A husband and wife team at the Philippine Coconut Authority’s Davao Research Center in Dava City has discovered an indigenous wasp that could help control the spread of the destructive coconut leaf beetle called Brontispa longissima. This is an introduced pest that has wreaked havoc on coconut trees in 255 towns in 44 provinces throughout the country. No less than 1.5 milion coconut trees have been affected by pest as of February 2009.
The two researchers are Ma. Cynthia Gallego and husband Vivencio. Cynthia is the division chief of the Crop Protection Division of the PCA’s research center in Davao City where Vivencio also works as Scientist 1.
The indigenous wasp (still unidentified) has been observed to feed on the pupae of the Brontispa beetle, thus preventing their hatching into adults. The wasp (they call it parasitoid) is now being multiplied and disseminated to coconut producing provinces.
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