Adapted from Philippine Coconut Authority
1. Coconut Scale insect, Aspidiotus
destructor
Biology of the coconut scale
 Coconut Scale Insect is a small,
flat, yellowish scale with a
semitransparent or whitish,
waxy covering.
 Eggs are laid under the scale cover
and hatch into a stage called
http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/crop_protection/crop_prot_
crawlers.
crop_insect_oil_coconut.html
CSI
 The crawlers then move out
from the scale and wander
around the plant, or are
dispersed by the wind, on
clothing of people, or on the
feet of birds and other flying
animals.
 The female lays about 90
eggs over a period of nine
days. The life cycle takes
between 32 to 35 days to
complete.
Alternate Host of the Pest
Although coconut is the preferred host
of Aspidiotus destructor, the coconut scale insect is
also known to attack other perennial species
including many species of fruit trees, such as
avocado, breadfruit, mango, mangosteen, guava and
papaya.
Damage of the pest
 Insects feeding on the leaves results to yellowing
and progressing that results to drying and wilting in
young and old palms.
 There is premature nutfall that results in yield
reduction.
 The coconut scale insect also colonizes the fronds,
young and old fruits and petioles.
 Coconut seedlings and young palms are more likely
to die from scale insect outbreaks than mature palm.
MANAGEMENT OF THE COCONUT
SCALE INSECT
1. LEAF PRUNING
Coconut leaf pruning reduces the reproducing
population of the scale insects and prevents the
spread to other areas.
Since the pest affects older leaves, some of which
are no longer photosynthetically active, removal
of the older, infested leaves will not affect the
fruiting and yield of the palm.
2. WASHING COCONUT FRUITS WITH SOAP AND
WATER
 Infested fruits intended for marketing (such as buko
or mature nuts) should be washed with soap and
water to remove the scale insects on the fruits to
prevent the spread of the pest from farm to farm.
 The nuts should be detached from the peduncle
since the scale insects also colonizes the petioles.
The petioles can be burned, used as firewood or
carbonized to produce the charcoal briquettes.
3. RELEASE OF BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS
Larvae and adults of coccinellid predators feed on
coconut scale insects.
The life of these predatory beetles last for 2-3
months during which time the larva and adults
continue to feed on scale insects.
In the Philippines, there are many known
coccinellid predators that can be reared for
inundative releases in outbreak areas to regulate
coconut scale insect populations such as
Cryptolaemus, Scymnus, Pseudoscymnus, Chilocorus
Larva of the coccinelid beetle
4. SPRAYING OF INSECTICIDES AND HORTICULTURAL
OILS
 Management with pesticides can be doubly
difficult because of the waxy material that
protects A. destructor from many insecticides.
 In young palms and seedlings, chemical control
with contact or systemic insecticides such as
pirimiphos-methyl, methyl parathion and
dimethoate can also be used.
4.
SPRAYING
OF
INSECTICIDES
HORTICULTURAL OILS
AND
Chemical sprays are only effective on the crawler
stage of scales. However, control is difficult on
other life stages. Use of appropriate systemic
insecticides can be used.
Pesticides should be used only when parasites are
not economically effective. The application of
pesticides may kill natural enemies of the scale and
result in a resurgence of the pest.
4.
SPRAYING
OF
HORTICULTURAL OILS
INSECTICIDES
AND
 As soft-bodied insects, scale insects are susceptible
to mineral oil sprays.
 Mineral oils can be used to spray infested palms
instead of pesticides but spraying tall, mature palm
can still be difficult and expensive.
5. LOCAL QUARANTINE REGULATIONS
Transport of coconut leaves and nuts are the
easiest way to spread the pest to other coconutgrowing areas.
WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE TO ASSIST COCONUT
FARMERS AFFECTED BY SCALE INSECT INFESTATION?
 Intercropping with cash crops and other perennial
crops, including livestock integration under coconut,
is recommended to sustain farm incomes and
provide alternative livelihood sources while
awaiting coconut palm recovery outbreak areas.
 Fertilizer application allows the palm to compensate
for the loss in photosynthetic leaf area caused by
insect feeding.
 Soil nutrient augmentation, particularly with
inorganic fertilizer, allows damaged palms to
recover faster and attain improved productivity
levels more quickly.
COCONUT HISPINE BEETLE
Brontispa longissima
(Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera)
2. COCONUT HISPINE BEETLE,
Brontispa longissima
(Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera)
 Most serious pest of coconut
and
ornamental
palms
nowadays.
 Endemic to Indonesia, Papua
New Guinea and Solomon
island
 First detected in April 2005
in the Philippines (Metro
Manila; Roxas Blvd; Airport
Road;
Laguna; Bulacan;
Pampanga)
 As of February 2008, 34
provinces, 11 regions are
affected infesting more than
300,000 trees
Nature & Extent of Damage
 Both larvae
destructive
and
adults
 They avoid light
 Gnaw long incisions in the
tissues
 Parallel to one another and to the veins of leaflets
 Leaving longitudinal white streaks
Bird’s Eye View of the Extent of Damage on coconut
trees in Southern Thailand
 Incisions close
to one another
 Photosynthesis
reduced
DESCRIPTION
Adults
 Two colored, orange/
brown thorax
and
brown to dark elytra
 Nocturnal
 Found
leaflet
in
unopened
 Pre-oviposition of 74
days
 7.5-10 mm long,
1.5-2 mm wide
 120 eggs
average
on
the
120-220 days
Adult
35 days
Egg-adult emergence
6.5 days
Pupa
4 days
Egg
23 days
Larva
Life Cycle of Brontispa longissima Gestro
(Liebregts, Tan Viet & Chapman)
ALTERNATE HOST
NATURAL ENEMIES
Ooencyrtus sp.
