Forest insect pests of Papua New Guinea - 1: under-bark borers of kamarere and Terminalia - Agrilus beetles
Abstract
Within the Papua New Guinea Department of Forests great emphasis is being given to the establishment of tree plantations mainly as a means of replacing the timber removed by logging operations. Entomology has an important part to play in the management of these plantations. Usually the plantation has only one kind of tree. Therefore a large source of food is readily available for any insect that can use it. For this reason insects are often important as pests in tree plantations. On the other hand in the natural rain forest, many different
kinds of trees occur together in the same area. The food sources for different insects are more spread out and the insects are less likely to become pests. At present the two trees most widely grown in forest plantations in the wet lowlands of Papua New Guinea are kamarere (Eucalyptus deglupta) and swamp talis (Terminalia brassii). Both these suffer attack by larvae (grubs) of Agrilus beetles. These
larvae live beneath the bark of the growing tree.
