Biosecurity threat, not present in Australia
Colvanalia taffini (Bonfils)
Caution
Many of the insects depicted on these pages are outwardly similar and you should not use photographs as the sole means of identification. These pages form part of a scientific key which will assist a trained entomologist to identify the species accurately.
Common Name: No common name
Family/Subfamily/Tribe: Cixiidae/Cixiinae/Oecleini
Distribution: Vanuatu
Economic Status: This species breeds on the roots of Hibiscus tiliaceus. Adults feed on coconuts and are known to transmit Coconut foliar decay nanavirus (CFDV), which is a lethal disease of certain varieties of coconut palms. Further information on transmission and control of CFDV can be found in Wefels et al. (2015).
Notes: A redescription of C. taffini is provided by Wilson (1988). CFDV was previously also known as FDMT.
Link to image (National Museum of Wales website)