Bwa-yo - Société Audubon Haiti

164 Pests and Diseases
Several species of ants harvest the honey dew secretions of aphid and scale pests. Leafcutting
ants harvest leaves and defoliate. The stingless bees (Trigonia corvina and T. sit:vestriana)
cut flower buds to extract resin. Fruit fly maggots (Anastrepha spp. and
Ceratitis capitata) enter fruits and cause decay. A gray larvae of Papilio spp., known
as orange dog, infest young leaves and impart an offensive odor. The citrus root weevil
(Diprepes spp.) is reported in the Caribbean. Thrips (Scirtothrips spp.) and whiteflies
(Dialeurodes spp.) are widespread. The moth borer (Citripestis sagittiferella Moore) is
an important pest in SE Asia.
Other Pests: .The burrowing nematode (Radopholus similis (Cobb) Thorne), citrus
nematode (Tylenchulus semipenetrans), and Pratylenchus spp. attack the tree.
Diseases: Gummosis (Phytophtora citrophthora (Sm. & Sm.) Leon. and P. parasitica
Dastur) is characterized by lesions in the crown and the graft union that exude gum prior
to death of the tree. Phytophtora spp. also cause a brown rot on fruit. The scab (Elsinoe
fawcetti Bitanc. & Jenk.) produces corky lesions on twigs, leaves and fruit. Melanose
(Diaporthe citri (Fawc.) Wolf) produces brown pustules on young twigs, leaves and
fruits. Anthracnose of limes (Gloeosporium limetticolum Claus.) causes branch tips to
die. Anthracnose of oranges, grapefruit and lemons (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Penz.) attacks branches, leaves, and fruits which have become injured or weakened.
Citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri (Hasse) Dowson) is dangerous and requires uprooting
and burning of all infected trees. Fungi that endanger post-harvested fruit include:
Penicillum spp., Alternaria citri Ellis & Pearce, Guignardia citricarpa Kiely, and
numerous others. The Tristeza virus, transmitted by diseased budwood and aphids, suppresses
new growth, causing leaf yellowing, wilting, and tree death. Other virus diseases
include exocortis, psorosis and xyloporosis. "Stubborn," "greening," and "yellow
shoot" diseases are caused by mycoplasms and transmitted by psyllids. Fungal diseases
attacking seedlings in Haitian nurseries include leaf spot (Alternaria, Fusarium, and
Phoma), anthracnose (Colletotrichum), and scab (Sphaceloma).
References: CATIE, 1992; Josiah and Allen-Reid, 1991; Mortensen and Bullard, 1970;
Purseglove, 1968b; Runion et aI., 1990; Tourigny, 1987.
Species: Cocos nucifera L.
Creole Name: kokoye
Family: Arecaceae (=Palmae)
Insect Pests: More than 100 species of insects afflict the tree. The rhinoceros beetles
(Orycetes rhinoceras in SE Asia and O. moceros in Africa) are serious pests, penetrating
the terminal bud and causing damage to unfolded leaves, and death if the central
growing part is attacked. The coconut mite (Aceria guerreronis Keifer) is probably the
most prevalent pest in Haiti, deforming nut development and reducing crop yield. The
coconut weevils (Rhynchophorus cruentatus in S. Florida, R. palmarum in the West
Indies and S. America, R. ferrugineus in S. Asia, and R. schach in Malaysia) are dangerous,
attacking the bud and causing death of the tree when the growing point is
destroyed. Other important coleopteran pests include: Strategus spp. that attack the soft
wood and the heart ofthe tree; Brontispa spp., most notably B. longissima in the Pacific
and SE Asia, that severely damages leaves; and the leafminers (Promecotheca spp. in
SE Asia and Coelaenomenodera spp. in Africa and Madagascar) that render the leaves
non-functional. The larvae of several lepidopteran species are important defoliators,