Bwa-yo - Société Audubon Haiti

174 Pests and Diseases
Species: Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq.
Creole Name: kenep
Family: Sapindaceae
Insect Pests: The wet-wood termite (Nasutitermes costalis Holmgren) feeds on dead
limbs and twigs of live trees in Puerto Rico. The dry-wood termite (Cryptotermes brevis
Walker) and ambrosia beetles attack the wood in the Caribbean.
Reference: Francis, 1992a.
Species: Moringa oleifera Lam.
Creole Name: benzoliv
Family: Moringaceae
Insect Pests: Fruit fly species of Gitona infest the fruits that dry out and rot in India.
Several weevil species of Myllocerus attack seedlings and freshly-planted stumps.
Other Pests: The tree is occasionally parasitized by the flowering plant, Dendrophthoe
jlacata, in India.
Diseases: Pathogenic fungi reported to attack the tree in India include a leaf spot
(Cercospora moringicola), a spot anthracnose (Sphaceloma morindae), and a rust
(Puccinia moringae). Powdery mildews include Oidium spp., Polyporus gilvus, and
Leveillula taurica.
References: Kareem et aI., 1974; Ullasa and Rawal, 1984.
Species: Musa sp.
Creole Names: bannann, fig mi
Family: Musaceae
Insect Pests: Larvae of the root weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) feed in the corm.
Larvae of the scab moth (Nacoleia octasema) feed on female flowers and young fruit.
Larvae of the stem borer (Metamasius hemipterus sericeus) feed in the stems.
Diseases: Panama disease (Fusarium oxysporum var. cubense) causes wilting and death
oftrees by destroying roots. Sigatoka (Mycosphaerella musicola) produces yellow spots
and dead areas on leaves. Freckle disease (Macrophoma musae) discolors fruits and
causes uneven ripening. Moko bacterial wilt (Xanthomonas solanacearum) causes wilt
and occurs in wild Heliconia plants that commonly infect adjacent plantations.
References: Mortensen and Bullard, 1970; Tourigny, 1987.
Species: Ochroma pyramidale (Cav.) Urb.
Creole Name: mahodem
Family: Bombacaceae
Insect Pests: A shoot borer (Anadasus porinodes Meyrick) causes severe damage in
plantations throughout Central and South America. Ants (Paraponera sp.) feed on sapfilled
tissue beneath petioles and leaf veins, protecting the tree from herbivores in its
native range. Wood is highly susceptible to marine borers, pinhole borers, powderpost
beetles (Lyctus spp.), and dry-wood termites (Cryptotermes brevis Walker) in its native
range. Wet-wood termites (Nasutitermes costalis Holmgren) consume dead limbs and
fallen wood in Puerto Rico.
Reference: Francis, 1991c.