Insects Associated with Severe Defoliation of Salmwood (Cordia alliodora (Ruiz and Pav.) Cham.) (Boraginaceae) in Colombia

Abstract

Salmwood (Cordia alliodora (Ruiz and Pav.) Oken) (Boraginaceae) is used as a shade plant for cacao and coffee agroforestry systems in Colombia. In 2016 these trees were severely defoliated by insects on a farm in northeastern Colombia. One hemipteran and one lepidopteran were found to be associated with the damage, and one hymenopteran was found to parasitize the hemipteran. The hemipteran was Edessa panamensis Fernandes von Doesburg and Greve (Pentatomidae), a new record for Colombia and the first record of this species as a parasitoid host. A parasitoid wasp, Neorileya albipes Girault (Eurytomidae), emerged from E. panamensis eggs, and is recorded for the first time from Colombia. The lepidopteran feeding on salmwood was Paridnea squamicosta (Walker) (Pyralidae). The larva takes refuge from natural enemies in domatia on salmwood branches and emerges to feed on leaves. The larval leaf consumption was estimated to be 134.1 cm2 with a larval duration of 15.64 days; the pupal stage was 20.44 days. We also report for the first time another host for this larva, the moncoro tree (Cordia gerascanthus L.), which was affected to a lesser degree. Photographs of insect adults, larvae, eggs, and morphological structures are provided.