Important Trees of Haiti

Pests and Diseases 161
Species: Carica papaya L.
Creole Name: papay
Family: Caricaceae
Diseases: A virus related to the cucurbit mosaic and transmitted by the green peach
aphid (Myzus persicae) from cucumbers and watermelons causes a bitter flavor in fruits.
Anthracnose (Glomerella cingulata and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) enters wounds
in ripe fruit. Dieback by an unidentified pathogen attacks crowns and leaves, causing
rot. Stem end rot (Ascochyta caricae) affects young fruits, causing premature fruit drop
and attacks mature fruit as black circular spots. Root rot (Phytophtora spp.) results in
wilt and eventual death. The powdery mildew (Oidium spp.) attacks leaves of seedlings
under humid, poorly-ventilated conditions.
References: Mortensen and Bullard, 1970; Tourigny, 1987.
Species: Casuarina equisetifolia L. ex J.R. & G. Forst.
Creole Names: bwa pen, pich pen, kazowina
Family: Casuarinaceae
Insect Pests: A stem borer (Apate monachus) attacks both living and dead wood, retarding
growth, deforming trunks, and making them susceptible to breakage in high winds
in Central America and the Caribbean. A buprestid beetle (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)
feeds on the inner bark and outer wood tissues of the stem and a cossid moth
(Lepidoptera: Cossidae) bores into the stems of trees in the Philippines. The larvae of
an undetermined twig-girdling insect bore into the stem and feed on the stem bark and
cambial tissues in the· Philippines. Long-horned beetles (Neoclytus cordifer and
Chloridafestiva) attack trees in Central America. The stingless bee (Trigonia silvestriana)
wounds trees by cutting bark incisions. Larvae of Bootamomyia infest seed in the
Caribbean. Nymphs of the spittle bug (Clasoptera undulata) suck sap from flowers,
leaves, stems, and soft branches. Other insect pests include: crickets and grasshoppers
(Chondracis rosea, Schistocerca gregaria), a defoliator (Lymantia xylina), and sap
feeders (Icerya spp.). Several species of ants eat the seed, hampering sowing success in
the nursery, and inhibiting natural regeneration of the species worldwide. The species is
vulnerable to crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) that clip seedling stems or defoliate in the
nursery. Twig girdlers attack the tree in southern Florida, cutting off new shoots and
branches, resulting in deformed stems. Major seedling pests in India are the cricket
(Brachytrupes achatinus), a bark-eating caterpillar (Arbela tetronis), a longicorn
(Coelosterna scabrata), and grubs of the rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinocerus).
Diseases: Notable fungal diseases observed among tree nurseries in Haiti include: the
powdery mildew (Oidium spp.) that attacks leaves of seedlings under humid, poorlyventilated
conditions; foliar blights (Alternaria, Cercospora, and Phytophtora); and
root rot (Pythium, Phytophtora, and Rhizoctonia). Trees grown in unfavorable conditions
succumb to major root diseases caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum,
Trichosporium vesiculorum, and Rhizoctonia spp., particularly on wet and poorlydrained
sites. The mushroom root rot (Clitocybe tabescens (Scop.) Bres.) causes a high
rate of mortality on sandy soils in S. Florida. Dieback and stem canker caused by
Diplodia natalensis occur in southern Florida and Puerto Rico.
References: Brazza, 1987a; Brazza, 1988a; CATIE, 1992; Josiah and Allen-Reid, 1991;
Morton, 1980; NFTA 1990; Runion et al., 1990; Tourigny, 1987.