The Major Invertebrate

Pests and Weeds

of Agriculture and Plantation Forestry
in the Southern and Western Pacific
D.f. Waterhouse
(AClAR Consultant in Plant Protection)
Canberra 1997
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (AClAR) was
established in June 1982 by an Act of the Australian Parliament. Its primary
mandate is to help identify agricultural problems in developing countries and
to commission collaborative research between Australian and developing
country researchers in fields where Australia has special competence.
Where trade names are used this constitutes neither endorsement of nor
discrimination against any product by the Centre.
ACIAR MONOGRAPH SERIES
This peer-reviewed series contains the results of original research
supported by AClAR, or material deemed relevant to AClAR's
research and development objectives. The series is distributed
internationally with an emphasis on developing countries.
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, GPO Box 1571,
Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Waterhouse, D.F. 1997. The major invertebrate pests and weeds of
agriculture and plantation forestry in the southern and western Pacific.
AClAR Monograph No. 44, 99p.
ISBN 1 86320 199 8
Technical editing by Apword Partners, Canberra
Typesetting and layout by Arawang, Canberra.
Foreword
SINCE it was established in 1982, ACIAR has strongly supported sustainable
and environmentally friendly crop production and protection. An approach that
not only fits perfectly both requirements but leads to increases in the harvest of
agricultural products is classical biological control. This form of control has
particular relevance to the oceanic Pacific. The majority of the major pests and
weeds have been introduced to the region and, for very good reasons, pesticide
applications are the least attractive of the various methods of control. It is relevant
also that a number of the pests and weeds have already been targets for often
successful biological control projects in Hawaii, Califomia, Australia or New
Zealand.
The aim of the present monograph is to bring together what is known of the
occurrence, distribution and relative importance of the major insect pests and
weeds of agriculture and plantation forestry in the oceanic Pacific. Such
information is essential if priority is to be given to the selection of the most
appropriate regional targets for biological control. A first, somewhat limited
survey in 1985 led to the publication by ACIAR of Biological Control: Pacific
Prospects by D.F. Waterhouse and K.R. Norris, comprising a set of 55 dossiers on
major Pacific pests and weeds. This and its two supplements (1989, 1993)
providing an additional 11 dossiers, have contributed materially to the current
greatly increased biological control activity in the Pacific. To take stock of the
position a decade after the first Biological Control Workshop in the Pacific in
Tonga, AClAR commissioned Dr D.F. Waterhouse to undertake a comparative
survey of the pests and weeds of agriculture and forest plantations, and their
priority ratings. The results are summarised in a series of tables in this volume
which is designed to complement ACIAR Monograph 21 (1993), The Major Pests
and Weeds of Agriculture in Sou theast Asia: Distribution, Importance and Origin,
also by D.F. Waterhouse.
R.J. elements
Director
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research,
Canberra, Australia
iii
Contents
Foreword Hi
1. Abstract 1
2. Introduction 2
3. Contributors 6
4. Results 11
Table 1. Major invertebrate pests of agriculture in the southern and
western Pacific. 12
Table 2. The distribution and importance of the major invertebrate
pests of agriculture in the southern and western Pacific. ]8
Table 3. Aggregated ratings of the major invertebrate pests of
agriculture in the region. 26
Table 4. The relative importance given to each country's top 10
invertebrate pests of agriculture. 28
Table 5. Ranking of the top 10 Pacific invertebrate pests. 36
Table 6. Ranking of the top 5 invertebrate pests of agriculture 38
Table 7. Forest plantation trees (actual or potential) in the southern
and western Pacific. 39
Table 8. The major arthropod pests of plantation forests in the southern
and western Pacific 42
Table 9. The distribution and importance of the major arthropod pests of
plantation forests in the southern and western Pacific. 47
Table 10. Presumed origins of the major invertebrate pests in the southern
and western Pacific. 5]
Table 11. Major weeds of agriculture in the southern and western Pacific. 54
Table 12. The distribution and importance of major weeds of agriculture
in the southern and western Pacific. 59
Table 13. Aggregated ratings of the major weeds of agriculture in the
southern and western Pacific. 67
Table 14. The relative importance given to the top 10 weeds of agriculture
(72 species) of each country in the southern and
western Pacific. 70
Table 15. Ranking of the 29 top 10 weeds of agriculture in the southern
and western Pacific. 77
Table 16. Ranking of the 53 top 5 weeds of agriculture in the southern
and western Pacific. 79
Table 17. The major weeds of plantation forests in the southern
and western Pacific 82
Table 18. The distribution and importance of the major weeds of plantation
forests in the southern and western Pacific. 83
Table 19. The presumed origins of the major southern and western
Pacific weeds. 85
Table 20. FAO agricultural production statistics for 1994 for countries in the
southern and western Pacific. 87
Table 21. Checklist of preferred names of insect species. 9]
Table 22. Checklist of preferred names of weeds 92
5. Useful literature 93
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1. Abstract
THE information assembled, and summarised
in 22 tables, is intended to provide a database to
facilitate the selection of appropriate target pests
for classical biological control.
