PEST / BACTERIAL / FUNGAL IDENTIFICATION IN CROP SYMPTOMS SUGGESTED PRODUCT Rhinoceros Beetle Holes in central spindle. Holes with chewed fibre sticking out in central spindle. Triangular cuts on leaves. Meta + BT + Traps Palm Leaf Skeletonizer It is a small caterpillar that feeds in large numbers on both surfaces of palm leaves. It eats away the palm leaf between the veins or the ribs producing a dark tube structure that looks like a leaf skeleton. Traps + Indofa + BT Mealybugs They attach themselves to the plant producing a powdery wax that is used for protection, hence the name mealybug. One mealybug will not hurt your plant, but they multiply quickly creating large colonies. Traps + Lifeline Leaf Spots It is caused by a variety of fungi and some bacteria on many trees. Leaf spots can be circular to elongated, brown, and possibly oily in appearance. Indofa False Smut This disease is most common in areas of high humidity. Small, black, wart-like bodies are seen, often with yellow filaments protruding from the middle of the raised spots. Bacillus + BT Sooty Mold It forms a black covering on the leaves. It’s always associated with an infestation of insects. Indofa + Bacillus + Lifeline Bud Rot Bud rot tends to occur after a tropical storm or periods of excessive rain, and bacterial bud rot tends to occur after the bud has been damaged by cold weather. Indofa + Bacillus Ganoderma Butt Rot It usually attacks older palm trees that are 15 or more years old. The first symptom of infection is the withering and drooping of older fronds. Indofa + Bacillus Fusarium Wilt On infected palms, the leaflets on only one side of the leaf stem of the oldest leaves start to turn brown and then die. The fronds develop a reddish or dark brown stripe along the leaf stem. Indofa + BT + Lifeline Bacterial Bud Rot Affected leaf spears often will pull easily from the bud. A foul odor can also be present. This disease usually affects cold-damaged palms. Indofa + Bacillus