Insect Pests of Agriculture in Papua New Guinea. Part 1. Principles and Practice. Pests of Tree Crops and Stored Products

Abstract

AS THE WORLD GROWS smaller, it becomes ever more important that those living in one region learn about what is happening in others. Ignorance derived from isolation can be politically disastrous (as we have recently discovered), and can be economically disastrous as well. It is true that “no man is an island,” and it is true now of countries as well; each is a part of the main. With that peroration, I review briesy here an impressivebookon the insectpestsofPapuaNewGuinea agriculture. Isolated althoughmanyof these pestsmay appear to be, the chances are not slight that some will appear in North America, or will insuence in North America the availability and cost of agricultural products we use. Its author, R. Kumar, hasworked as an entomologist in India, Ghana, Nigeria, and Papua New Guinea; he has done “pure” and applied entomological research, administered programs, and taught graduate and undergraduate courses. This book, called a textbook, but more than that, is the result of his teaching in Papua New Guinea. The bookOs 723 pages open with an account of “Insects andMan in Papua NewGuinea” and move on to several chapters discussing thegeneral aspects of pests and pest management. After a chapter quickly introducing the insect orders, about 200 pages consider the major and minor tree and stored product crops of Papua New Guinea and, for each, describe and illustrate the important insect pests. For each pest, the biology and ecology are given as far as is known (usually not far), as well as the damage done and recommended control (including mention of failed control methods). The literature is extensively covered: opening, at random, to “Coffee” (pp. 241Ð261), I Þnd 25 references dealing with a dozen major pests, as many minor ones, and an account of even less important ones, all prefaced with a general discussion and classiÞcation of coffee pests in Papua New Guinea. This thoroughness and comprehensiveness characterize the book. The Þnal 340 pages consist of lists of insects found in Papua New Guinea agro-ecosystems; the nontree crop and nonstored product pests will be considered in a second volume. Despite its apparently limited applicability, the book is important to anyone concerned with tropical agriculture, aswell as to anyappliedentomologistwith more than parochial interests. It can be purchased from Secretary, Science in New Guinea, c/o Biology Department, UPNG, Univ. P.O., NCD, Papua New Guinea (FAX: 675-3260369; E-mail: KM.Kego@upng. ac.pg).