Agricultural experts provided the raw data on
the distribution and importance of the pests of
most concern to agriculture in the 18
participating nations in the southern and western
Pacific. This enabled the identification of 157
major arthropod pests, two molluscs, one
crustacean and 142 major weeds of agriculture.
Of the 160 invertebrate pests nominated, a
subgroup of 46 species was rated as highly
important. The majority of these are believed to
be exotic to the region and thus potential targets
for classical biological control. Indeed, at least 25
of these species have already been investigated
elsewhere and a number of control successes
reported. When countries listed their top 10
invertebrate pests in priority order, most species
earlier rated as highly important continued to
rate highly. The 10 highest-scoring agricultural
insect pests were Bactrocera spp., Cosmopolites
sordid us, Spodoptera litura, Aphis gossypU,
Cylas formicarius, Plutella xylostella,
Crocidolomia pavonana, Liriomyza spp., Othreis
fullonia and Helicoverpa armigera.
Of the 142 major weeds of agriculture, 56
were rated as highly important; and the vast
majority of these are believed to be exotic. Four
of the 56 have been targets elsewhere in
successful or partially successful biological
control projects. Information from the
aggregated ratings and top 10 weed ratings
provided the following highest-scoring weeds:
Cyperus rotundus, Lantana camara, Mimosa
pudica, Mimosa invisa, Mikania micrantha,
Stachytarpetha urticifolia, Bidens pilosa, Bidens
alba, Eleusine indica and Sida rhombifolia.
Although plantation forestry is in its infancy in
most Pacific nations, information available on
invertebrate pests and weeds is summarised in
the same format as that for agriculture. On the
basis ofthe limited information available, the five
most important insect pests [Crossotarsus
externedentatus (Curculionidae), Hypsipyla
robusta (Pyralidae), Uraba lignifera (Nolidae),
Unaspis citri (Diaspididae), and Xyleborus
perforans (Scolytidae) I are exotic to the oceanic
Pacific. By far the most important weeds are
Mikania micrantha (Asteraceae) and Merremia
peltata (Convolvulaceae), also both exotic to the
region.
It is abundantly clear from the information
provided that there are many very suitable
biological control targets (both arthropod pests
and weeds), and that progressive attention to
them over coming decades will provide a highly
valuable impetus to both agricultural production
and plantation forestry in the oceanic Pacific.
The Major Invertebrate Pests and Weeds of Agriculture and Plantation Forestry in the Southern and Western Pacific
2. Introduction
THE aim of this publication is to provide some of
the data required to select the most relevant
targets for classical biological control in the
Pacific. The majority of the invertebrate pests,
and almost all the weeds of importance in
agriculture and plantation forestry in the oceanic
Pacific, have been introduced into the region.
Often they have not been accompanied by some
of the key natural enemies which help to regulate
their abundance in the region where each
evolved and where their numbers are generally
low. The introduction and establishment of these
natural enemies in the Pacific, when it is safe to
do so (Waterhouse 1991), is known as classical
biological control. When biological control is
successful, pest abundance is reduced to a level
such that it is unnecessary or uneconomical to
adopt any further control measures. Generally,
the only requirement then is to avoid the
unnecessary use of non-selective pesticides.
Classical biological control may resolve the pest
problem or it may need to be integrated with
other measures.
Since the cost of a biological control project
does not depend upon whether the pest is a
major or minor one, it is highly desirable to
choose a target with care in order, if it is
successful, to maximise the economic and/or
social retums. Four sets of information are
desirable for each potential target pest, with as
much precision as possible, so as to provide a
basis for establishing priorities for action
(Waterhouse and Norris 1987). This information
is often a prerequisite for support from not only
the government of the country or countries
concerned, but especially potential donor
agencies.
2 D.F. Waterhouse
1. Importance to your country of the crop(s)
affected
(a) area of the crop(s)
(b) export value(s)
(c) value as a local staple crop
(d) size of human population affected
(e) proportion of human population affected
(f) social importance of the crop(s)
2. Importance to your country of the pest
(a) estimate of losses - actual, potential
(b) threshold of economic damage
(c) costs of existing controls
(d) environmental costs
(e) social costs
(f) quarantine considerations, if any
3. Biological control
(a) previous successes against the same target,
if any
(b) additional facilities and staff required
(c) estimated cost of a program and proposed
country contribution (in kind)
(d) estimated chances of success
(e) conflicts of interest, if any
4. Alternative methods of control
(Are they effective and economic?)
(a) chemical control
(b) cultural control
(c) resistant varieties
(d) other methods.
Even in such a country as Australia it is often
difficult to obtain reliable figures for some of
these categories. Where there has already been
successful biological control of a pest (and this
applies to a significant number of Pacific pests),
the chances are promising to very promising that
the success can be repeated, particularly when
the climate and other conditions are similar. It is
extremely valuable, therefore, to assemble, in a
set of dossiers, information on the prospects for
successful biological control of the most
important of the potential target pests. Dossiers
have now been published for 39 insect pests or
groups of closely related pests, one mite, one
mollusc and 42 weeds by Waterhouse (1993b,
1994) and Waterhouse and Norris (1987, 1989),
and additional dossiers are in press.
