An introduction to pests of palms in Kish Island

Abstract

In this study, the pests of palms on Kish Island landscape, and the possible damages caused by palm borers and dominant termite species during 2019-2021 were identified. They include: two phytophagous mites, Raoiella indica Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) and Oligonychus washingtoniae Mushtaq et al. (Tetranychidae), three Hemipteren, Parlatoria blanchardi (Targioni Tozzetti) (Diaspididae), Phoenicoccus marlatti Cockerell (Phoenicoccidae) and Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Pseudococcidae), four termite species, Amitermes stephensoni Harris, Microcerotermes brettikeri Chhotani &. Bose, Microcerotermes sp. (Isoptera: Termitidae), and Anacanthotermes vagans (Hagen) (Hodotermitidae)were collected for the first time from Kish Island. The A. stephensoni was the predominant species over the other species. Furthermore, two types of plam borers including, Jebusaea hammerschmidti Reiche (Col.: Cerambycidae) and Oryctes agamemnon matthiesseni Reitter (Col.: Scarabaeidae) were detected on date palm and Washingtonia palm. In this study, O. washingtoniae is reported for the first time from Iran and Washingtonia filifera (Linden ex André) H. Wendl. is reported for the first time as a host of J. hammerschmidti in the world. The study on the activity of borer pests showed that 87% of palm trees on the Island were infested with termites and 38% with wood borer beetles.