The Biology of the Coconut Pest Melittomma insulare (Col., Lymexylonidae), and its Control in the Seychelles

Abstract

The biology of Melittomma insulare Fairm. (Coleoptera, Lymexylonidae), a wood-boring pest of coconuts in the Seychelles and northern Madagascar, has been studied from all angles, with the object of discovering practical means of control.The stages in the life-history are figured and briefly discussed, supplementary details being given to the earlier accounts of Vesey-FitzGerald and others.The feeding habits of the larvae ae described in some detail, with particular reference to their association with micro-organisms which were almost invariably detected in infested wood surrounding the tunnels. The larva is shown to feed on fluid extracted from the parenchymatous tissues and not on solid wood.The course of the development of an infestation in an individual trunk is described in detail, culminating in the fall of the palm. Variations in this process are correlated with the age of the palm and other factors. The spread of infestations through plantations and islands is also discussed. A detailed account is given of the symptoms shown by attacked palms, together with a critical revision of certain changes which have in the past been attributed to Melittomma attack.An account is given of the occurrence of M. insulare in certain palms other than coconuts, in which it has been found.