Fruit bait traps of vector insect of Phyhtophtora palmivora butl in cocoa plants

Phyhtopthora palmivora is a fungus that causes serious losses in cocoa plantations as it attacks young unripened and ripe cocoa pods. The available control technology only controls the attacked cocoa pods, while the vector of P. palmivora remains uncontrolled. Insects are assumed to also spread P. palmivora among cacao fruits. Previous studies on the information of insects as a vector of P. palmivora were still limited. The present study examined the types of fruit that could be traps for insects in cocoa plantations and determined the insects carrying P. palmivora through inoculation of healthy cocoa pods. Three types of beetles were found in bananas, pineapples, melons, and cacao, namely Carpophilus sp., Ambrosiophilus sp., and Ashverus sp. The highest population of Carpophilus sp. was found in bananas. Meanwhile, the greatest number of ambrosia beetles Ambrosiophilus sp. was found in cacao pods. The diverse beetle species of was found in cacao pods, while only Carpophilus sp. was found in bananas, pineapple, and melon. The three beetles inoculated in the healthy cocoa pods showed blackish brown symptoms of P. palmivora. The infection of 3–5 imago was found when beetles inoculated in the healthy cocoa pods. Fungi that were isolated in Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) showed the morphological characters of P. palmivora. Based on the relative abundance, Ambrosiophilus sp., and Carpophilus sp. carry P. palmivora among the cocoa fruit. Cocoa and banana are used to monitor beetles that carry fungus on cocoa plants.