Photo 1 . E xte n siv e d am age o n le aves o f
bele
b y
Nis o tra b asse la e
, s u ch t h at g ro w ers in m an y
parts o f S o lo m on Is la n ds h ave a b an doned it s
cu lt iv atio n.
Photo 2 . A dult
Nis o tra b asse la e
o n
bele
. Dia gra m . L if e c y cle o f
Nis o tra
basse la e.
P acif ic P ests a n d P ath ogen s - F a ct S h eets
P acif ic P ests a n d P ath ogen s - F a ct S h eets
B ele ( A belm osch us) f le a b eetle ( 0 22)
B ele ( A belm osch us) f le a b eetle ( 0 22)
C om mon N am e
C om mon N am e
T h ere is n o c o m mon n am e, b ut b ele f le a b eetle , A belm osch us f le a b eetle , a ib ik a f le a b eetle
s lip eri k a b is f le a b eetle w ould a ll b e s u it a b le .
S cie n tif ic N am e
S cie n tif ic N am e
Nis o tr a b asse la e
D is tr ib utio n
D is tr ib utio n
N arro w . T h e b eetle is e n dem ic t o P ap ua N ew G uin ea, a n d in 1 984 s p re ad t o S o lo m on Is la n ds.
H osts
H osts
Bele
(
aib ik a
, s lip eri k a b is , is la n d c a b bage,
Abelm osch us m an ih ot
), p ossib ly
Hib is cu s t ila ce o us
( u nder la b c o ndit io ns,
b ut n ot s e en in t h e f ie ld ); n ot o n
Sid a
, n or t h e g ard en h ib is cu s,
Hib is cu s r o sa -s i
nen sis .
S ym pto m s & L if e C ycle
S ym pto m s & L if e C ycle
A dult b eetle s f e ed o n le ave s c re atin g m an y s m all ( 1 -5 m m d ia m ete r) h ole s ( P hoto 1 ). E ggs a re la id s in gly o r in s m all
b atc h es ju st b elo w t h e s u rfa ce o f t h e s o il, n ear t h e s te m . T h ey h atc h a ft e r 8 -9 d ays, a n d t h e la rv a e r e m ain in t h e s o il
f o r 1 2-1 8 d ays f e ed in g o n s m all r o ots . T h ey m oult t w ic e b efo re t h ey p upate f o r 4 -6 d ays. A dult s e m erg e f r o m t h e
s o il ( P hoto 2 ). M ale s e m erg e f ir s t, t a kin g 6 -8 d ays t o b eco m e s e xu ally m atu re ; f e m ale s t a ke 3 -5 d ays. T h e e n tir e lif e
c ycle t a ke s a b out 4 0 d ays ( D ia gra m ). T h e a d ult s d is p ers e b y w alk in g, ju m pin g a n d f ly in g. T h e n um ber o f g en era tio ns
p er y e ar is u nkn ow n.
I m pact
I m pact
T h e d am age is s o s e ve re t h at in m an y p la ce s in S o lo m on Is la n ds p eo ple h ave s to pped g ro w in g
bele
. T h e la rv a e f e ed
o n s m all r o ots , e sp ecia lly t h e t in y r o ot h air s . W heth er t h is a ffe cts t h e g ro w th o f t h e p la n t is u nkn ow n.
D ete ctio n & In sp ectio n
D ete ctio n & In sp ectio n
L o ok f o r s m all h ole s in t h e le ave s a n d t h e
pre se n ce o f b eetle s. T h e a d ult b eetle s a re a b out 4 m m lo ng a n d c a n b e
f o und o n b oth
sid es o f t h e le ave s. T h e h ead a n d p art o f t h e s e ctio n b elo w a re
ora n ge/b ro w n, a n d t h e w in g c a se s
a re b la ck. T h e b eetle s a re le ss o bvio us d urin g t h e h otte r
tim es o f t h e d ay, w hen t h ey m ove u nder t h e le ave s.
M an agem en t
M an agem en t
Q UARAN TIN ES o m e o f t h e m ore is o la te d p arts o f t h e S o lo m on Is la n ds a re f r e e f r o m t h e b eetle , e .g ., t h e p ro vin ce s o f R en nell a n d
B ello na, a n d T em otu . T h ere fo re , n o le ave s o f
bele
o r o th er p arts o f t h e p la n t s h ould b e t a ke n t h ere . E xte n sio n
s e rv ic e s s h ould c o nsta n tly r e m in d p eo ple o f t h is , w it h m essa ges o n r a d io a n d in n ew sp ap ers .
N ATU RAL E N EM IE S
P ara sit e s o f t h e a d ult s in clu de n em ato de w orm s a n d m it e s. T h e a d ult s d o n ot s e em t o b e a ffe cte d b y t h e p re se n ce
o f t h e f ir e a n t,
Wasm an nia
au ro puncta ta
.