An overriding factor in the selection process is
whether or not the target is suitable for classical
biological control. Suitability is low when little or
no damage can be tolerated or when the pest is
native. An additional requirement is introduced if
it is desirable, or perhaps necessary (as it is in
many instances from an aid donor point of view),
to select top priority regional targets. To facilitate
this process and so that Pacific nations can be
better informed of the situation in neighbouring
countries (sometimes an issue of quarantine
importance), a series of five postal surveys of
oceanic Pacific countries (excluding Hawaii) has
been carried out commencing in 1985 and
repeated in 1989,1991,1993 and 1995. Only
the 1985 results (Waterhouse 1985; Waterhouse
and Norris 1987) have been published.
For all countries in the region where this has
been possible, information on the distribution
and importance of invertebrate pests and weeds
has been generously supplied by plant protection
workers (acknowledged in Chapter 3) nominated
by their respective directors of agriculture and
by forestry authorities. This information has been
supplemented in some instances with data from
other sources, including the literature. However,
the validity of the records and their completeness
depend largely upon information supplied by
country experts, although this has been cross-
checked when possible.
It is probable that there are errors of both
omission and commission. Experts within a
single country may not agree on the importance
of a particular pest, and perceptions change with
changes in agricultural practices and in the
relative values of the crops affected. As the
author I would be most grateful if errors and
omissions can be drawn to my attention; also of
additional ways in which the information might
be assembled, so that it can best serve its main
purpose of focusing on promising targets for
classical biological control.
Correspondents were asked to supply
information on pest seriousness (and
distribution) on a very simple rating system
(Waterhouse 1993a):
+++
++
+
P
*

very widespread and very important
widespread and important
important locally
present, but not an important pest
one of the top 10 invertebrate pests or
top 10 weeds
reported in the literature, but impor-
tance not known
The entry'.' has been used when the
presence of a species in a country is mentioned
in the literature, but without sufficient information
to assign a rating of '+s'. A blank indicates that
there is no information to indicate that the pest is
present. Experience has shown that any more
sophisticated system than this requires more
information than is generally available in most
countries and, furthermore, would attempt to
achieve a degree of accuracy greater than that
required for the present purpose.
Although a simple rating system based on
personal assessments of the degree of
importance of a pest has a very large subjective
component, it nevertheless also contains a
quantitative element. In examining whether use
can be made of this element, it is necessary to be
aware of inherent limitations of the system:
(i) it has only a small number (four) of not-well-
separated categories
(ii) although the occurrence of infestation can
generally be established fairly accurately,
importance is far more difficult to evaluate. It
is influenced mainly by cost of existing
control measures and by reductions in yield
or value of the product
The Major Invertebrate Pests and Weeds of Agriculture and Plantation Forestry in the Southern and Western Pacific 3
(iii) different experts in a country sometimes rate
pests differently, because of varying
perceptions of the damage caused.
Nevertheless, some advantages of the system
are that it:
(i) requires country experts to attempt a relative
value judgment of a large number of pests;
(ii) enables those experts to compare their
perceptions with those of nearby countries,
in the process exposing real or apparent
anomalies whose resolution may be
revealing;
(iii) highlights regional problems which may
benefit from collaborative action (perhaps
with multilateral donor support); and
(iv) directs attention to a pest of particular
significance to an individual country, but not
to adjacent countries, thereby focusing
action on bilateral donor support.
Bearing in mind reservations that arise from
the foregoing, it is instructive to examine whether
some simple arithmetical clumping of the ratings
will assist in a broad stratification of the pest
problems in the oceanic Pacific.
In this exercise a political and information bias
is introduced. As to the political bias, the ratings
for nations small in size and population (e.g.
Tuvalu, Tokelau) are given the same weight as
those for large nations (e.g. Papua New Guinea,
Fiji). As to information bias, the amount of
detailed knowledge on pests held by anyone of
four countries (Guam, Papua New Guinea, Fiji,
New Caledonia), possibly exceeds that of the
aggregate of information available in the
remaining countries.
Because a considerable number of species in
some countries were, not surprisingly, assigned a
triple-plus rating in the first survey, in later
surveys countries were initially asked to place an
asterisk against their top 10 invertebrate pests
and their top 10 weeds; and, in the latest survey,
to perform an even more challenging task,
namely, to arrange their selected species in order
of importance. The conclusions that can be
drawn from this subjective exercise, and also
4 D.F. Waterhouse
from abstracting from this data information on
the top five pests and weeds in each country, are
discussed in association with the relevant tables
(4,5,6, 14, 15, 16). The two approaches reflect
somewhat different evaluations made by country
experts. The sum of the pluses provides a broad
measure of the importance of the pest to the
region and is not concerned with whether or not
there are other pests also of great importance.
