INSECTS OF ORCHIDS AND PALMS. 



159 



LEPIDOPTERA. 

 Castniidae. 



Caslnia Ikus Drury; South America. (See Sugar cane.) 



COLEOPTERA. 

 Cuiculionidae. 



* Cholus forbesi Pascoe, and * Cholus cattleyx Champion have been introduced on orchids. 



PALMS. 



The palms yield some very important articles of commerce, such as coconuts 

 and dates, and are also considered very valuable as orna- 

 mental plants. 



For convenience the pests of the coconut palm {Cocos 

 nucifera), the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), the royal 

 palm (Oreodoxa regia), the sago palm {Cycas revoluta). and 

 the toddy palm (Phcenix sylvestris) are treated under this 

 heading. 



A. BETTER KNOWN PALM INSECTS LIKELY TO BE 

 IMPORTED. 



Aleurodicus destructor Maekie. 

 (CoconutWhite Fly. Aleyrodidse; Hemiptera.) 



Host: Coconut palms. 



Injury: Has the appearance of being a serious coconut 

 enemy. 



Biology: Eggs are laid on undersurface of the leaflets, 

 where the young larvae locate. Life history much the 

 same as Dialeurodes dtri R. and H. (See Citrus.) (See 

 text fig. 77.) 



Distribution: Philippines. 



Mackie, D. B.: Philippine Agricultural Review, vol. 5, 

 No.' 3. 1912. 



Levuana iridescens Bethune-Baker. 



(The Coconut Leaf Moth. Zygsenidse; Lepidoptera.) 



Hosts: Coconut palm and royal palm (Oreodoxa 

 regia) . 



Injury: Larvte injurious to foliage, giving the trees a 

 sickly appearance. 



Description and biology: Adult female, head and thorax 

 steel-blue; abdomen and legs ocherous, primary veins 

 deep unicolorous steel-blue, secondaries iridescent steel- 

 blue; wing expanse about 16 mm. Eggs deposited on 

 under surface of leaflets, usually near the base. Upon 

 hatching, which requires about 4 or 5 days, the larvae 

 begin feeding around the egg shell, gradually proceeding in 

 a longitudinal line up the leaf, nibbling on the epidermal 

 cells on the under surface of the leaflet; are full grown in 

 .3 or 4 weeks, when they return to the base of the leaves 

 and construct a white cocoon within which to pupate; the adults appear in about 

 7 days. 



Distribution: Fiji. 

 Jepson, Frank P. Dept. Agric. Fiji, Council Paper No. 25, 1911, p. 35. 



Fig. 77.— Coconut white fly 

 (Aleurodicus destructor): 

 Adult white fly, enlarged, 

 at bottom. (Mackie.) 



