Field Response of Guam Populations of the New Guinea Sugarcane Weevil, Rhabdoscelus obscurus (Boisduval) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), to Aggregation Pheromones and Food Volatiles

Publication Type:Journal Article
:2004
Authors:R. MUNIAPPAN, BAMBA, J., CRUZ, J., REDDY, G. V. P.
Journal:Micronesica
Volume:37
Pagination:57-68
:Dryophthoridae, Rhabdoscelus, Rhabdoscelus obscurus
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Lures of aggregation pheromones of the Australian and Hawaiian populations of New Guinea sugarcane weevil, Rhabdoscelus obscurus (Boisduval), with other semiochemicals were used to clarify the identity of the weevil population in Guam. In a field experiment at eight different locations (Dededo, Tumon, Yigo, Hagåtña, Mangilao, Yona, Agat and Malesso), plastic bucket traps baited with the lure of the Australian R. obscurus population in combination with a food volatile compound (ethyl acetate) and cut sugarcane captured significantly more weevils (total of 348) than traps baited with pheromone lure of the Hawaiian R. obscurus population in combination with food volatile and cut sugarcane which caught a total of 128 weevils. Traps baited with lure containing only the food volatile and cut sugarcane or only cut sugarcane captured significantly fewer weevils (total of 36 and 30, respectively) than those baited with pheromone compounds. Data from trap catches indicate that the Guam population of R. obscurus responded significantly more to the pheromone lure of the Australian population than to pheromone lure of the Hawaiian population indicating that the Guam R. obscurus population is related more closely to the Australian population. Trap catches at the Tumon and Dededo locations were greater than those in Yigo, Yona, Mangilao, Hagåtña, Agat, and Malesso. Rainfall had a low correlation with trap catches at all locations except at Yigo where it positively correlated to the Australian population lure treatment. Semiochemical based trapping in weevil management has potential either in mass trapping or as part of an IPM program. A future line of work is also proposed for the control of weevil borers based on these initial results.

:http://www.wptrc.org/userfiles/file/Micronesica-2004.pdf
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith