Horticulture, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema797106, Nagaland, India
*Email: pasammaheswarareddy@gmail.com (corresponding author):
Online published on 26 February, 2026.
The litchi longhorn beetle, also known as litchi stem borer, Aristobia reticulator (Voet), is an invasive pest reported on guava, litchi, longan, and pigeon pea restricted to the northeastern part of India. Here, we report the occurrence status of A. reticulator in Nagaland on litchi trees. A survey in different age groups of litchi orchards was conducted from March to September 2023, and percent infestation and number of grubs/ tree were counted. The infestation ranged from 50 to 100% among the selected litchi orchards. Among the infested trees, 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9 larvae/ tree were observed in 18.94, 27.36, and 27.36% infested trees, respectively. Nearly 26.31% of litchi trees were observed to be heavily infested (>10 larvae/ tree) by stem borer. Further, illustrations with damage symptoms of pests were presented for quick and correct identification. Considering the status and damage potential of this pest, suitable management strategies are needed, or else it will become a very serious problem for litchi cultivation in the region.
Invasive pest, Stem borer, A. reticulator, Survey, Northeast, Tender branches, Heart wood, Damage potential, Damage symptoms, Management strategies
