Pests > Pests Entities > Insects > Beetles > Chrysomelids, sugarcane flowers, PNG

Chrysomelids damaging flowers

April 2002. Chrysomelid beetles damaging sugarcane flowers are rendering them useless for crossing in PNG. There are two insects involved: the bigger one is Rhyparida coriacea Jacoby and a smaller unidentified beetle. The smaller one is in need of identification, but where to?

Other than sending sampels to the National Insection Collection at Kilkila, it was suggested that they be sent to the JL Gressitt Center for Research in Entomology, Bishop Museum, Hawaii (see http://www.bishopmuseum.org/research/natsci/ento/ento.html; the Australian Museum, http://www.austmus.gov.au/collections/entomology/record.cfm?id=56; and the Insect Information Service at The Natural History Museum, London, UK (UK pounds 70 per species identified). (See:
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/departments/entomology/insect-identification/insect-identification-services.html