The possibility of the infestation of the sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Fabricius), (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), on Okura, Abelmoschus esculentus Moench

摘要

The possibility of okura [okras] becoming a host of the sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius, was determined following the discovery of adults in okras imported from Thailand and the Philippines by air between 1990 and 1993. Fruits and cut stems of okras were exposed to adults in a rearing cage at 27 ± 1deg C and LD 14:10. There was no evidence of feeding and oviposition. Okra fruits did not attract starved adults in a T-shaped olfactometer, but flowers did. However, no behavioural response to flowers was observed in adults in small cage studies. These results suggest that infestation of okras by C. formicarius is unlikely to occur under field conditions.