5/21/2018 CSI (COCONUT SCALE INSECT) CONTROL AT A CROSS-ROAD
CSI (COCONUT SCALE INSECT) CONTROL ON A CROSS-ROAD1
Mario V. Navasero2, 5, Bonifacio F. Cayabyab3, Marcela M.
Navasero2&Pablito G. Gonzales4
1 Summary of Paper delivered during the seminar on Coconut and
lanzones scale insectmanagement on June 9, 21!, "# $raining Center,
City "all Compound, San Pa%lo City&
2 Scientist ', ()niversity #esearcher '* and !)niversity
#esearcher ''' of +CPCCPC, C-,)P./0 Curator of Psylloidea, +",
)P./
The coconut scale insect (CSI or Cocolisap),Aspidiotus
rigidusReyne, is infesting morethan a million trees of coconut in
the Calabarzon, for which the President of the Philippines,
after
fie years, finally issued an e!ecutie order ("# $o% &')
establishing emergency measures to
control and manage the spread and damage of CSI in the
Philippines%
In the Philippines,A. rigidusReyne is the third introduced
species that went into outbreaproportions% The first was the *uff
coconut mealybug (*C+), Nipaecoccus nipae(+asell) that
was recorded in late &% This was followed by Coconut leaf
beetle (C-*), Brontispa
longissima.estro in /une 01% The outbreas of *C+ and C-*
naturally subsided after a
certain period, although, occasionally their infestation leels
shoot up nowadays% 2or the C-*,recession of outbrea came early in
two years and the cause of the recession of outbrea was
attributed to the presence of seeral efficient natural enemies
attacing the pest% #utbrea of
C-* coered the 3ustro4#riental Region and the Pacific Islands
where all of the countries,e!cept the Philippines, imported natural
enemies from the country of origin of C-*% Some
sectors are still considering the importation of a parasitoid,
Asecodes hispinarum, for C-* in
spite of the fact that C-* is not anymore in outbrea and its
population is ept in chec by natiespecies of natural enemies%
*esides, A. hispinarumis attacing the laral stage of C-*% 3n
efficient natie parasitoid, Tetrastichus brontispae, is attacing
the pupal stage which is the
growth stage of C-* after the laral stage% IfA. hispinarumgets
introduced into the Philippines,it might dominate if not displace
the natie Tetrastichus brontispaebecause the former attacs
the earlier growth stage of the host C-*% 5isplacement of natie
species by introduced species
should be important considerations for conseration of local
biodiersity%
5uring the last fie years, researchers inoled in the tas force
reported onlycoccinellids or ladybird beetles as the promising
natural enemies of CSI% 6oweer, based on the
results of their own study, coccinellids are not efficient
predators% In the last four years, they also
hae difficulty in producing sufficient numbers for release in
the field% In spite of these facts,
coccinellids are still being mass produced and being positioned
as a potential cure to the CSI
problem% +oreoer, their group is pushing for the importation of
another coccinellid, Chilocoruspolitus% This is unnecessary and
un7ustifiable% Three of the fie species of natural enemies
recorded attacing CSI (two coccinellids 8Telsimia nitida and
Chilocorus nigritus9 and oneparasitoid9 are occurring in the
Philippines% The presence of the parasitoid was the first record
of
this species here in the Philippines and probably the remaining
two species may be present also
only waiting to be discoered% .oing bac to C-*, the local
parasitoids ( Tetrastichus brontispae,Haeckeliana brontispae and
Ooencyrtus sp%) collected then were all new records for the
Philippines that are associated with natie species of hispine
beetles before C-* was introduced%
5/21/2018 CSI (COCONUT SCALE INSECT) CONTROL AT A CROSS-ROAD
The parasitoid was obsered by us only last 3pril as a result of
an unfunded research we
are conducting on CSI, which we started in +arch of this year%
This unfunded research was made
possible by the cooperation of a coconut farmer (and his family)
who offered their farm wherewe can conduct our study% The presence
of the parasitoid remained unnoticed since 0&0 by
those woring on biocontrol of CSI% They were probably looing
only upon natural enemies big
enough to be seen in the field by unaided eyes% $ote: This
parasitoid has been identified asComperiella unifasciataIshii
("ncyrtidae, 6ymenoptera)%
-ater obserations showed the parasitoid to cause up to ;<
parasitization rate of A.
rigidusnot only in Sta +onica, San Pablo City but also in
Calauan and -os *a=os where
recoery of damaged coconut trees were noted% 2urther monitoring
in *atangas confirmed thepresence of the same parasitoid especially
in areas preiously with heaily damaged coconuts
now show significant degree of recoery% In these areas, coconut
trees that had only 04> green
leaes left during the height of infestation are now haing up to
undamaged green leaes%
#ther releant information that we hae generated include other
plants being attaced byCSI and obserable differences in the
reaction of coconut arieties to infestation of CSI which
has implications on the ?uarantine measures and replanting
programs being implemented by thegoernment% The host plants being
targeted for ?uarantine are those plants recorded as hosts ofthe
natie species of coconut scale (Aspidiotus destructor) and not of
the introduced CSI% @ith
regard to the coconut arieties, early maturing arieties are more
susceptible than the natie or
late maturing arieties% The goernment is using early maturing
arieties in their replanting
program%
@e are suggesting that these new information should be taen into
consideration by the
tas force in implementing the emergency control measures
especially on the massie
application of insecticides in areas where recoery of coconut
had been obsered, the coerage
of plants for ?uarantine measures, the replanting program using
early maturing arieties and theplannedimportation of natural
enemies%
