Sex Ratio of Pheromonetrap Captured Red Palm Weevils Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus Oliv. in Coconut Gardens of Goa
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2002
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Coconut is an important plantation crop of Goa and of late it has been threatened by Red Palm Weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliv, which is the most dreaded pest of young palms. Trapping of adult weevil population with food baited aggregation phero-mone (Ferrugineol) traps is becoming an important eco-friendly tactic of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme to tackle RPW infestation in coconut, oil palm and date gardens throughout the world. Since August 1999 a surveillance programme has been implemented to monitor the activity of RPW using pheromone traps. Observations recorded between August, 1999 and July, 2000 on weevil captures from 40 pheromone traps set throughout Goa, showed that trap captures of RPW were female dominated. For every male weevil captured, 1.94 female weevils were trapped during this period, with maximum female activity being observed during April and May, 2000. Although, the natural population of RPW is known to exist in an equal ratio of 1.32 :'1 in favour of males, attraction of more females to pheromone traps, helps not only in monitoring the weevil activity but also to suppress the build up of the pest in the field. Mass trapping of adult weevils in endemic pockets with food baited pheromone traps is therefore, an important component of IPM strategy currently adopted to combat the menace of RPW in coconut.
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Plantation Crops Research and Development in the New Millennium (2002): 449-451