Folia entomologica hungarica

Author(s): Szent-Ivány, J. J. H.
Title: Insect pests of Yam (Dioscorea ssp.) in Papua New Guinea
Title: A yam (Dioscorea ssp.) rovarkártevői Pápua Újguineában
Year: 1974
Volume: 27
Pages: 205-210.

Abstract: Yam (Dioscorea spp.) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) are very important food plants of the human economy in various parts of Papua New Guinea. The nomenclatorial name Dioscorea spp. is used here because the systematic position of the yam èpecies and varieties planted in Papua New Guinea village gardens has not been precisely defined to the present date. Whilst the sweet potato has several dozen known insect pests in Papua New Guinea, yam has a small number of recorded pest species in this country. All so far recorded insect pests of cultivated yam in Papua New Guinea are listed in this paper. The author discusses in some detail the damage caused by the mealy bugPlanococcus dioscoreae WILLIAMS to yam roots in storage houses in the Sepik District and describes the serious defoliation of yam by the tenthredinid Senoclidia purpurata SMITH in the Wau Valley (Morebe District) in 1967. This is the first paper enty-rely devoted to the insect pests of yam in Papua New Guinea; the sawfly and some of the minor pests represent new economic records.

Journal: Folia entomologica hungarica
Journal abbreviation: Folia ent. hung.
ISSN: 0373-9465
Publisher: ,
Editor(s): Mahunka, S.