Coconut beetle attacks beach palms

BORACAY – On August 10, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) - Plant Quarantine Service (PQS) team collected a specimen of larva and mature brontispa longissima attacking palms in the island of Boracay.

To prevent the coconut hispine beetle on infesting more palms, an immediate treatment process within 0.5 kilometer radius from Stations 2 and 3 was done.

The beetle feeds on young palm leaves, which then appear burned or scorched. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the pest may cause damage to mature coconut and ornamental palms, even the death of young ones.

“All efforts must be done to prevent movement of coconut and ornamental palms from Boracay to the mainland of Aklan,” said PCA Regional Manager Jose S. Cruz.

“In any event of infestation, insecticide Actara EC can be sprayed on young seedlings while for tall palms, injection or bore method is most appropriate,” Cruz said.

The larva and adult are destructive. Though the adult is not capable of long flights, it can live from 75 to 90 days.

On the other hand, the larva feeds throughout its growing period that lasts for 36 days. Both stay between unopened leaflets of young coconut spears and feed on the soft tissues but spare the hardier veins and mid-ribs.

A re-echo seminar on the identification of signs and prevention of brontispa longissima has been directed. Coordination activities with BPI-PQS officers for action planning will also be conducted. The activities will be carried out by PCA agriculturists Gabriel Robles, Dionelo Ongga, Mhylene Relojo and Rocela Lascuña.

“All agriculturists are also directly ordered to conduct field monitoring and inspection, and representation to all coconut and palm nursery operators on brontispa longissima prevention and control,” Cruz added.

The coconut hispine beetle is one of the most damaging pests of coconut and other palm species. The beetle is endemic in Sulawesi, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It spread in the late 1990s to Southeast Asia and Maldives.

Based on the information sent by the Brontispa Action Team to the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), the pest was introduced to the country in early 2004 through the importation of ornamental palms.