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I took this picture back in 2012 and I need your help with this. This little fellow was puncturing our mangoes at night which seems to result in dark brown spots in the fruit. Just a few days ago, my cousin, who is a mango farmer in the Philippines told me of a great bane of the mango industry in the region. He suspected that an insect called a "cecid fly" was responsible for massive destruction of mango harvest. He said that nobody has ever documented the culprit when it comes to feed at night. I told him about this photo I took and he is eager to see it. Now my great dilemma is, should I give the photo to him? If I will, It could possibly give a face to their problem (if this really is the culprit) and result in a hunting and loss of many individuals since they might try to eradicate it. I started documenting insects back in 2010 so that I could show what beauty there is in these tiny creatures. I'm just afraid that It could somehow lead to their loss. What are your thoughts?
Mango fruit
Spotted on Jan 1, 2012
Submitted on Nov 4, 2018
2 Comments
Got it, thanks a lot @sukanyadatta
Unless it is organic mango....the plantation will be sprayed with insecticide anyway....or pheromone traps will be set. Pests will be killed.. Commercial crops are livelihood to their growers...I understand your dilemma but in the interest of advancing knowledge I would give the photo...and maybe it is NOT the culprit...that is an option too...Good luck with whatever you decide.