An introduction to insect pests of palms

Insects significantly represented on palms are concentrated in certain families of the orders Orthoptera, Phasmida, Thysanoptera, Hemiptera (including Homoptera), Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. Palms offer unique advantages to insects adapted to them. Caterpillars (Lepidoptera) and beetles (Coleoptera) are among the principal pests of palms grown as crop plants. Aphids, whiteflies and scale insects (Hemiptera: Stemorrhyncha), which are also important pests of the latter, are the most widespread insect pests of ornamental palms and have the greatest potential for introduction into new areas. The relationships between representative species of these insect taxa and palms are discussed.