Asecodes sp.
Haeckeliana sp.
Tetrastichus sp.
Parasitoids of coconut
chrysomelids
WMF
GMF
Predator (Earwigs)
Pruning of infested leaves
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago, Oshiro
CHEMICAL CONTROL – Trunk injection
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
CHEMICAL CONTROL
Neonicotenoids
such
as
thiametoxam,
imidacloprid, and clothianidin applied by trunk
injection on coconut trees were effective
against Brontispa longissima larvae and adult at the
dosage applied. The insecticide efficacy decreased 30
days after treatment and a second application was
needed to sustain control of the beetle.
(Source: Varca and Fabro. 2008. Residual effect of pesticide
applied against B. longissima in coconut)
CHEMICAL CONTROL
The residues of thiametoxam, imidacloprid,
clothianidin, lambda-cyhalothrin, and beta-cyfluthrin
were not detected in coconut water and coconut milk
at concentration below its limit of determination at 1
day, 3 days, 7 days, 15 days, 30 days, and 60 days from
trunk injection.
Trunk
injection
of
systemic
neonicotenoid
insecticides will not affect the quality of the coconut
with respect to pesticide residues even if the nuts
were harvested within the week of insecticide
application.
Spraying of pesticide on the infested leaves.
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago, Oshiro
RHINOCEROS BEETLE
(Oryctes rhinoceros)
Coleoptera: Dynastidae
3. Rhinoceros beetle,
Oryctes rhinoceros
Biology of the Pest
 Egg: oval creamy white egg in
manure pits or decaying vegetable
matter at a depth of 5 to 15 cm
 Grub: Grub is stout, sluggish, white
“C”-shaped with pale brown head
and found at a depth of 5 to 30 cm.
 Pupa : Grub pupates in earthern
cells at a depth of 0.3 to 1 m
 Adult: Adult beetle is stout,
brownish black or black and has a
long horn projecting dorsally from
the head in male. Horn is short in
female.
Nature of Damage
Initial - Young palm
damage
Later - Non typical V
shaped damage
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rop_prot_crop_insect_oil_coconut.html
Preventive- field sanitation (removal of potential
breeding sites of the pest)
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
Infected adult and larvae of the pest caused by the
green muscardine fungus
Use of Pheromone Trap to attract male
rhinoceros beetle
RED PALM WEEVIL
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Coleoptera: Curculionidae
4. Red palm weevil:
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
 Identification of the pest
Egg: Oval and white.
Grub: Light yellowish grub without legs
Adult: Reddish brown weevil has six dark spots
on thorax. Male has conspicuous long snout has
a tuft of hairs.
Damage
Management of the Pest
 Remove and burn all wilting or damaged palms in
coconut gardens to prevent further perpetuation of
the pest.
 Avoid injuries on stems of palms as the wounds
may serve as oviposition sites for the weevil. Fill all
holes in the stem with cement.
 Avoid the cutting of green leaves. If needed, they
should be cut about 120 cm away from the stem.
Management of the Pest
 Setting
up of attractant traps (mud pots)
containing sugarcane molasses 2½ kg or toddy 2½
litres + acetic acid 5 ml + yeast 5 g + longitudinally
split tender coconut stem/logs of green petiole of
leaves of 20 numbers in one ha to trap adult red
palm weevils in large numbers.
 Install pheromone trap @ 12 per ha
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
SLUG CATERPILLAR
Lepidoptera: Limacodidae
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Damage
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Management – Biological
control
Photo courtesy
Gallego, C.
PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Several parasitoids attacked slug caterpillars
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Use of UV light at night to
attract and control adult moth
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Chemical control – spray any
one of the following
 Dichorvos 76 WSC 2 ml/lit
*Bacillus thuringiensis 2 g/lit,
 Triazophos 40 EC 5 ml
 Methyl demeton 25 EC 4 ml/lit
* biopesticide
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
COCONUT MEALYBUGS
Nipaecoccus nipae Maskell,
Sangicoccus sp.
Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae
6. Coconut Mealybugs (Nipaecoccus nipae
Maskell, Sangicoccus sp.
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Alternate Hosts
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Alternate Hosts
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
MANAGEMENT
 Prune infested fronds
 Alternate hosts (palmera, buri, bunga, nipa,
anahaw, manila palm, sago, anibong, panda banig,
pandan bango and banana) must not be cultivated
along side coconut.
 Destroy ant colonies as they have symbiotic
relationship with the mealybugs
MANAGEMENT
 Follow recommended planting distance for
coconut (10m x 10m)to avoid overcrowding which
favors pest development.
 Spray botanical biocides (lagtang, tubli, tuba-tuba,
sili and neem) to disinfest young seedlings and
field plantings. They have limited application due
to the nature of the crop.
 Spray soap suds at 0.5 gm per liter water on
infested palms. Spraying may be concentrated on
the underneath of the leaves where insects are
found.
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro
Photo courtesy Gallego, C. PCA, Bago,
Oshiro