Insect Pests and Diseases in Chinese Coastal Mangroves: Challenges and Integrated Control Approaches

Mangrove forests along China’s coastline serve as vital ecological barriers and blue carbon reservoirs. However, pests and diseases have become the primary biotic threats driving stand decline and diminished carbon sequestration capacity. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the major insect pests and plant diseases affecting Chinese coastal mangroves, focusing on their species profiles, characteristic damage symptoms, occurrence dynamics, and integrated control strategies. Fungal pathogens predominate among the diseases, with outbreaks most common during periods of high temperatures and humidity or low temperatures combined with high humidity; these often interact synergistically with insect pests. The dominant insect pests comprise leaf-feeding Lepidoptera, sap-sucking Hemiptera, and wood-boring Coleoptera, which spread through diverse pathways and can rapidly produce extensive “scorched” damage across mangrove stands during epidemic events. Control efforts follow the principle of “prevention first and integrated management,” incorporating cultural practices, chemical interventions, biological control agents, physical trapping methods, and rigorous quarantine-monitoring protocols. When applied in concert, these measures effectively limit damage to acceptably low levels. Recent studies identify pest–disease interactions and climate change as the foremost challenges in current management. Future priorities should include advancing molecular identification techniques, breeding disease-resistant varieties, and developing environmentally friendly biopesticides to establish precision ecological control systems. Such advances will deliver robust scientific support for mangrove conservation and the achievement of China’s dual-carbon goals.