This chapter describes the major orders of chewing insects that are of primary significance as plant defoliators, i.e. the exopterygote orders Orthoptera and Phasmida and the endopterygote orders Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera. All but the last two orders are significant on palms (Palmae or Arecaceae). The order Lepidoptera is the most widely represented on palms in different regions and contains the larger number of pestiferous species. Second in importance is Coleoptera. Several species of Orthoptera and Phasmida are defoliators on palms in Oceania, and species of Orthoptera are occasionally pests of palms elsewhere. Sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) are the main group of Hymenoptera that feed on plants. They are unknown on palms. In the American tropics, leaf-cutter ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are sometimes defoliators of palms and many dicotyledonous trees.

This chapter deals with the sap-feeders on palms (Palmae or Arecaceae), focusing on Hemiptera (including Heteroptera, Auchenorrhyncha and Sternorrhyncha). Many hemipterans, especially Sternorrhyncha, are typically eurymerous, i.e. they may infest foliage, stems or fruits. Some scale insects treated in this chapter, including Phoenicococcidae and Halimococcidae, are primarily on stems, but may be found on fronds.

This chapter deals with the insects that are pollinators of palms (Palmae or Arecaceae), those that are herbivores of palm flowers and those that attack the fruits and seeds. These include Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. Some insects play more than one of these roles, in which case they are discussed in the area where they are considered the more significant. The effects of insect herbivory on plant reproduction are described.

This chapter describes the borers of palms (Palmae or Arecaceae). A borer is defined here as an insect that makes a tunnel by chewing or burrowing into the stem, crown, unopened inflorescences, flowers, fruits, peduncles, petioles, fronds or roots of a palm. The insect borers that use palms as hosts are found in the following taxa: Coleoptera (Curculionidae, Bostrychidae, Bruchidae, Lymexylidae, Scarabaeidae, Lucanidae and Cerambycidae); Lepidoptera (Castniidae, Tineidae and Glyphipterigidae); and Isoptera.

This book is about phytophagous species of insects that select palms (Palmae or Arecaceae) as their hosts. Some of the most important mites on palms are included. The general ecology, structure (fronds, flowers, fruits, seeds, stems and roots), and economic importance (e.g. as ornamental plants) of palms are described.