Control of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
In the Middle East, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is one of the most severe pests of date palms. This Asiatic palm weevil has also been recently introduced into Spain (see EPPO RS 96/096 and 97/010). One of the preferred control methods is to attract and kill adults in pheromone traps. A new pheromone-dispensing technique has been developed. The chemical compound used is a synthetic aggregation pheromone (4-methyl-5-nonanol), which has shown a good efficacy when emitted at 5 mg/day from the dispenser. This control system is available from the following company: Calliope, NPP S.A, Route d’Artix, B.P. 80, 64150 Nogueres, (tel: (33) 5 59 60 92 92), France.
Sources
Anonymous (1996) General News – Red date palm weevil “Attract and kill” system.
Arab and Near East Plant Protection Newsletter, FAO, no. 23, p 28