Pests and Diseases

of Coconut
QUIZ
What is a pest?

What are the most common pests of coconut?

What do you think are the causes of pest

incidences/occurrences?
Nature of damage
Life cycle of Oryctes rhinoceros L.
Eggs hatch in about 12
days
Laid in decomposed
matter
1st instar-about 19 days
2nd instar–about 21 days
3rd instar–about 21 days

Entire larval period of 60-130 days

Feed on decomposed matter
Pupal stage lasts from 14-29 days
Immobile stage
 Adult lives for 95 days
or longer
Upon emergence, fly
to coconut crown and
fed on coconut pith by
tunnelling and sucking
the juices.
Fly down to heaps of decomposed
matter for breeding
Females lay 100 eggs or more
Rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros L.)

The destructive stage which feed on

unopened leaves and bud
Plant Hosts of Rhinoceros Beetle
Plant name Family
Agave sisalana (sisal hemp) Agavaceae
Ananas comosus (pineapple) Bromeliaceae
Areca catechu (betelnut palm) Arecaceae
Carica papaya (pawpaw) Caricaceae
Cocos nucifera (coconut) Arecaceae
Colocasia esculenta (taro) Araceae
Elaeis guineensis (African oil palm) Arecaceae
Lantana Verbenaceae
Metroxylon sagu (sago palm) Arecaceae
Musa x paradisiaca (plantain) Musaceae
Pandanus (screw-pine) Pandanaceae
Phoenix dactylifera (date-palm) Arecaceae
Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane) Poaceae
Wodyetia bifurcata (foxtail palm) Arecaceae
CULTURAL CONTROL
 Utilization of
coconut timber
for lumber and
decorative and
utilitarian items
Covercropping to conceal breeding
places of rhinoceros beetle
 Coconut-pineapple

Coconut-cassava
Manual extraction of
rhinoceros beetles from
young palms and
application of coal tar
on wounds
Fertilization of infested palms
Application of
insecticide-treated
sawdust at the leaf
axils to protect young
palms from rhinoceros
beetle attack
Chemical control using
aggregation
pheromone
Laboratory reared
green muscardine
fungus
Log traps to be inoculated with GMF
for rhinoceros beetle control
Oryctes
nudivirus
Rhinoceros beetle
Cultural methods
Farm sanitation
Planting of covercrop
Intercropping
Manual collection
Fertilization
Rhinoceros beetle
Chemical methods
Application of chemical granules on crown
Trunk injection
Soil drenching
Use of pheromones
Rhinoceros beetle
Biological methods

Use of Entomopathogens
• Green muscardine fungus
• Oryctes nudivirus
Life cycle of Brontispa longissima Gestro
 Egg

Brown, 1.44 long and 0.5 mm wide

Deposited longitudinally in groups
of 4 in the leaf between or inside
the tightly folded leaflets
Hatch between 3-7 days
 Larva

4-5 larval instars with a total larval

period ranging from 23-33 days
Starts feeding between and inside the
folded leaflets
Sedentary and avoid light
 Pupa

9-10 mm long
Prepupal period of 3 days
Pupal period ranges from 4-6 days
Adult
Matures in 12-14 days after
emergence from the pupa
Lives up to 2-3 months
Sex ratio is 1:0.5
(female/male)
Female lays up to 120 eggs
within several weeks
Nocturnal and always live in
still folded leaflets
OTHER HOST PLANTS
Areca Palm Chrysalidocarpus lutescens
Betel Nut Palm Areca catechu
Sago Palm Metroxylon sagu
Chinese Fan Palm Livistonia chinensis
Fox tail Palm Wodyetia bifurcata
Nipa Palm Nypa frutican
Royal Palm Roystonea regia
Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis
Fish Tail Palm Caryota mitis
Ivory Nut Palm Phytelephas sp.
Mexican Fan Palm Washingtonia robusta
Dwarf Date Palm Phoenix roebelenii
Manual removal of infested
leaves and proper disposal
Predators- earwigs

