Behaviour-modifying compounds for management of the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliver).

2014

BACKGROUND: Populations of red palm weevil (RPW), a severe pest of palms in Mediterranean countries, might be limited by semiochemical-based behaviour-disrupting methods. We evaluated the effects of electroantennogram (EAG)-active plant volatiles on the behaviour of RPWs from Italy and Israel. In field experiments, α-pinene, citronellol, geraniol, citral and 1-octen-3-ol were tested for their ability to disrupt attraction to pheromone-kairomone and molasses baited traps. Those that were found to be disruptive in the field were evaluated in a laboratory choice bioassay in individual cages for their effect on RPW female feeding and oviposition. RESULTS: Field experiments showed reduced captur…

Assessment of synthetic chemicals for disruption of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus attraction

2012

The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is currently one of the most severe pests of Canary palms in urban areas of Mediterranean countries and Date palms in cultivated areas of the Middle East. RPW aggregation pheromone can be implemented for both monitoring and mass trapping, however risks of RPW "spillover" onto palms is of great concern. Aiming to discover repellent semiochemicals for safer RPW population management, we conducted electroantennographic (EAG) screenings of 17 commercially available synthetic compounds. These compounds represent three groups of plant volatiles (isoprenoids, phenyl propanoid derivatives and fatty acid deriv…

CONTROL OF RED PALM WEEVIL POPULATION BY BEHAVIOUR-MODIFYING COMPOUNDS

Assessment of synthetic chemicals for disruption of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus attraction in an urban environment

2012

The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), is currently one of the most severe pests of Canary palms in urban areas of Mediterranean countries and date palms in cultivated areas of the Middle East. RPW aggregation pheromone can be implemented for both monitoring and mass trapping however risks of RPW 'spillover' onto palms is of great concern. Aim of this work was to discover repellent semiochemicals for RPW population management in urban environments. For this purpose we conducted electroantennographic (EAG) screenings of 17 commercially available synthetic compounds, representing three groups of plant volatiles (isoprenoids, phenyl propanoid …