• Narrow distribution. Philippines, Indonesia, Oceania. Coconuts, betel nut, sago palm, and a number of ornamental and wild palms. Occasional serious outbreaks occur.
• The youngest 3-4 leaves are attacked first: adults make narrow feeding furrows in leaflets, and larvae mine them. Nursery attacks occur.
• Outbreaks every 10-15 years, perhaps due to droughts. During outbreaks, leaflets destroyed, young nuts fall, flower production ceases, setting back production by 2 years; some palms may die.
• Natural enemies: several parasitoid wasps, and ants are reported to be imported.
• Cultural control: hand picking and pruning infested fronds suggested, but unlikely to be practical.
• Chemical control: PDPs in nurseries, e.g., chilli, derris, pyrethrum; or synthetic pyrethroids, but these will kill natural enemies.

Coconut leafminer, coconut leaf hispid

Promecotheca species. Several species are recorded from Oceania. Promecotheca caerulipennis has a wide distribution among Pacific island countries. Promecotheca opacicollis has been identified as the species in Solomon Islands.