Chelisoches
morio
Earwig dispenser
Parasitoid

Tetrastichus
brontispae
Laboratory rearing
of Tetrastichus

Parasitized young
pupa of Brontispa
 Parasitized pupa
of Brontispa

Exit hole in
the pupa
 Field
Release

Plastic cups
Paper triangles
Spraying of coconut
crown of young
palms with
entomopathogens
 Sprayed with Beauveria bassiana
(white muscardine fungus or WMF)
Sprayed with Metarrhizium anisopliae
(green muscradine fungus or GMF)
Tools for preparation
of GMF or WMF sprays
 Preparation of fungal sprays
Transfer of spore-laden corn grits to pail (200g dried)
Suspend spores in water (16-20 li)
Strain suspension
Only the spear
leaf must be
sprayed until drip
BPI Special Quarantine Order
No. 03
Series of 2005
Declaring Coconut Leaf Beetle,
Brontispa longissima (Gestro)
an Invasive Quarantine Pest of
Coconut, Cocos nucifera, and
Providing Measures to Regulate
and Prevent its Spread
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 664
Establishing emergency measures to
control and eradicate the spread and
damage of Brontispa in the Philippine
coconut industry and designating the
Philippine Coconut Authority as the lead
agency for the purpose

September 25, 2007

Land-based plant quarantine checkpoint
Port-based quarantine checkpoint
Coconut Leaf Beetle
Cultural
• Removal of infested leaves
• Fertilization
Coconut Leaf Beetle
Biological
Use of entomopathogens-
green muscardine fungus
white muscardine fungus
Use of parasitoids-Tetrastichus brontispae
Use of predators-Chelisoches morio
Coconut Leaf Beetle
Regulatory-BPI Administrative Order
Qurantine checkpoint
Information campaigns
Life Cycle- Female
Egg

First instar (crawler)

Second instar

Adult (wingless)
Life Cycle- Male
Egg

First instar (crawler)

Second instar

Pre-pupa

Pupa

Adult (winged)
 Aspidiotus
rigidus

Aspidiotus excisus
Aspidiotus
destructor
Aspidiotus
destructor
Hosts plants

• Red palm
• Mangosteen
• Banana
Coconut Scale Insect (DOST protocol)
CALABARZON

• Leaf pruning
• Trunk injection (synthetic insecticide)
• Biological control
Leaf pruning and burning to
reduce pest population
For bearing
palms, prune
frond 24 and
below
Application of
horticultural oil
using power
sprayer
Trunk injection of
chemicals
• Systemic pesticides
• Botanicals

Bore 2 holes on trunk

(opposite)
Pour the chemicals
Predatory beetles

Pseudoscymnus
anomalus
Predatory beetles

Telsimia nitida
Predatory beetles

Cybocephalidae
 Predatory beetles

Chilocorus
nigrita
Fig 12. Larvae of Chilocorus nigritus
Predatory moth
 Male
Female

Comperiella calauanica
Field release of predatory beetles
Rapid Ground Assessment

Systematic detection survey to

determine the degree of
infestation and the geographical
spread of CSI
Cultural Management
Leaf pruning/nut pruning

Fertilization

Creating favorable micro environments for

predators, parasites and other natural enemies

Encourage high pollination rate

Harvesting regularly

Increase diversification

Field sanitation

Cutting and replanting

Chemical Control
•Insect growth regulators (IGR)

•Botanical biocides

•Synthetic insecticides

•Horticultural oils
Biological control

Introduction

Augmentation

Conservation
Regulatory control

Regulatory laws

Quarantine regulations and

checkpoints

Information campaigns
Asiatic
palm
weevil

Life cycle
Egg

Approximately 2.5mm
long
Incubation period 3
days
Larva

9 larval molts
Female larva -38 days
Male larva – 35 days
Pupal cocoon Bared pupa

