Insect-pests - Biology East Borneo

28 Insect Pests and Diseases of Major Plantation Species
4.13. Koompassia species
Indonesian common name: Kempas
The leguminous Koompassia spp. are characteristic
associates of dipterocarp forests in the lowlands and
lower hills. The three Indonesian species are
Koompassia excelsa and K. malaccensis in Sumatra
and Kalimantan and K. grandiflora in Irian Jaya. The
dominant Koompassia trees in the upper storey are
well known for sustaining the combs of the wild
honeybee, Apis dorsata. The timber is durable and is
used for a variety of purposes, including railway
sleepers, flooring and furniture. Koompassia spp. in
natural forests are now protected from cutting and
the Ministry of Forestry and Estate Crops is
encouraging the forest concessionaires to raise
plantations of these species. Plantations have been
established in Central Kalimantan.
Insect pests
No information is available on pests of the living tree.
Diseases
No information is available on diseases of the living
tree.
Threat assessment
Koompassia spp. appear to be free of pests and diseases
but the plantation history is too short to draw valid
conclusions.
4.14. Maesopsis eminii
Indonesian common name: Kayu afrika, Misopsis
Maesopsis eminii (Rhamnaceae), a native of tropical
Africa, was introduced into Java in 1920s and grown
in home gardens. It has a light, general-purpose timber.
Plantations have been raised in Sumatra.
Insect pests
No insect pests have been recorded.
Diseases
No diseases have been recorded.
Threat assessment
In Uganda, a canker, caused by Fusarium solani was
described in young trees growing stunted in poor soil
(Schabel and Latiff 1993). There is no threat of pests
and diseases to this species that has been grown
successfully for a long time in agroforestry systems
in Java.
4.15. Mangrove species
Indonesian common name: Mangrove
Natural mangrove forests are common along the very
long Indonesian coastline. Plantations have been raised
mainly to restore the natural vegetation in heavily
degraded areas, to prevent coastal erosion, to facilitate
coastal fisheries and to protect swamps. The
commonly planted species are in the genera Avicennia,
Bruguiera, Rhizophora and Sonneratia. Large
plantations have been raised only in Java, while local
people have undertaken small-scale planting in Bali and
other places. Nearly 50 000 ha of plantations of
Rhizophora spp. have been established in West and
Central Java (Perum Perhutani 1995).
Insect pests
The most common pests of mangroves in Indonesia
are scale insects that attach themselves to the shoots
and feed on the plant sap, often causing the leaves to
wilt. Two species have been recorded: Chionaspis
sp. (Intari 1997) and Aulacaspis marina (Takagi and
Williams 1998) (Table 4.7). The stem borer, Zeuzera
conferta (Lepidoptera, Cossidae) and the twig borer,
Xyleborus sp. (Coleoptera, Scolytidae) occur and in
combination often infest nearly 50% of stems of
Avicennia spp. (Hardi 1997). Other pests, noted
occasionally, include an unidentified leaf-feeding
beetle, which damaged up to 80% of 3-month-old
seedlings (Intari 1986) and the bagworms,
Acanthopsyche sp. (Intari 1982) and Pteroma
plagiophleps (Sitepu and Suharti 1998). A notable,
non-insect pest is the crab, Sesarma sp. that cuts off
the tops of seedlings in the nursery and new
outplantings, often causing considerable mortality
(Intari 1988).