The top 10 (and top 5) evaluations attempt to
place in priority order the most important pests.
Normally these are chosen from pests rating
three pluses, of which there are often a
considerable number. Indeed, there are 70
different invertebrate pests placed in their top 10
and 44 in their top five by at least one Pacific
country (Tables 4,5) and these (and particularly
the latter 44) deserve special consideration.
In many Pacific countries native forests
(where they exist: see row 4, Table 20) are being
depleted at a rate which is unsustainable.
Forestry plantations are thus growing in
importance to meet increasing needs for timber
and fuel. All countries, and especially those with
limited areas available for plantations, will need
to maintain losses due to pests and weeds as low
as possible if they are to have commercially
viable plantations. Some of the tree species in
use or undergoing trials are native, but the more
important are likely to be exotic. Each of these is
liable to attack by damaging insect pests, some
of which are potential targets for classical
biological control. A few introduced weeds have
also emerged as important competitors,
particularly in nurseries and young plantations.
Very little information is available on the
distribution and relative importance of these
insect pests and weeds, except for Papua New
Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Guam. What is
available is assembled in Tables 9 and 18 as a
first step in reviewing their regional importance.
It is hoped that this will lead to the progressive
filling-in ofthe many gaps in the data presented.
I am most grateful to Dr M.D. Kamath of the
Department of Forestry, Fiji for sharing his
extensive knowledge of forest insect pests of the
region. I would be most grateful for any additional
input that would improve the accuracy and
comprehensiveness of the tables.
It is not unusual for some pests to be known
under different scientific names in different
countries of the region. In such instances a
preferred name has been adopted after advice
from expert taxonomists and consultation with
sources such as Wood (1992) and Zhang
( 1994) . For convenience, alternative names that
have been dropped are cross-referenced in the
two main tabulations of preferred names, one for
arthropods (Table 21). the other for weeds
(Table 22). Where a ... ) appears in relation to
a scientific name, the name notin brackets is the
preferred one for the particular pest species
referred to in the Pacific. It is not intended to
imply that the two are synonyms, as often they
are not.
Country abbreviations used at the top of some
tables are:
Col Cook Islands
Fij Fiji
Fr P French Polynesia
FSM Federated States of Micronesia
Gua Guam
Kir Kiribati
Mar I Marshall Islands
NCa New Caledonia
Niu Niue
Pohn Pohnpei
PNG Papua New Guinea
ASa American Samoa
WSa Western Samoa
So I Solomon Islands
Tok Tokelau
Ton Tonga
Tuv Tuvalu
The Major Invertebrate Pests and Weeds of Agriculture and Plantation Forestry in the Southern and Western Pacific 5
3. Contributors
Listed below are contributors to the 1995 survey.
Over the previous decade there have also been
many others who have generously supplied
information from which the current tables have
been constructed. I am most grateful to all
involved
Cook Islands
Dr Matairangi Purea
Director of Research and Plant Protection
Totokoitu Research Station
Ministry of Agriculture
PO Box 57
Rarotonga
FUi
Sada N. Lal
Biological Control Officer
Koronivia Research Station
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests
PO Box 77
Nausori
Ms Mereseini Nagatalevu
Weed Control Officer
Koronivia Research Station
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests
PO Box 77
l'Iausori
French Polynesia
Rudolph Putoa
Entomologiste
Service du Developpement Rural
Departement de la Recherche Agronomique
AppJiquee
Ministere de l'Agriculture de l'Elevage et de la
Recherche, BPlOO Papeete
Tahiti
Dr Jean-Yves Meyer
Laboratoire de Botanique
Centre ORSTOM de Tahiti
BP 529 Papeete
Tahiti
6 D.F. Waterhouse
Otheniel Tangianau
Chief Forestry Officer
Ministry of Agriculture
PO Box 57
Rarotonga
Dr M.D. Kamath
Department of Forestry
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests
PO Box 2218
Government Buildings
Suva
Gabriel Sao Chan Cheong
Departement de la Recherche Agronomique
Appliquee
