Insect-pests - Biology East Borneo

20 Insect Pests and Diseases of Major Plantation Species
Pink disease (Corticium salmonicolor) can occur in
young plantations (Suharti 1983), particularly when
the canopy closes and the humidity increases.
Thinning reduces the incidence of disease by lowering
humidity.
Threat assessment
Outside Indonesia, decay of mature trees has been
recorded in the Philippines and moths (Agathiphaga
spp.) can destroy the seeds (Bowen and Whitmore
1980) but A. dammara has been grown successfully
in Java for many years and there is no major threat of
pests and diseases.
4.3. Alstonia species
Indonesian common name: Pulai
Two species of Alstonia (Apocynaceae) are of
commercial importance in Indonesia (Whitten et al.
1996). Alstonia scholaris is common in drier areas
and A. spatulata in swamps. Alstonia scholaris is
mainly planted, particularly in West Kalimantan, and
yields good pulp and plywood timber.
Insect pests
No information is available on pests in Indonesia,
except that the freshly felled logs are attacked by
pinhole borers of the families Scolytidae and
Platypodidae (Sukartana 1996).
Diseases
No diseases have been reported.
Threat assessment
A few insect pests have been reported on living trees
outside Indonesia. In Guangxi, China, the psyllid,
Pseudophacopteron alstonium (Homoptera) produces
galls on the leaf (Yang and Li 1983). In India,
caterpillars of a pyralid moth, Glyphodes bicolor have
been recorded (Beeson 1941) and in Kerala an
unidentified Glyphodes sp. which feeds in folded leaves
causes sporadic damage to isolated trees under seminatural
conditions (K.S.S. Nair unpublished). While
there is no indication of threat from diseases, the
plantation history of A. scholaris is too short to draw
a similar conclusion for insect pests.
4.4. Anthocephalus cadamba
Indonesian common name: Jabon
Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. (syn.
A. chinensis auct.non (Lamk.) Rich. ex Walp.;
Neolamarckia cadamba ((Roxb.) Bosser) (Rubiaceae)
is a fast growing, medium- to large tree. Some authors
prefer to use the new generic name, Neolamarckia. It
has a light coloured wood used for plywood, light
construction and pulping. Another species of the genus,
A. macrophyllus, occurs naturally in Sulawesi and the
Moluccas (Smits et al. 1993).
Anthocephalus cadamba is planted mainly in HTI
plantations in North Sumatra, Riau and Central
Kalimantan. It is also planted in Java to replace poor
teak plantations after harvest.
Insect Pests
White grubs (larvae of some groups of beetles) feeding
on the roots damage 1-2-year-old trees planted under
taungya system in Java (Intari and Natawiria 1973).
Selander (1990) reported heavy defoliation of
experimental plantations of A. cadamba in South
Kalimantan by an unidentified caterpillar and Ngatiman
and Tangketasik (1987) recorded some unidentified
insects (presumably, caterpillars) in plantations in East
Kalimantan. Suratmo (1987) refers to Margaronia sp.
(Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) as a defoliator of A. cadamba.
Suratmo (1996) observed that plantations raised in small
areas have been seriously attacked by an undetermined
defoliator, which has prevented further planting of this
otherwise promising fast growing species.
Diseases
No diseases have been reported on A. cadamba in
Indonesia.
Threat assessment
In India, a longhorn beetle, Batocera numitor
(Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) bores into the base of the
stem of unhealthy trees; and a caterpillar, Margaronia
hilaralis (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) skeletonises leaves
(Beeson 1941). Other polyphagous, leaf feeding,
caterpillars have also been noted in India, but no serious
pest situation has developed. Leaf feeding caterpillars
are potential threats but the plantation history is too
short to make informed judgment. The main diseases