Insect Pests of Shorea robusta Gaertn. f. : An Update

Abstract

Shorea robusta Gaertn. f. (Dipterocarpaceae), commonly known as sal, is one of the most important timbers of India both ecologically and economically. It is of Indian origin, widely distributed in central and north India and constitutes an important ecosystem, which provides cool and calm environment rich in biodiversity. This tree species has a highest number of insect fauna among the forest trees. Of about 346 insects recorded on sal, about 155 species of insects belonging to the order Lepidoptera (105), Coleoptera (31), Thysanoptera (9), Hemiptera (4), Orthoptera (4), Ephemeroptera (1) and Isoptera (1) are associated with living tree. The major insect pests of sal are, ‘seed and seedling borer’ Pammene theristis Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Eucosmidae), feeding on seed while they are on the tree; Sitophilus rugicollis Casey (Coleoptera : Curculionidae), damage seed either on the forest floor or during storage; white grubs such as Holotrichia spp. (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae), which feed on the root system of the plants in nurseries and beetles feed on the foliage; defoliators such as Caviria sericea Moore (Lepidoptera : Lymantriidae), Lymantria mathura Moore (Lepidoptera : Lymantriidae), Paectes subapicalis Walker (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae), Trabala vishnou Lefebvre (Lepidoptera : Lasiocampidae), which feed on the leaves; stem borer such as Hoplocerambyx spinicornis Newman (Coleoptera : Cerambycidae) and sap sucker, such as Drosicha stebbingi Green (Hemiptera : Coccidae). Termites, such as Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren (Isoptera : Rhinotermitidae) and timber borers, such as Sinoxylon anale and S. crassum (Coleoptera : Bostrychidae), damage sal timber in dying, felled or stored logs in depots.