Pre-pupal period
Males and females
2-11 days

Pupal period
Male- 1 - 19 days
Female–12 -19 days
Adult

On the average
females lay 162-350
eggs

Longevity period
Males – 63 to 109 days
Females –39 to72 days
Alternate hosts
Phoenix sylvestris date palm
Borassus flabellifer plamyru/toddy palm
Arenga pinnata sugar palm
Corypha gebanga gebong
Corypha elata buri palm
Caryota maxima pugahan
Caryota cumingii
Areca catechu betel nut palm
Metroxylon sagu sago palm
Roystonea regia royal palm
Elaeis guineensis oil palm
Biocon agents of APW
• Nematodes –Entaphelenchidae- Praecocilenchus ferruginophorus
• Bacteria – Pseudomodacea - Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Viruses - Cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus
• Mites (ectoparasites?) – Laelapidae- Hypoaspis sp.
Pymotidae - Tetrapolypus rhynchophori ? ?
• Insects – Forficulidae - Chelisoches morio
Scoliidae - Scolia erratica
Sarcophagidae - Sarcophaga fuscicauda
• Entomopathgens – Beauveria bassiana (WMF)
Management Measures

• Collect and destroy all stages

• Pour into the crown chemicals (systemic
pesticides or botanicals) following
recommended rates
• Plug in holes made by the insects
• Pheromone trapping (destroy insects caught in
traps)
Sooty molds from mealybug infestation
Mealybugs

Sangicoccus truncatispinus
Mealybugs

Nipaecoccus
nipae
Natural enemies of mealybugs
Lepidopteran
predator

Antlion
Management of mealybugs
• Leaf pruning (PCA recommended)
• Fertilization
• Augmentative release of biological
control agents
Aphids

Astegopteryx nipae
Aphids

Cerataphis
palmae
Management of aphid infestation
in nurseries
• Removal of infested leaves
• Spraying of vegetable oil (4%) or
commercially available pesticides for
sucking insects
 Adult stage
10-12 days

Egg incubation
period is 5-7
Pupa enclosed in cocoon days
Pupal stage - 22 to 36
days
Larval stage lasts
for 42 days

Life cycle of slugcaterpillar

Use of parasitoids
Hymenopterous
parasitoids against
Slug caterpillar
Slugcaterpillar
infected with
fungus
Slugcaterpillars
infected with nuclear
polyhedrosis virus
 Spraying slugcaterpillar-
infested palms with virus-
water suspension to
control infestation
Light
trapping of
moths
Management of slugcaterpillar infestation
• Collection and destruction of pupal
cocoons and light trapping
• Leaf pruning (PCA recommended
procedure only)
• For young palms and seedlings,
spraying with fungal suspension or virus
suspension from macerated virus-
infected larvae
Spider Mites
Rarosiella
cocosae
Predatory beetle- Telsimia ephippiger Chapin
Predatory mites

Armascirus
Amblyseius
taurus Kramer)
largoensis (Muma)
COCONUT SPIKE MOTH

Tirathaba ruvifena
Attacks the
inflorescence
Parasitoids of
Spike moth
 Entomopathogens

White muscardine
fungus, Beauveria
bassiana infected
larval, pupal and adult
stages of the moth
Vertebrate
Pest
Rodents –

Rattus rattus
mindanensis
Management measures

Banding Baiting
Botanical biocides
Tubang bakod Marigold
(Jatropa curcas) (Tagetes erecta)

against rhinoceros beetle, against pests of

slug caterpillar, mealybug, corn and vegetables
scale insects, Brontispa under coconut
 Tubli
(Derris elliptica)

Luyang dilaw
(Curcuma longa)

Tuba-tuba
Croton
tiglium
Public awareness

Farmer education-paradigm shift

Policy maker education
General public education
 Ecological engineering
Limited and selective use of pesticides
Alternate food source
Right diversity
Refugia
Microclimate
Alternate host/prey insect
Behavioral manipulation
Host plant resistance
Other cultural practices
Lessons learned from these invasions

• Humans become the enemy

• Prevention is most important
• Quarantine services not available
• Interplay of human, climatological and
ecological factors
• Laws are wanting to protect economy
• No organized structure to take on managing
invasive species