Service du Developpement Rural
BP 100 Papeete
Tahiti
Federated States of Micronesia
Dr Nelson Esguerra
Agricultural Experiment Station
College of Micronesia, Land Grant Program
PO Box 1179
Kolonia, Pohnpei
Kiribati
Nakabuta Teuriaria
Assistant Agricultural Officer (Crop Protection)
Division of Agriculture
Ministry of Natural Resources and Development
PO Box 267
Bikenibeu
Tarawa
New Caledonia
RemyAmice
Plant Protection Officer
Service Veterinaire et de la Protection des Vegetaux
Direction de l'Agriculture et de la Foret, BP 256
Noumea Cedex
J .M. Sarrailh
CIRAD-Foret
BP 10001
Montravel
98805 Noumea Cedex
Niue
Sauni Tongatule
Director
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
PO Box 74
Alofi
Guam
Dr R. Muniappan
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
University of Guam
Mangilao
Guam 96923
Marshalllslands
Jimmy Joseph
Technical Adviser and Trainer
Ministry of Resources and Development
PO Box 1727
Majuro 96960
Dr Paul Cochereau
ORSTOM
BPA5
Noumea Cedex
The Major Invertebrate Pests and Weeds of Agriculture and Plantation Forestry in the Southern and Western Pacific 7
Papua New Guinea
Fred Dori
Chief Entomologist
Laloki Agricultural Research Station
PO Box417
Konedobu
John Dobunaba
PNG Forest Research Institute
PO Box 314
Lae
American Samoa
Manu Tuionoula
Department of Agriculture
PO Box 1442
Pago Pago 96799
Ms Totoa Lualua
Research Assistant
American Samoa Community College
Land Grant Program
PO Box 5319
Pago Pago 96799
Western Samoa
Osasa Aukuso
Crop Protection Officer
Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries and
Meteorology
PO Box 1874
Apia
Solomon Islands
Ruth Liloqula
Director of Research (Agriculture)
Dodo Creek Research Station
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
PO BoxG13
Honiara
Tokelau
Ms Luisa Naseri Sale
Management Assistant
C/- Tokelau Office
Apia
Western Samoa
8 D.F. Waterhouse
Tommy Kosi
PNG Forest Research Institute
PO Box 314
Lae
Dr F. Ross Wylie
Queensland Forest Service
80 Meiers Rd
Indooroopilly QLD 4068
Dr Art Whistler
Botany Department
University of Hawaii
3190 Maile Way
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
D. Vargo
American Samoa Community College
Land Grant Program
PO Box 2609
Pago Pago 96799
Ms Olevia Peseta
Vailima Forest Research and Investigation
Forestry Division
Department of Agriculture, Forest, Fisheries and
Meterology
PO Box 3451
Apia
Dr M. Bigger
Lilac Cottage
North Rd
Kingsland
Leominster
Hertfordshire HR6 9RU
U.K.
Tonga
Ofa Fakalata
Chief of Research
Vaini Research Station
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 51
Nuku'alofa
Wilco Liebregts
CSIROj ACIAR/MAF Project
PO Box 2293
Nuku'alofa
Tuvalu
Tavau Teii
Director of Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
Ministry of Natural Resources
Vaiaku
Funafuti
Vanuatu
Benuel Tarilongi
Principal Plant Protection Officer
Plant Protection and Quarantine Division
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture
Private Mail Bag 40
Port Vila
Wallis and Futuna
Malau Atoloto
Responsible Phytosanitaire
Service de j'Economie Rural et de la Peche
BP 19 Mata'utu 96800
Uvea, Wallis
General
R. Macfarlane
The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of
New Zealand Ltd
Private Bag 92169
Auckland
New Zealand
Australia
T evita F aka' osi
Head of Forestry
Department of Agriculture
PO Box 14
Nuku'alofa
John Hook
Principal Forest Extension Officer
Department of Forestry
Private Mail Bag 064
Port Vila
I am indebted to taxonomists in the Australian National Insect Collection for help with preferred names of
Pacific insects, and particularly to Dr D.P.A. Sands, Division of Entomology, CSIRO, Indooroopilly,
Queensland for assistance in checking data and to Or P. Ferrar. Crop Sciences Coordinator, ACIAR,
Canberra for advice and support
The Major Invertebrate Pests and Weeds of Agriculture and Plantation Forestry in the Southern and Western Pacific 9
4. Results
The Major Invertebrate Pests and Weeds of Agriculture and Plantation Forestry in the Southern and Western Pacific 11
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Table 1 Major invertebrate pests of agriculture in the southern and westem Pacific.
Scientific name Order Family English common name
Abroma pumila (Distant) Hemiptera Cicadidae
- -
Achatina fulica Bowdich Gasteropoda Achatinidae giant African snail
- - - - - -- --
---- _.
