Biological Control of Insect Pests: Southeast Asian Prospects - EcoPort

100 Biological Control of Insect Pests: Southeast Asian Prospects
The predatory hydrophilid beetle Dactylosternum hydrophiloides from
Malaysia was liberated in 1939 and has become established but has not had a
major effect on weevil abundance (Wilson 1960).
Braithwaite (1958) reports an unusual native predator of C. sordidus, a
blue planarian worm Kontikia (= Geoplana) caerulea, which lives in moist
sheltered situations. It sucks out the body fluids of its prey, leaving the
cuticle intact.
CAMEROON, MAURITIUS, SEYCHELLES, UGANDA
Both P. javanus and Hololepta quadridentata were supplied from Trinidad
to Cameroon (1952), Mauritius (1959) and the Seychelles (1950Ð54) and
P. javanus from Java to Uganda in 1934Ð35. Neither species became
established (Greathead 1971).
COOK IS
CUBA
INDIA
JAMAICA
Although only Plaesius javanus is recorded as having been introduced from
Fiji into the Cook Is during the period 1937 to 1940, voucher specimens
(DSIR, NZ) show that Plaesius laevigatus was also present in the material
liberated and both species still occur in the Cook Is, although the latter does
not appear in voucher specimens in Fiji. Unfortunately the banana weevil
borer is still an important problem (Walker and Deitz 1979; Waterhouse
1995, 1997).
In Cuba the ant Tetramorium bicarinatum (= T. guineense) was found to be
capable of destroying up to 65% of C. sordidus in heavily infested
plantations. With lower populations, 73.8% and 83.5% control was obtained
in successive years. For colonisation of a plantation in 3 to 4 months, ants
should be released over 25% to 30% of the area (Roche and Abreu 1983).
The ant is a more effective predator during the dry than the wet season
(Lopez and Ramos 1986). In countries where this widespread ant is already
present (e.g. the Americas, Africa, Papua New Guinea, Australia, the
oceanic Pacific) it might well be considered for manipulating C. sordidus
abundance, but very careful consideration should be given to any proposal to
introduce such an agressive broad-spectrum predator into a new country.
The predatory beetle Dactylosternum hydrophiloides was introduced from
Malaysia in 1948, but there is no record of the outcome (Whilshaw 1949).
Although an initial release in 1918Ð19 of Plaesius javanus from Java was
unsuccessful, this predator became established as a result of a further release
of Fijian material in 1937Ð38 (Bennett et al. 1976). More recently Sirjusingh
et al. (1992) recorded that it was no longer present.