Abstract
Abstract A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978. Totals of 54 000 first-instar nymphs were caught on sticky traps on palm trunks and 8750 other nymphs and adults were recovered from the crowns of palms. Generations were completely overlapping, and there was no evidence of seasonality in population fluctuations. The sex ratio was 50:50 in the first six instars, but 90% of seventh instars and 30% of adults were female. Explanations for these variations are given. The population declined from an annual mean of 24 individuals of all ages per palm crown in 1973 to 9 in 1976 and increased again to 29 in 1978. Most post-hatching mortality occurred as first instars climbed from the ground to the crown of palms, probably due to the lizard Gehyra oceanica and rainfall. The number of adults was more sensitive to mortality occurring after the first instars had arrived in the crowns. This mortality appeared to be related to the duration of periods without rainfall, supporting earlier observations that damaging outbreaks of S. uniformis populations do not occur in places which experience a regular dry season. Production of coconuts appeared to be inversely related to the population density of S. uniformis , which did not rise above a level estimated to cause 20% defoliation of the palms during the study. Nut production also seemed to be related to the number of hours of sunshine received in the preceding 12 months. Biological control aimed at nymphs and adults in palm crowns is suggested as an option for controlling S. uniformis which deserves investigation.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Generations of the coconut pest overlapped completely and showed no evidence of seasonality in population fluctuations.
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e1“Generations were completely overlapping, and there was no evidence of seasonality in population fluctuations”
Claim · model-written summary
The sex ratio of the pest was 50:50 in the first six instars.
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e2“The sex ratio was 50:50 in the first six instars, but 90% of seventh instars and 30% of adults were female”
Claim · model-written summary
In seventh instars of the pest, 90% were female.
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e2“The sex ratio was 50:50 in the first six instars, but 90% of seventh instars and 30% of adults were female”
Claim · model-written summary
In adults of the pest, 30% were female.
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e2“The sex ratio was 50:50 in the first six instars, but 90% of seventh instars and 30% of adults were female”
Claim · model-written summary
The pest population declined from an annual mean of 24 per palm crown in 1973 to 9 in 1976.
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e3“The population declined from an annual mean of 24 individuals of all ages per palm crown in 1973 to 9 in 1976 and increased again to 29 in 1978”
Claim · model-written summary
The pest population increased again to 29 per palm crown in 1978.
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e3“The population declined from an annual mean of 24 individuals of all ages per palm crown in 1973 to 9 in 1976 and increased again to 29 in 1978”
Claim · model-written summary
Most post-hatching mortality of the pest occurred as first instars climbed to the palm crowns, probably due to the lizard Gehyra oceanica and rainfall.
- Taxon
- coconute0
- Interactor
- Gehyra oceanica
Gehyra oceanicae4other - Outcome
- post-hatching mortalitye4
- Qualifier
- probably due toe4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e4“Most post-hatching mortality occurred as first instars climbed from the ground to the crown of palms, probably due to the lizard Gehyra oceanica and rainfall”
Claim · model-written summary
The number of adults was more sensitive to mortality occurring after the first instars had reached the crowns.
- Taxon
- coconute0
- Treatment
- mortality occurring after the first instars had arrived in the crownse5
- Outcome
- number of adultse5
- Qualifier
- more sensitivee5
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e5“The number of adults was more sensitive to mortality occurring after the first instars had arrived in the crowns”
Claim · model-written summary
Pest mortality appeared to be related to the duration of periods without rainfall.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e6“This mortality appeared to be related to the duration of periods without rainfall”
Claim · model-written summary
Coconut production appeared to decrease as pest population density increased.
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e7“Production of coconuts appeared to be inversely related to the population density of S. uniformis”
Claim · model-written summary
Nut production appeared to be related to hours of sunshine in the preceding 12 months.
- Taxon
- coconute0
- Treatment
- number of hours of sunshine received in the preceding 12 monthse1
- Outcome
- Nut productione1
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e1“Nut production also seemed to be related to the number of hours of sunshine received in the preceding 12 months”
Claim · model-written summary
Biological control aimed at nymphs and adults in palm crowns is suggested as an option for controlling the pest and deserves investigation.
Verbatim
e0“A population of the coconut pest Segestidea uniformis (Willemse) was monitored on a small island 2° from the equator in Papua New Guinea between 1973 and 1978”
e1“Biological control aimed at nymphs and adults in palm crowns is suggested as an option for controlling S. uniformis which deserves investigation”