Acriasp. Lepidoptera Xyloriclidae oil palm webworm
Acrocercops sp. Lepidoptera Gracillariidae
Adoretus sinicus Burmeister Coleoptera Scarabaeidae Chinese rose beetle
Adoretus versutus Harold Coleoptera rose beetle, Indianrose beetle
Agonoxena argaula Meyrick Lepidoptera Agonoxenidae coconut flat moth
Agonoxena pyrogramma Meyrick Lepidoptera Agonoxenidae coconut flat moth
Agrius convolvuli (linnaeus) Lepidoptera Sphingidae sweet potato hawkmoth
Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) Lepidoptera Noctuidae greasy cutworm, black cutworm
Aleurodicus dispersus Russell Hemiptera Aleyrodidae spiraling whitefly
Aleurotrachelus trachoides (Back) Hemiptera Aleyrodidae chilli whitefly
Amblypelta cocophaga China Hemiptera Coreidae fruit spotting bug
Amblypelta lutescens (Distant) Hemiptera Coreidae fruit spotting bug
Amblypelta papuensis see A lutescens
Amrasca devastans (Distant) Hemiptera Cicadellidae cotton leafhopper
Amrasca biguttula see A devastans
Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell) Hemiptera Diaspididae California red scale
Aphis craccivora Koch Hemiptera Aphididae cowpea aphid
Aphis gossypii Glover Hemiptera Aphididae melon aphid, cotton aphid
Aspidiella hartii (Cockerell) Hemiptera Diaspididae yam scale
Aspidiotus destructorSignoret Hemiptera Diaspididae coconut scale, transparent scale
Aulacophora spp. Coleoptera Chrysomelidae pumpkin beetles
Austracris spp. Orthoptera Acrididae grasshoppers
Axiagastus cam belli Distant Hemiptera Pentatomidae coconut flower bug
Bactrocera spp. Diptera Tephritidae fruit fly
Baeturia papuensis de Boer Hemiptera Cicadidae grass cicada
Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring Hemiptera Aleyrodidae silverleaf whitefly
Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) Hemiptera Aleyrodidae cotton whitefly, tobacco whitefly
Brachyplatys pacificus Dallas Hemiptera Plataspididae dwarf shield bug
Principal crops attacked
citrus, litchi, mango
-- - --
many vegetables and omamentals
oil palm
sweet potato, phaseolus
larvae: roots of many plants
adults: leaves of many plants
as above, especially cocoa and sugarcane
leaves of coconut and other palms
as above
sweet potato, taro, beans
polyphagous
papaya, guava, polyphagous
chilli, taro, tomato, sweet potato
coconut, cocoa, rubber, cassava, mango, papaya
coconut, cocoa, rubber, cassava, mango, papaya
cotton
citrus, breadfruit, coconut, banana, papaya
legumes, citrus, mango, breadfruit
cucurbits, Solanaceae, polyphagous
yam, ginger, taro, sweet potato
coconut, polyphagous
cucurbits
polyphagous
coconut
most fruit, some vegetables
sugarcane roots, coffee
polyphagous
polyphagous
legumes, polyphagous
;i Table 1 (cont'd) Major invertebrate pests of agriculture in the southern and western Pacific.
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Scientific name
Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus)
Brontispa longissima (Gestro)
Brontispa mariana Spaeth
Brontispa palauensis (Esaki & Chuju)
Bruchophagus muli Boucek & Brough
Cassida circumdata (Herbst)
Cassida compuncta (Boheman)
Ceroplastes rubens Maskell
Chilo terrenellus Pagenstecher
Chloropulvinaria (= Pulvinaria) psidii
(Maskell)
Chrysodeixis eriosoma (Doubled ay)
Chrysomphalus aonidum (Linnaeus)
Coccus celatus De Lotto
Coccus viridis (Green)
Coenobita spp.
Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar)
Crocidolomia binotalis
Crocidolomia pavonana (Geyer)
Cryptophlebia pallimfibriata Bradley
Cylas formicarius (Fabricius)
Deanolis albizonalis (Hampson)
Dermolepida nigrum (Nonfried)
Dialeurodes citrifolii (Morgan)
Diaphania indica (Saunders)
Diocalandra taitense (Guerin-Memeville)
Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell)
Dysmicoccus neobrevipes Beardsley
farias fabia
Order
Hemiptera
Coleoptera
Coleoptera
Coleoptera
Hymenoptera
Coleoptera
Coleoptera
Hemiptera
Lepidoptera
Hemiptera
Lepidoptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera
(Crustacea)
Coleoptera
see C pavonana
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Coleoptera
Lepidoptera
Coleoptera
Hemiptera
Lepidoptera
Coleoptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera
see E. vittella
Family English common name
Aphididae cabbage aphid
Chrysomelidae coconut leaf hispa
Chrysomelidae coconut leaf hispa
Chrysomelidae coconut leaf hispa
Eurytomidae lime gall wasp
Chrysomelidae green tortoise beetle
Chrysomelidae tortoise-shell beetle
Coccidae pink wax scale
Pyralidae sugarcane intemode borer
Coccidae green shield scale
Noctuidae
green semi-Iooper,
corn semi-Iooper
Diaspididae purple scale, circular black scale
Coccidae coffee green scale
Coccidae green scale
Coenobitidae hermit crab
-
Curculionidae banana weevil borer
Pyralidae cabbage cluster caterpillar
T ortricidae fruit borer
Apionidae sweet potato weevil
Pyralidae red banded mango borer
Scarabaeidae
Aleyrodidae cloudy winged whitefly
Pyralidae cucumber moth
Chrysomelidae spathe weevil
Pseudococcidae pineapple mealybug
Pseudococcidae grey pineapple mealybug
Principal crops attacked
Cruciferae
coconut
coconut
coconut
citrus
sweet potato
sweet potato
citrus, polyphagous
sugarcane
citrus, coffee, polyphagous
com, legumes, tomato, capsicum, cabbage
citrus, coconut, papaya
coffee
coffee, polyphagous
vegetables
banana, sugarcane
-
cabbage
Inocarpus edulis (ivi), avocado
sweet potato
mango
banana leaves
citrus
cucumber, cotton
coconut
pineapple, polyphagous
pineapple, banana
; Table 1 konl'd) Major invertebrate pests of agriculture in the southem and westem Pacific.
