Folivorous Insect Fauna on Two Banana Cultivars and Their Association with Non-banana Plants

Sampling of leaf-feeding insects and their damage were carried out on two newly planted fields of a common local banana cultivar (Pisang Mas) and a commercial cultivar (Cavendish). In both fields, sampling was done biweekly from the first month after planting till the first fruits emerged. The presence or absence of these insects was also recorded on non-banana crops and weeds. Five folivorous insect species belonging to five families from three orders were recorded on both banana cultivars. The Malaysian locust, Valanga nigricornis and the cluster caterpillar, Spodoptera litura were the first colonizers. Spodoptera litura was most damaging on Pisang Mas, causing 65.4% death of1-2 month old plants, while Erionota thrax was most damaging on Cavendish. The banana skipper, E. thrax, was found to complete its entire life cycle on the banana host, with adults feeding on fluids in the flowers. Only V. nigricornis and the gold dust weevil, Hypomeces sqamosus, were found on non-banana crops and weeds around the field. Erionota thrax was never found on any of the weeds and non-banana crops while other Erionota species, insect predators and parasitoids were commonly found on Asystasia intrusa and Ipomoea cairica. Spodoptera litura and E. thrax are very important pests on young banana plants of 1-5 months old. Asystasia intrusa serves as an important weed host for several ants, wasps and lepidopterans other than E. thrax.