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By John Sullivan
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Uploaded Mar 3, 2017. Captured Jan 16, 2017 01:02 in Unnamed Road, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Examples of Phasmid related pests are :
1. Polynesia - Graeffea crouanii
This species are found in Fiji and the neighbouring Polynesian island, they are also called Coconut Stick Insect as they feeds on the leafs of coconut. It is considered a pest because of the huge numbers of them and also because locals uses the leafs of coconut for commercial purposes. Mynah birds were introduced to control them.
2. Australia
Frequent outbreaks of the three species Didymuria violescens (Leach, 1814), Podacanthus wilkinsoni Mac Leay, 1881 and Anchiale austrotessulata Brock & Hasenpusch, 2008 were reported, which usually occur in cycles, with a two year generation period. Didymuria violescens in particular causes considerable defoliation in the mountain forests of New South Wales und Victoria, with some 650 square miles of Eucalyptus forest almost completely destroyed in 1963.
3. China
Numerous species in China are locally very abundant and can occur in pest-like numbers. Since the 1970's considerable defoliations caused by phasmids were recognized in many provinces. Some have even become pests of serious importance for agriculture in China. The following summarizes a few bad cases. In March and April 2005 Baculonistria alba (Chen & He, 1990; subfamily Clitumninae) has caused serious damage in the most important green-shelter of Yangtze River, Three Gorges Area Chongqing with an area of about 800 ha of Cupressus funebris (Fam. Cupressaceae) lmost completely defoliated. About 40 ha of the trees were dead and an average of 120 specijmens were counted per tree. In early May the outbreak was controlled by application of pesticides. In 1989 and 1990 up to 3500 ha of Castanopsis fissa (Fam. Fagaceae) were damaged by a pest of Micadina yingdensis Chen & He, 1992 (subfamily Necrosciinae). Some 850 ha of the trees were entirely defoliated or dead in 1990, which has caused an economic damage due to the loss of timber of approximately 560.000 US$. More than 450 specimens were encountered in a single three year old three with less than 100 leaves. Similarly serious damage was caused by Ramulus minutidentatus (Chen & He, 1994; Unterfamilie Clitumninae) between 1998 and 2001 in Tongua city (Jiling Province). Asn average of 2000-5000 insects were encountered in a single Tilia mandshurica (Fam. Tiliaceae) and random analysis of fallen leaf-litter on the ground beneath the affected tree, has shown the density of dropped eggs to be 1000-3000 per square metre!
4. U.S.A.
A two year cylce of outbreaks was also observed in some Nearctic species, which mainly concerns to Diapheromera femorata (Say, 1824) in the eastern United States and Megaphasma dentricus Stal, 1875 in Texas and Arkansas. Both species frequently cause considerable damage predominantly in Oak forests. The insects may sometimes be so numerous that the dropping of eggs and excrements sounds like rain! Diapheromera femorata usually makes two generations per year.
Posted 8 years ago