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Scientific name
farias viffella (Fabricius)
fpi/achna spp.
fpifrix hirtipennis (Melsheimer)
frionofa thrax (linnaeus)
Eurycanfha sp.
fuscepes postfasciafus (Fairmaire)
Fabridi/is (= Lepfog/ossus) gonagra
(Fabricius)
Furcaspis oceanica lindinger
Graeffea crouanii(Le Guillou}
Ha/ficus fibia/is Reuter
He/icoverpa armigera (Hubner)
He/iothis armigera
Hellu/a spp.
He/ope/lis clavifer{Walker}
Heferopsyl/a cubana Crawford
Hippolion ce/erio (linnaeus)
-
Homoeosoma sp.
Hymenia recuNa/is (Fabricius)
Hypofhenemus hampei (Ferrari)
Icerya aegypliaca (Douglas)
Icerya purchasi Maskell
Icerya seychellarum (Westwood)
Laevicau/is a/fe
Lamprosema diemena/is Guenee
Lamprosema odasema
Lepidiofa reu/eauxi (Brenske)
Lepfocorisa oraforius (Fabricius)
Lepfog/ossus gonagra (Fabricius)
Lepfog/ossus ausfra/is
Order Family English common name
Lepidoptera Noctuidae
rouJh bollworm, shoot
an fruit borer
Coleoptera Coccinellidae leaf-eating ladybirds
Coleoptera Chrysomelidae tobacco flea beetle
Lepidoptera Hesperiidae banana skipper
Orthoptera Phasmatidae oil palm stick insect
Coleoptera Curculionidae Indian sweet potato weevil
Hemiptera Coreidae
squash bug, leaf-footed
plant bug
Hemiptera Diaspididae red coconut scale
Orthoptera Phasmatidae coconut stick insect
Hemiptera Miridae sweet potato flea mirid
Lepidoptera Noctuidae cotton bollworm, corn earworm
see He/icoverpa armigera
Lepidoptera Pyral idae cabbage centre grubs
Hemiptera Miridae cocoa mirid
Hemiptera Psyllidae leucaena psyllid
Lepidoptera Sphingidae taro hawkmoth
Lepidoptera Pyralidae
Lepidoptera Pyralidae Hawaiian beet webworm
Coleoptera Scolytidae coffee berry borer
Hemiptera Margarodidae breadfruit mealybug
Hemiptera Margarodidae cottony cushion scale
Hemiptera Margarodidae Seychelles scale
(Gasteropoda) slug
Lepidoptera Pyralidae bean leafroller
see Naco/eia odasema
Coleoptera
I Scarabaeidae
white grub
Hemiptera Alydidae
see Fabricfi/is gonagra
I
--- - -- -- ._-----
see F. gonagra
Principal crops attacked
aibika, okra
legumes, cucurbits, Solanaceae
-
tomato, eggplant, potato
banana
oil palm
sweet potato
cucurbits, citrus, polyphagous
coconut, pandanus
coconut, pandanus
sweet potato, beans, cucumber
polyphagous
brassicas
cocoa
leucaena
taro, sweet potato, tobacco
sweet potato, tomato, corn, silver beet
coffee
breadfruit
citrus, polyphagous
citrus, breadfruit
vegetables, garden plants
beans,com
sugarcane roots
rice
- -------- ---
---
;l Table 1 (conl'd) Major invertebrate pests of agriculture in the southern and western Pacific.
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Scientific name
Leucoptera spp.
Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach)
Liriomyza spp.
Lygus muiri Poppius
Mahasena corbettiTams
Marasmia exigua Butler
Maruca vitrata (Geyer)
Maruca testulalis
Mictis profana (Fabricius)
Myndus taHini BonRls
Mythimna separata (Howarth)
Myzus persicae (Sulzer)
Nacoleia odasema (Meyrick)
Neotermes rainbowi Hill
Neotermes sp.
Nezara viridula (linnaeus)
NilapaNata lugens (Stal)
Nisotra spp.
Noorda albizonalis
Ochetomyrmex auropundata
Omiodes diemenalis (Guenee)
Ophiomyia phaseoli (T ryon)
Orchamoplatus mammaeferus
Quaintance and Baker
Oribius spp.
Orydes rhinoceros (linnaeus)
Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee)
Othreis fullonia (Clerck)
Palmicultor palmarum (Ehrhom)
Pansepta teleturga Meyrick
-------
Pantorhytes sp.
