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Coconut Leaf Beetle Brontispa longissima Gestro

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Biological Invasions and Its Management in China

Part of the book series: Invading Nature - Springer Series in Invasion Ecology ((INNA,volume 11))

Abstract

Brontispa longissima Gestro, known as the Coconut leaf beetle, is a leaf beetle that feeds on young leaves and damages seedlings and mature coconut palms. B. longissima has become an increasingly serious pest of coconuts in the Asian-Pacific region, especially over the last three decades. B. longissima broke out in Hainan Province, China in 2002. Quarantine and surveillance are the best prevention methods for introductions and further spread. Chemical spraying has been recommended, but foliar sprays pollute environments and are not suitable for certain areas and tall trees. To reduce pollution caused by chemical sprays, chemical sachets, Yejiaqing which is eluviation powder, were widely used to control B. longissima in scenic spots and cities in China. Great efforts have been put on biological controls. Metarhizium anisopliae which was isolated from B. longissima and formulated as a bioinsecticide was applied in China, as well as in Vietnam and Samoa. The larval parasite Asecodes hispinarum Bouček and pupal parasite Tetrastichus brontispae Ferrière were introduced into China in 2004 and have approved to be very functional. The parasitisation of T. brontispae and A. hispinarum was ~90% and ~100%, respectively. Field recoveries were made in some regions after parasitoids releasing however the parasitisation is not always so high. It is necessary to release substantial numbers of the parasite into suitable populations of B. longissima to ensure establishment. Environment and climate might effect on the survival and effectiveness of the parasitoid. Such information on control measure is necessary to study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environment and Plant Protection Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou Shi, Hainan Sheng, China

    Baoqian Lu & Zhengqiang Peng

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  1. Baoqian Lu
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  2. Zhengqiang Peng
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Correspondence to Zhengqiang Peng .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Plant Protection, State Key Lab for Biology of Plant Diseases & Insect Pests, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China

    Fanghao Wan

  2. Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Mingxing Jiang

  3. Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijng, China

    Aibin Zhan

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Lu, B., Peng, Z. (2017). Coconut Leaf Beetle Brontispa longissima Gestro. In: Wan, F., Jiang, M., Zhan, A. (eds) Biological Invasions and Its Management in China. Invading Nature - Springer Series in Invasion Ecology, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0948-2_12

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