title: Natural history of Javeta pallida Baly, 1858 on Phoenix palms in India (Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae, Coelaenomenoderini).
abstract: Members of the Old World hispine tribe, Coelaenomenoderini, are documented on host plants of Arecaceae, Cyperaceae, and Zingiberales. A few species are renowned pests of oil palm, especially in Africa. The host plants and natural history of Javeta pallida Baly, 1858, the only Indian species of the tribe, is reported for the first time. These beetles can densely infest indigenous wild date palms, Phoenix sylvestris (L.) Roxb. (Arecaceae), and also use the introduced date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L., which is an expanding crop in India. Javeta females lay single eggs and cover each with an ootheca. All larval stages mine the leaves and pupation occurs within the larval mine. Adults are exophagous, leaving linear feeding trenches. Natural and induced infestations of Javeta pallida on these two palms were observed and the potential of Javeta pallida as a pest of date palm in India is discussed. Javeta pallida completed development on Phoenix palms in 52-88 days (mean 66.38 days) with egg period 11-15 days (mean 12.8 days), larval period 21-54 days (mean 33.02 days) and pupal period 17-23 days (mean 20.52 days). Elasmus longiventris Verma and Hayat and Pediobius imbreus Walker (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) parasitize the larva and pupa of Javeta pallida.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Calicut, Malappuram 673 635, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Koormath Mohammed
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Shameem
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Kerala Agricultural University,Vellayani P.O., Trivandrum 695 522, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Kaniyarikkal Divakaran
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Prathapan
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Calicut, Malappuram 673 635, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Mannankadiyan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nasser
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1501 Crestline Dr., Suite 140, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66049-2811, USA.
authors.forename: Caroline Simmrita
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chaboo
keywords: Arecaceae; Eulophidae; Leaf beetles; leaf miner; oil palm; pest