Contents - LAC Biosafety

188 Insect pests in plantations: case studies
Table 10.1. (cont.)
Category
Species name, order
and family
Agrilus fisheri (Coleoptera:
Buprestidae)
Xylosandrus (¼ Xyleborus)
compactus (Coleoptera:
Curculionidae: Scolytinae)
Sinoxylon anale (Coleoptera:
Bostrichidae)
Xystrocera spp. (Coleoptera:
Cerambycidae)
Onciderus saga (Coleoptera:
Cerambycidae)
Zeuzera coffeae (Lepidoptera:
Cossidae)
Xyleutes sp. (Lepidoptera:
Cossidae)
Although exotic plantations of A. mangium are at present, by and large, free of
major pests, the situation needs watching because of the short plantation
history of the species. Two insects are of particular concern. The first is Helopeltis,
some species of which are well-known pests of economic importance in
plantations of tea and cashew. As noted above, it is already recognized as a
pest of young A. mangium in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The other is
the noctuid Spirama retorta (also reported from A. mearnsii in China), (Haojie et al.,
1998b) which has shown a tendency for outbreak on A. mangium in Malaysia.
None of the native pests from Australia have found their way to exotic
plantations of A. mangium so far, but if they do, the risk of outbreak development
is very high.
10.1.3 Acacia mearnsii (common name: black wattle)
Countries/Regions
of occurrence Remarks
Philippines
Indonesia, Malaysia On seedlings/
branches
Thailand On branches
Indonesia, Malaysia
Brazil On branches
Thailand
Philippines
Tree profile
Acacia mearnsii De Wild., known as black wattle, is native to southeastern
Australia. It is a small tree with bipinnate leaves having a large number of
leaflets. Adapted to subtropical and temperate lowlands and tropical highlands,
it is cultivated widely throughout the world for extracting high quality tannin
from its bark. The tree is also used for erosion control and soil improvement.
Principal growing areas include Brazil with over 200 000 ha of plantation,
South Africa with 160 000 ha, East Africa (Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania,