Insect Pest Status of Poplars in India

Poplars, especially the exotics, are the soft targets of indigenous fauna. The 120 and odd species, comprise chiefly cockchafers (7 species), defoliators (58 species) stem and shoot borers (23 species), sap-suckers (27 species), termites (4 species) and mites (1 species). The nursery pests include white-grubs of scarabaeid beetles which feed on ischolar_mains and cause sometimes, appreciable mortality in Poplar stools. The Chrysomela populi, Lymantria obfuscata, Clostera spp. (C. cupreata and C. fulgurita), Capnodis (C. kashmirensis and C. miliaris),Chrysobothris femorata, Melanophila picta (Buprestidae), Aeolesthes sarta, Apriona cinerea, Batocera rufomaculata (Cerambycidae) and Zeura coffeae (Cossidae) are important stem-borers. Eucosma glaciata and Indarbela quadrinotata are serious shoots borers of young, and old Poplar plantations respectively. Sap-sucking insects affecting Poplars include chiefly aphids (Aphis populi, Chaitophorus populus, Pemphigus spp.) and scale insect (Quadraspidiotus perniciosus. Phylloplecta qardneri (Psyllidae) causes drainage of sap by its gall forming activities. While Coptotermes heimi and Odontotermes distans are the primary causative factor for die-back and mortality in certain clones, the coleopterous borers, chiefly -Tropiderinus munieri (Anthribidae), and Stromatium barbatum and Lyctus africanus depreciated significantly timber of Poplars by their larval activities. The bark-beetle Crossotarsus wilmoti bores in freshly felled and fallen wood.