Mango

This page can help you identify and manage pests and diseases common to mango crops in the Northern Territory (NT).

Integrated pest management can also help your orchard.

Diseases

Anthracnose

A major disease in wet years, this fungus causes black spots on leaves and fruit.

Read the Agnote mango anthracnose (2007) PDF (56.2 KB)

Bacterial black spot

This disease attacks mango leaves, twigs and fruit.

Read the Agnote bacterial black spot of mangoes (2006) PDF (37.9 KB).

Mango scab

This is a fungus that causes black spots on new fruit. In severe cases, numerous lesions can cause new shoots to defoliate.

Unlike anthracnose, scabs do not expand after harvest, nor develop into a rot. However, severely scarred fruit will show post-harvest anthracnose rot earlier than non-scarred fruit.

Read the Agnote mango scab and its control (2007) PDF (138.7 KB).

Mango scale

Adult false mango scale and white mango scale insects suck sap from mango plants, turning leaves yellow and leaving pink blemishes on fruit.

See the managing mango scale post PDF (457.3 KB) which illustrates this insect and its life cycle.

Insect pests

Fruit fly

When this yellow-brown fly lays eggs under the skin of the mango, its larvae introduces bacteria and causes the fruit to breakdown and rot.

Mango leafhoppers

Leafhoppers are four to five millimetre long insects that lay eggs on the underside of young mango leaves. They suck sap from plant tissue and flowers, causing withering and failure to fruit.

Read the Agnote mango leafhoppers (2014) PDF (259.7 KB).

Mango seed weevil

Weevils attack mango seeds. This can downgrade the fruit and severely reduce germination.

View the poster managing mango seed weevil PDF (3.6 MB) which illustrates the life cycle of the weevil.

Field guide

The 2024 Mango Field guide provides a detailed introduction to the identification of some common pests, beneficials, disease and disorders of mangoes in northern Australia.

Read the mango field guide:

• part 1 - pests PDF (13.3 MB)
• part 2 - beneficials PDF (10.9 MB)
• part 3 - diseases and disorders PDF (10.4 MB)
• part 4 - biosecurity threats PDF (8.0 MB).

Other insect pests

Visit the Northern Territory Insects Database to identify an insect pest and the damage it can cause.

Other publications and research

To find other publications and mango research results, search the online publications library.