Order Family English common name
Lepidoptera Lyonetiidae winged bean, blotch miner
Hemiptera Aphididae mustard aphid
Diptera Agromyzidae leaf miners
Hemiptera Miridae
Lepidoptera Psychidae rough bugworm
Lepidoptera Pyralidae rice leaf roller
Lepidoptera Pyralidae
.
bean pod borer
see M. vitrata
Hemiptera Coreidae crusader bug
Hemiptera Cixiidae foliar decay leafroller
Lepidoptera Noctuidae paddyarmyworm
Hemiptera Aphididae green peach aphid
Lepidoptera Pyralidae banana scab moth
Isoptera Kalotermitidae coconut termite
Isoptera Kalotermitidae
Hemiptera Pentatomidae green vegetable bug
Hemiptera Delphacidae brown planthopper
Coleoptera Chrysomelidae shot hole beetles
see Deanolis albizonalis
see Wasmannia auropundata
see Lamprosema diemenalis
Diptera Agromyzidae bean fly
Hemiptera A1eyrodidae citrus whitefly
Coleoptera Curculionidae shot hole weevils
Coleoptera Scarabaeidae rhinoceros beetle
Lepidoptera Pyralidae com borer
Lepidoptera Noctuidae fruit piercing moth
Hemiptera Pseudococcidae coconut mealybug
Lepidoptera Oecophoridae cocoa webworm
----
-
_._- ._----
Coleoptera Curculionidae cocoa weevils
Principal crops attacked
beans
cabbage, tomato, radish
vegetables
oil palm
rice
beans, pigeon pea, cowpea
pigeon pea, citrus, eggplant
coconut
rice, sugarcane, sorghum, co m, tobacco
polyphagous
banana,pandanus
coconut
tree crops, citrus
vegetables
rice
aibika
beans
citrus
horticultural crops
coconut, palms
com, sorghum, sugarcane, ginger
most fruits, some vegetables
coconut, betel nut
cocoa
-"-- ---- -- - ---
_.
cocoa
;;; Table 1 (conl'd) Major invertebrate pests of agriculture in the southem and westem Pacific.
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Scientific name
Papilio polytes Linnaeus
Papuanasp.
Parlatorius sp.
Pentalonia nigroneNosa Coquerel
Pericyma cruegeri (Butler)
Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller)
Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton
Phyllocoptrupa oleivora (Ashmead)
Pinnaspis strachani (Cooley)
Planococcus pacificus Cox
Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus)
Podagrica (= Nisotra) basselae
Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks)
Pomacea lineata Wagner
Prays citri (Milliere)
Promecothera opacicollis Gestro
PseudaulaCQspis pentagona
T argioni-Tozzetli
Pseudococcus sp.
Pseudodioniella pacifica China & Carvalho
Rhabdoscelus obscurus (Boisduval)
Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch)
Rhynchophorus bilineatus (Montrouzier)
Rhyparidella sobrina (Bryant)
Riptortus spp.
Scapanes australis (Boisduval)
Scirpophaga excerptalis (Walker)
Segestidea spp.
Selenothrips rubrocinctus (Giard)
Sesamia grisescens Warren
Sessinia livida (Fabricius)
- ----- - ~
Order
Lepidoptera
Coleoptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Acarina
Hemiptera
Hemiptera
Lepidoptera
Coleoptera
Acarina
(Gasteropod a)
Lepidoptera
Coleoptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera
Coleoptera
Hemiptera
Coleoptera
Coleoptera
Hemiptera
Coleoptera
Lepidoptera
Orthoptera
Thysanoptera
Lepidoptera
Coleoptera
Family English common name
Papilionidae citrus swallowtail
Scarabaeidae toro beetle
Diaspididae parlatorius scale
Aphididae banana aphid
Noctuidae poinciana looper
Gelechiidae potato tuber moth
Gracillariidae citrus leaf miner
Eriophyidae citrus rust mite
Diaspididae lesser snow scale
Pseudococcidae Pacific mealybug
Yponomeutidae diamond back cabbage moth
Chrysomelidae flea beetle
Tarsonemidae broad mite
Ampullariidae golden apple snail
Yponomeutidae citrus flower moth
Chrysomelidae coconut leaf miner
Diaspididae passionfruit scale
Pseudococcidae
Miridae cocoa mirid
Curculionidae sugarcane weevil
Aphididae maize aphid
Curculionidae black palm weevil
Chrysomelidae banana scarring beetle
Coreidae bean pod suckers
Scarabaeidae scapanes
Pyralidae tip shoot borer
T etligoniidae coconut tree hoppers
Thripidae red banded thrips
Noctuidae pink stem borer
Oedemeridae toddy bug, blister beetle
Principal crops attacked
citrus
taro, sweet potato, oil palm, banana
banana
poinciana
potato
citrus
citrus
citrus, yam, polyphagous
custard apple, cocoa
crucifers
aibika
vegetables, some fruits
polyphagous
citrus
coconut
passionfruit
cocoa
sugarcane, coconut, banana
corn, banana, sugarcane, sorghum
coconut
banana
beans, legumes
coconut, palms
mature sugarcane
coconut
mandarin, mango, cocoa, cashew
rice, sugarcane
-