Papuana huebneri (taro beetle).

Author(s):  
Angela Whittaker

Abstract Papuana huebneri is one of at least 19 species of known taro beetles native to the Indo-Pacific region; it is native to Papua New Guinea, the Molucca Islands in Indonesia, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and has been introduced to Kiribati. Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is an important crop in these countries; high infestations of P. huebneri can completely destroy taro corms, and low infestations can reduce their marketability. The beetle also attacks swamp taro or babai (Cyrtosperma chamissonis [Cyrtosperma merkusii]), which is grown for consumption on ceremonial occasions. Infestations of taro beetles, including P. huebneri, have led to the abandonment of taro and swamp taro pits in the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, resulting in the loss of genetic diversity of these crops and undermining cultural traditions. P. huebneri also attacks a variety of other plants, although usually less seriously. Management today relies on an integrated pest management strategy, combining cultural control measures with the use of insecticides and the fungal pathogen Metarhizium anisopliae.

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Cheraghi ◽  
Behzad Habibpour ◽  
Mohammad Saied Mossadegh

Microcerotermes diversusSilvestri (Isoptera, Termitidae) is considered to be the most destructive termite in Khuzestan province (Iran), and its control by conventional methods is often difficult. Biological control using entomopathogenic fungi could be an alternative management strategy. Performance of a bait matrix treated with the entomopathogenic fungusMetarhizium anisopliae(Metsch.) Sorokin, Strain Saravan (DEMI 001), againstM. diversuswas evaluated in this paper. The highest rate of mortality occurred at concentrations of 3.7 × 107and 3.5 × 108(conidia per mL). There was no significant difference between treatments, in the rate of feeding on the bait. The fungal pathogen was not repellent to the target termite over the conidial concentrations used. The current results suggest potential of such bait system in controlling termite. However the effectiveness ofM. anisopliaeas a component of integrated pest management forM. diversusstill needs to be proven under field conditions.


Zootaxa ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2400 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
CUI-PING BU ◽  
MARIE-CLAUDE LARIVIÈRE ◽  
AI-PING LIANG

Parapiromis Bu, Larivière & Liang is created as a new name for Piromis Fennah (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Ricaniidae), which is preoccupied by Piromis Kinberg, 1869 (Annelida), and three new species of the genus are described and illustrated from the Pacific region: P. guadalcanalensis Bu & Liang sp. nov. (Solomon Islands), P. kiungaensis Bu & Liang sp. nov. (Papua New Guinea), P. santacruzensis Bu & Liang sp. nov. (Solomon Islands). P. translucida (Montrouzier) is redescribed and illustrated, including the external morphology of adult and the structure of the male and female genitalia. A key and a distribution map to the species of Parapiromis are provided.


2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Joseph

In the Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tonga are World Trade Organization members.  This article examines the human rights concerns regarding the WTO, in particular the impact of WTO rules regarding trade liberalisation on poverty and development within developing states.  The author comments on the costs of conditional WTO membership and the possible consequences of free trade and globalisation in the Pacific region.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 479 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-82
Author(s):  
HUI SHANG ◽  
ZHEN-LONG LIANG ◽  
LI-BING ZHANG

A taxonomic revision of Didymochlaena (Didymochlaenaceae) from Asia and the Pacific region is conducted based on morphological and molecular evidence. Seven species are recognized, of which four are described as new and a new status is raised to a species from a variety. These four new species include D. fijiensis from Fiji, D. philippensis from the Philippines, D. punctata from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, and D. solomonensis from the Solomon Islands. The new status is D. oceanica from Papua New Guinea. Six of the seven species have all been erroneously treated as D. truncatula by earlier pteridologists. A key to the species is provided and descriptions of all species are given.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 482
Author(s):  
Alice Michie ◽  
John S. Mackenzie ◽  
David W. Smith ◽  
Allison Imrie

Ross River virus (RRV) is the most medically significant mosquito-borne virus of Australia, in terms of human morbidity. RRV cases, characterised by febrile illness and potentially persistent arthralgia, have been reported from all Australian states and territories. RRV was the cause of a large-scale epidemic of multiple Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) from 1979 to 1980, involving at least 50,000 cases. Historical evidence of RRV seropositivity beyond Australia, in populations of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Indonesia and the Solomon Islands, has been documented. We describe the genomic characterisation and timescale analysis of the first isolate of RRV to be sampled from PNG to date. Our analysis indicates that RRV has evolved locally within PNG, independent of Australian lineages, over an approximate 40 year period. The mean time to most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) of the unique PNG clade coincides with the initiation of the PICTs epidemic in mid-1979. This may indicate that an ancestral variant of the PNG clade was seeded into the region during the epidemic, a period of high RRV transmission. Further epidemiological and molecular-based surveillance is required in PNG to better understand the molecular epidemiology of RRV in the general Australasian region.


2007 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. BONNEAU ◽  
M. HUSNI ◽  
L. BEAUDOIN-OLLIVIER ◽  
JOKO SUSILO

We demonstrated experimentally that Sufetula, a root-mining insect, has a depressive effect on coconut yields on peat soils. The impact of the pest resulted in a shortfall in earnings that warranted taking control measures. We considered control methods suitable for rehabilitating infested mature coconut plantings and for preserving young coconut plantings. Currently, cultural control is the only effective method. It involves eliminating all identified shelters for the adult insect, i.e. fern cover and heaps of coconut waste (dry fronds and husks). The aim is to achieve totally bare soil, with moss cover that does not attract the pest, or planted with an unattractive intercrop such as pineapple.


Author(s):  
A. Sivanesan

Abstract A description is provided for Cochliobolus pallescens. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Common on many graminicolous and non-graminicolous hosts. Important cereals and grasses include Eleusine, Hordeum, Oryza, Panicum, Paspalum, Pennisetum, Poa, Saccharum, Setaria, Sorghum, Triticum and Zea economically important dicot hosts include Allium (59, 4867), Arachis (53, 1647), Brassica (66, 3075), Canna, Calendula, Calotropis (44, 1832; 66, 3587), Carica (61, 5129), Cinnamomum, Citrus (68, 843), Coriandrum, Dahlia, Fagopyrum (64, 2425), Gaillardia, Hevea (56, 1257; 67, 5560), Musa (54, 4051), Solanum (50, 3484). DISEASE: Leaf spots of cereals, black point of wheat (44, 102), leaf spot and on stems of rubber (56, 1257; 67, 5560), ear rot of barley (62, 1005), rot of garlic (59, 4867). GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Burma, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Guinea, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad, USA, USSR, Venezuela, Windward Islands, Zambia, Zimbabwe. TRANSMISSION: By wind-borne conidia and seed-borne.


Author(s):  

Abstract A new distribution map is provided for Elsinoe batatas (Saw.) Viegas & Jenkins. Hosts: Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). Information is given on the geographical distribution in ASIA, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA, Caroline Islands, Fiji, Guadalcanal, Guam, New Britain, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, NORTH AMERICA, Mexico, SOUTH AMERICA, Brazil (Sao Paulo, Bahia, Campinas, Algoinhas, Rio Grande).


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