FBS 45

FOREST PESTS
AND DISEASES

Juancho B. Balatibat
09175575986
jbbalatibat@up.du.ph
FOREST ENTOMOLOGY
➢ the science that deals with the study of
insects and related arthropods affecting
forests and forest products.
• insects’ biology
• nature and extent of injury
• possible measures of prevention and
control under forestry conditions.
WHY DO WE NEED TO
STUDY INSECTS?
Onychophoran (Peripatus)
Insects – the most diverse organism
 Insect Diversity
• >1,000,000 described species!
– 90% of known sp. are insects
• 40% of the tropical rain forest
biomass are insects
• 1 of every 3 animal species is a Cicindela nevadica lincolniana,
Salt Creek tiger beetle
beetle
• Researchers agree on 6.8M insect
species
• In 2017, DNA sequences indicated
that there are at least 40M species
of insects alone Odontota dorsalis
Locust leaf miner
It is estimated that there are 10 quintillion
individuals of insects on earth
 IMPORTANCE AND ROLES OF
INSECTS IN FOREST ECOSYSTEM
Pollination that contributes to plant diversity

wasp
beetle
bee Hover fly
thrips

moth
earwig
 Seed dispersal
- seed has proteinaceous coat called elaiosomes
ants

wasp

beetles
cricket
 Nutrient recycling via leaf-litter and
wood degradation, carrion and dung
disposal, and soil turnover

Carrion
Larvae of scarab beetles
beetles
termites
✓ Maintenance of plant community
composition and structure via phytophagy
including seed feeding
✓ Part of the over-all food chain as secondary
or tertiary consumers and as prey
OTHER ROLES/IMPORTANCE OF
INSECTS IN RELATION
TO HUMAN
 BENEFICIAL ASPECTS
• As food (locusts, beetles, termites,
honeybee)
 BENEFICIAL ASPECTS
• Source of industrial raw materials (silk,
bees wax, honey)
 BENEFICIAL ASPECTS
• Biological, medical and genetic
researches
 DETRIMENTAL OR
INJURIOUS ASPECTS
• Causes annoyance to man and animals
(insect stings and bites)
 DETRIMENTAL OR
INJURIOUS ASPECTS
• Pest of plants and animals
 DETRIMENTAL OR
INJURIOUS ASPECTS
• Pest of forest products and wooden
structures

Drywood Wood
termite boring
beetle
 DETRIMENTAL OR
INJURIOUS ASPECTS
Vectors of plant and animal diseases
• Ex. Planthoppers, aphids, whiteflies, wood-boring beetles (Ips)

Blue-stain disease in pine

 DETRIMENTAL OR
INJURIOUS ASPECTS
• Vectors of plant and animal diseases

Aedes

Assassin
bug Anopheles
 Why are insects considered
the most successful animal on
earth?
❑ highly adaptive to:
- a great variety of environment
- wide range of habitats
❑ highly adaptive
❑ highly adaptive to:
- a great variety of environment
- wide range of habitats
❑ small in size
TRIVIA!

Small in size
TRIVIA!
TRIVIA!
❑ highly adaptive to:
- a great variety of environment
- wide range of habitats
❑ small in size
❑ high reproductive potential
TRIVIA!

High reproductive potential

❑ highly adaptive to:
- a great variety of environment
- wide range of habitats
❑ small in size
❑ high reproductive potential
❑ short life cycle
TRIVIA! Short life cycle
❑ highly adaptive to:
- a great variety of environment
- wide range of habitats
❑ small in size
❑ high reproductive potential
❑ short life cycle
❑ presence of wings
 TRIVIA!

Presence of wings
Trivia
NEXT TIME ULI