Nis o tr a
m ay b e t o xic t o v is u al p re d ato rs , lik e b ir d s a n d liz a rd s.
C U LT U RAL C O NTR O L
T h ere a re a n um ber o f p ossib ilit ie s:
B efo re p la n tin g:
Pla n t
bele
f a r f r o m p la n ts in fe ste d w it h t h e b eetle ; t h e b eetle s d o n ot f ly lo ng d is ta n ce s.
Th ere is s o m e e vid en ce t h at p la n tin g in c lo ve r r e d uce s in fe sta tio ns.
Pla n ts g ro w n u nder s h ad e m ay h ave f e w er b eetle s; h ow eve r, t o o m uch s h ad e g iv e s p oor p la n t g ro w th .
Pla n t m ore
bele
in t h e w et s e aso n w hen b eetle n um bers a re lo w er.
D urin g g ro w th :
Han d p ic k t h e b eetle s w hen in fe sta tio ns h ave ju st s ta rte d ; t h is w ill d ela y b eetle p opula tio ns r e ach in g
dam agin g n um bers la te r.
Cult iv a te t h e s o il a t t h e b ase o f t h e p la n ts t o e xp ose e ggs, la rv a e a n d p upae t o t h e s u n a n d p re d ato rs .
Apply t h ic k m ulc h es o f s tr a w , s a cks, g ra ss o r o th er o rg an ic m ate ria ls ( s e ve ra l c e n tim etr e s t h ic k); t h ese m ay
pre ve n t f e m ale b eetle s f r o m la yin g e ggs a t t h e b ase o f t h e s te m s.
Use h ortic u lt u ra l g lu e b an ds a ro und t h e s te m s. T h e g lu e is a n on-d ry in g s tic ky s u bsta n ce m ad e f r o m n atu ra l
gu m r e sin s, v e geta b le o il a n d w ax t h at p re ve n ts c ra w lin g in se cts f r o m r e ach in g t h e s o il. O ne s u ch p ro duct is
ca lle d " T an gle fo ot".
A ft e r h arv e st:
Colle ct d eb ris a n d b urn it w hen p la n ts h ave b eco m e o ld a n d h arv e sts o f le ave s a re n o lo nger w orth w hile .
C H EM IC AL C O NTR O L
Use p la n t-d eriv e d p ro ducts , s u ch a s d erris , p yre th ru m o r c h illi ( w it h t h e a d dit io n o f s o ap ).
Note , a v a rie ty o f
Derris
, b ro ugh t m an y y e ars a go t o S o lo m on Is la n ds f r o m P ap ua N ew G uin ea, is e ffe ctiv e a s a
sp ra y. It c o nta in s r o te n one, a n in se ctic id e, s o it s h ould b e u se d w it h c a u tio n. T h ere m ay b e v a rie tie s o f
Derris
(fis h p ois o ns) in y o ur c o untr y t h at c a n b e t r ie d (
se e F a ct S h eet n o. 5 6
se e F a ct S h eet n o. 5 6
).
Orth en e ( a ce p hate ) is u se d in S o lo m on Is la n ds; o th er in se ctic id es, s u ch a s s yn th etic p yre th ro id s a re lik e ly t o
be e ffe ctiv e a n d s a fe r.
A U TH ORS H ele n T sa ts ia & G ra h am e Ja ck so n
I n fo rm atio n ( a n d D ia gra m ) s u pplie d b y M acle an V agalo , E n to m olo gis t, S PC , a n d C hris R eid , P rin cip al R ese arch S cie n tis t, E n to m olo gy, A ustr a lia n M use u m , S yd ney.
P ro d uce d w it h s u pport f r o m t h e A ustr a lia n C en tr e f o r I n te rn atio n al A gric u lt u ra l R ese arch u nder p ro je ct P C /2 010/0 90:
Str e n gth en in g in te gra te d c ro p m an agem en t r e se arch in t h e P acif ic I s la n ds in s u pport o f
su sta in ab le in te n sif ic a tio n o f h ig h -v alu e c ro p p ro d uctio n
, im ple m en te d b y t h e U niv ersit y o f Q ueen sla n d a n d t h e S ecre ta ria t o f t h e P acif ic C om munit y .
Th is f a ct s h eet is a p art o f t h e a p p
Pacif ic P ests a n d P ath ogen s
Th e m obile a p plic a tio n is a va ila b le f r o m t h e G oogle P la y S to re a n d A pple iT u nes.
Andro id E d it io n
Andro id E d it io n
Apple iO S E d it io n
Apple iO S E d it io nCopyrig h t © 2 017. A ll r ig h ts r e se rv ed .
