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This review on RPW is the most
comprehensive article published on this
dreaded pest in recent times and is
recommended for reading by all those
involved in RPW research and management.
A review of the issues and management of
the red palm weevil
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
(Coleoptera: Rhynchophoridae) in coconut
and date palm during the last one
hundred years
By J.R. Faleiro
Plant Protection Laboratory, ICAR
Research Complex for Goa, Ela, Old Goa,
403 402, India
Abstract
The red palm weevil (RPW)
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
(Olivier), a concealed tissue borer, is
a lethal pest of palms and is reported
to attack 17 palm species worldwide.
Although the weevil was first reported
on coconut
Cocos nucifera from South Asia, during the last two decades it has gained
a foothold on date palm
Phoenix dactylifera
in several Middle Eastern countries from
where it has moved to Africa and Europe,
mainly due to the movement of infested
planting material. In the Mediterranean
region, RPW also severely damages
Phoenix canariensis. Currently, the pest is reported in
c. 15% of the coconut-growing countries and in nearly 50% of the date
palm-growing countries. Infested palms,
if not detected early and treated, often
die. However, palms in the early stages
of attack respond to chemical treatment
with insecticide. RPW has been managed
in several countries employing an
integrated pest management (IPM)
strategy including the use of
food-baited pheromone traps. Early
detection of infestation in the field is
important for the success of any RPW-IPM
programme. Ideally, movement of planting
material from infested plantations
within the country and also from one
country to another needs to be stopped.
Wherever this is not possible, it is
essential to implement strict pre- and
post-entry quarantine regimes, wherein
only pest-free and certified planting
material can be transported. The
existing pheromone-based IPM programme
can be strengthened by intensifying the
search for effective natural enemies,
coupled with the introduction of
resistance in palms to RPW. This article
reviews the work done during the last
100 years on various aspects of RPW viz.
life history, damage and symptoms of
attack, seasonal activity, spatial
distribution, host range, IPM and its
main components, including trapping
adult weevils and chemical control,
besides biological control, host plant
resistance and male sterile technique.
jrfaleiro@yahoo.co.in
ahooper@cambridge.org
For more information go to:
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=932852&fulltextType=RV&fileId=S1742758407203340
Or International Journal of Tropical Insect
Science (2006),
26:135-154 Cambridge University Press
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