May 2015. A message from Kerala, India, with images of a damaged coconut where the outer ‘bark’ has peeled away. The leaves in the crown look have been attacked by an insect (stick insect?). The skin peels away leaving dry internal tissues. The farmer is practicing organic cultivation.

The post was copied to the Coconut list ([email protected]), and some of the suggestions came from there.

No one knew the cause of the condition for certain; the suggestions were:

• Fire damage
• Diocalandra taitense, a weevil. This has appeared on Pestnet previously. See Crops/Plantationcrops/Coconutoilpalm/Insects/Diocalandrataitensis,coconuts,CookIslands. The images in the second row were taken in Vanuatu, and are said to be damage from this weevil.
• Termites.