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Lower temperature thresholds for oviposition and egg hatching of the Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in a Mediterranean climate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2011

Ó. Dembilio*
Affiliation:
Institut Valencià d'Investigacions Agràries (IVIA), Unitat Associada d'Entomologia Agrícola UJI–IVIA, Departament de Protecció Vegetal i Biotecnologia, Ctra Montcada-Nàquera km 4.5, E-46113-Montcada, Spain
G.V. Tapia
Affiliation:
Instituto de Investigación y Formación Agraria y Pesquera (IFAPA), Unidad Control de Plagas, Centro La Mojonera, E-4745-Almería, Spain
M.M. Téllez
Affiliation:
Instituto de Investigación y Formación Agraria y Pesquera (IFAPA), Unidad Control de Plagas, Centro La Mojonera, E-4745-Almería, Spain
J.A. Jacas
Affiliation:
Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Unitat Associada d'Entomologia Agrícola UJI–IVIA, Departament de Ciències Agràries i del Medi Natural, Campus del Riu Sec, E-12071-Castelló de la Plana, Spain
*
*Author for correspondence Fax: +34 964728216 E-mail: dembilio@ivia.es

Abstract

The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an economically important pest of palms worldwide. To better understand the phenology of R. ferrugineus populations in the Mediterranean basin, the objective of the present work has been to estimate the effect of temperatures within the range 10–25°C on the reproductive parameters of R. ferrugineus and to determine its lower temperature thresholds for oviposition and egg hatching. Our results confirm that oviposition in R. ferrugineus is strongly affected by temperature. Lower thresholds for oviposition and egg hatching (15.45° and 13.95°C, respectively) are below the mean monthly temperatures registered in winter in most of the northern shore of the Mediterranean basin. Under these circumstances, new palm infestations would be difficult during most of the winter. These results should be taken into account when planning some palm management practices, such as pruning or pesticide treatments, in areas under a Mediterranean climate.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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