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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #386814
Research Project: Systematics of Hyper-Diverse Moth Superfamilies, with an Emphasis on Agricultural Pests, Invasive Species, Biological Control Agents, and Food Security

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: Insects associated with severe defoliation of salmwood (Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav.) Cham.) (Boraginaceae) in Colombia

Author
item MONTES-RODRIGUEZ, JOSE - Columbian Agricultural Research Corporation
item HERNANDEZ PEREZ, PABLO - National Company Of Chocolate
item VEGA, FABIO - National Company Of Chocolate
item GUARIN, ARNULFO - The University Insitute Of Peace
item Solis, Maria
item ZARATE, DIEGO - Columbian Agricultural Research Corporation

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/6/2022
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Salmwood, harvested for wood, provides shade necessary for growth of cacao, the tree that produces chocolate, in Colombia. In 2018, Colombia exported 7 tons of cocoa worldwide, including the United States. Recently, salmwood was completely defoliated by a moth larva and a true bug in this agroforestry system. This study reports for the first time identities of these insects, including a parasitoid of the true bug, and some key features used for their identification. This study also documents the type and amount of damage to salmwood and data about locality, environmental conditions, and biologies of the insects where the damage was observed. This information will be beneficial to growers of chocolate and salmwood worldwide and of importance to U.S. quarantine.

Technical Abstract: Insect damage increased in salmwood (Cordia alliodora (Ruiz and Pav.) Cham.) trees in cacao agroforestry systems in the Department of Santander in Colombia. After the dry season and with the development of the new shoots, the plants were severely defoliated by lepidopteran larvae and pentatomid bugs. Branch sampling detected the pentatomid Edessa panamensis Fernandes von Doesburg & Greve, whose host plant was unknown until now. Adults of the parasitoid wasp Neorileya albipes Girault, also emerged from the pentomid eggs. The pentatomid and parasitoid had not been previously recorded from Colombia. Within the complex of defoliating Lepidopteran larvae, the most predominant is Paridnea squamicosta Walker. The larva of this moth uses domatia in the branches to take refuge from natural enemies and emerges to eat leaves. In the larval stage, the consumption of leaves was estimated at 134.1 + 25.92 cm2 with a duration of 15.64 + 1.44 days; the duration of the pupa was 20.44 + 2.58 days. We also report another host for this larva, the moncoro (Cordia gerascanthus L.) tree, which was affected to a lesser degree. These insects completely defoliated C. alliodora trees and caused lower production of wood. The salmwood tree is not recommended as a shade plant in the agroforestry system of coffee and cacao in this locality due to its phytosanitary problems and low production.