Bwa-yo - Société Audubon Haiti

Pests and Diseases 165
including Artona catoxantha in SE Asia, Brassolis sophorae and Castina daedalus in
S. America, Hidari irava in Indonesia, Nephantis serinopa in S. India, Setora nitens and
Tirathaba spp. in SE Asia. The planthopper (Myndus crudus) feeds on phloem while
transmitting mycoplasmalike organisms .that cause lethal yellowing. The scale
(Aspidiotus destructor) infests the leaves, causing discoloration and loss of vigor.
Populations in Haiti appear to be controlled by a ladybug predator (Chilocorus cacti).
Long-hom grasshoppers (Sexava spp.) attack coconuts in almost all the coconut-growing
areas and occasionally cause serious defoliation.
Other Pests: Bird pests include the Hispaniolan Woodpecker (Melanerpes striatus),
which attacks the trunk for nesting sites and damages immature nuts, and the Village
Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus), which strips the leaves for nest building. The nematode
(Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus (==Aphelenchus cocophilus)) invades the stem and
crown base, causing red ring disease. It is transmitted by the coconut weevil
(Rhynchophorus palmarum).
Diseases: Diseases prevalent in the Caribbean include: red ring, infesting the trunk with
a characteristic red ring, rapid wilting of the leaves, and eventual death of the palm;
lethal yellowing, caused by mycoplasmalike organisms transmitted by the planthopper
Myndus crudus Van Duzee (and perhaps other Myndus species), and devastating local
populations in Haiti and throughout the Caribbean basin; bud rot fungus (Phytophtora
palmivora Butl.) which wilts and kills the terminal bud; leaf blight fungus (Pestalotia
palmarum) which invades stressed plants by attacking the leaves with yellow spots that
finally tum to gray and coalesce; leaf break fungus (Botryodiplodia palmarum) which
attacks trees weakened by unfavorable growing conditions and causes the leaves to
break at their distal ends; leaf stalk rot fungus (Phytophtora parisitica) on the stalks and
limbs of infected leaves; stem bleeding and leaf spot fungus (Thielaviopsis paradoxa
(De Segn.) Hoehn); butt rot fungus (Ganoderma spp.) which kills the lower fronds and
eventually the entire tree; and fatal wilt flagellate (Phytomas) which attacks the coconut
bud and kills the tree.
References: Morin, 1977; Ohler, 1984.
Species: CojJea arabica L.
Creole Name: kafe
Family: Rubiaceae
Insect Pests: The citrus aphid (Toxoptera aurantium B. de E) shrivels young leaves,
reduces vigor and promotes development of black sooty mold in Haiti. The bean borer
(Hypothenemus hampei) attack beans in Africa and Brazil. The green scale (Coccus
viridis) attacks leaves along the veins.
Diseases: The most serious disease is Hemileia rust caused by Hemileia vastatrix Berk.
& Br. that attacks the leaves. Leaf spot (Mycena citricolor) results in defoliation of the
plant. Another leaf spot (Cercospora cojJeicola) is occasionally a problem in humid
areas of Haiti, resulting in chlorotic leaves, berry lesions, and pulp sticking to the beans.
Fungal diseases attacking seedlings in Haitian nurseries include: leaf spot (Alternaria,
Cephalosporium, Cercospora, Mycena, Pestalotia, and Phyllosticta); anthracnose
(Colletotrichum); and damping off (Rhizoctonia). A stem blight attacks seedlings under
humid conditions in Haiti.
References: Mortensen and Bullard; 1970; Runion et al., 1990; Tourigny, 1987.