Rhynchjel and Rinocab Pheromones as Attractants for the Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Dryophthoridae) under Field Conditions

Abstract

The objectives of this work were detection the role of two pheromones types, Rhynchjel and Rinocab, in limitation and control on the infestation with red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Dryophthoridae). The obtained results from 5traps for Rhynchjel pheromone and 30 traps for Rinocab pheromone at various locations of Belbeis district (Sharkia Governorate) and Ashmoun district (Menoufia Governorate) indicated that each of two types of pheromones obviously attracted different number of RPW adults throughout the year. The results also showed each of population density of catching adults, average population per trap and monthly percentages of attracted adults from annual population. Activity and emergences of RPW adults clearly appeared each of definition of adult emergence time at various geographical regions, peaks of population emergence, sexual percentage of annual adult population and emphasize the role of pheromones in the protection from infestation with RPW where numerous numbers from adult are attracted to pheromone traps which act preventive factor against infestation. The annual population of attracted adults reached 553 &1160 adults for Rhynchjel while attained to 3011 and 4324 adults for Rinocab at the locations of Sharkia and Menoufia Governorates, respectively. This study detected the role of pheromones in restriction of the infestation chance and also minimize of occasion to egg ovipostition where the annual sexual percentage of females recorded 41.59 and 44.9% at Sharkia Governorate, while, it recorded 78.97 and 32.47% at Menoufia Governorate for each Rhynchjel and Rinocab pheromones, respectively.