First use of radio telemetry to assess behavior of red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) in the presence and absence of pheromone traps

مقال فى مجلة

2020

تم النشر فى: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168169919317405

The red palm weevil,Rhynchophorus ferrugineus(Olivier) (RPW) is a destructive insect pest of palm trees, destroying thousands of date palm trees in Kingdom of SaudiArabia (KSA) and other countries. Radio telemetry has provided beneficial knowledge on the movements, the habitat preference, and reproductive behaviors ofnumerous species of animals. In this study, we tracked the movements and habitat preferences of RPW in date palm orchards in KSA using radio telemetry with andwithout the use of pheromone traps. This study is thefirst to track individual adult RPW using radio telemetry in production date palm orchards. Small radiotransmitters (LB-2X, HOLOHIL) were glued on wild-caught adults and released in date palm orchard in late April and early May 2019. Our results indicated that wild-caught adult RPW with attached dummy transmitters were able tofly normally, whereas laboratory-reared adults were unable tofly successfully with attachedtransmitters. Theflight behavior of the RPW adults was influenced by pheromone traps. The averageflight of the RPW was 69.1 m (7.7–213 m) in the presence ofpheromone traps and only 24.4 m (10–90 m) without pheromone traps. The mean distances females and males covered were 95.80 m and 42.40 m in the presence ofpheromone traps and 32.47 m, 16.30 m in the absence of pheromone traps, respectively. The percentages of tagged adults that dispersed more than 50 m were 50%and 8.3% in the presence and absence of pheromone traps, respectively. Time required for taking-offfrom the release point was 5–20 min and 0.5–6 h in the presenceand absence of pheromone traps, respectively. The aggregation rate was 33.3% and 75.0%, in the presence and absence of pheromone traps, respectively. Only asingleflight was taken by each adult in the presence or absence of pheromone traps. Adults showed high preference in selecting habitats. RPW adults were attractedto infested or previously infested male palm trees, surface water of drip irrigation systems, and pheromone traps. In conclusion, radio telemetry appears to be asuitable technique to track RPW in date palm orchards when wild-caught adults are used

• نوع عمل المنشور: بحث جزء من رسالة الدكتوراة
• رقم المجلد: 105252
• رقم الانشاء: 170
• مجلة/صحيفة: Computers and Electronics in Agriculture journal
• الصفحات: 1-7