Effect of red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus ( Coleoptera : Curculionidae ) aggregation pheromone traps' height and colors on the number of captured weevils.

摘要

Red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is controlled using Integrated Pest Management, which depends on aggregation pheromone traps. Field trials were conducted on date palm plantations of Al Rahba in Abu Dhabi (UAE) during 20/11/2008-30/7/2009 containing 5 replications and 8 treatments (pheromone trap colors and height). The traps were hung on four different heights on the palm tree trunks (ground level, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m for each color) and the aggregation pheromone 4-Methyl-5-Nonanol 90%+4-Methyl-5-Nonanol 10% (700 mg), 350 gram fodder dates fruit in addition to about 5 L water were added to each trap to study the effect of traps' height on the number of captured weevils. Results indicated that the total number of captured weevils was 5487, the numbers of caught weevils for per color was 3360 and 218 weevils for red and white traps respectively, and the numbers of catches per height were 1367, 1683, 1335, and 1093 weevils for four heights (ground level, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m) respectively. The highest number of catches (1063) was in red traps hung on 50 cm height. This treatment dominated over the other seven treatments. The lowest number of catches, 462 weevils, was recorded in white traps hung on 1.5 m. There are no significant differences between red traps which were put on land service, which caught 859 weevils, and on 1.0 m height, with 798 catches, and these two treatments dominated over the other five treatments. There are no significant differences between red traps on 1.5 m, catching 638 weevils and white traps on 0.5 m, catching 620 weevils. These two treatments dominated over white traps put on land service and caught 508 weevils. There were no significant differences between other treatments. These results indicate the importance of aggregation pheromone traps in controlling red palm weevil and the necessity of using red traps and hanging the traps on 0.5 m height on the palm tree trunk. Study and research should be continued to improve the effectiveness of this technique.