Seasonal Fluctuation of Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorous ferruginous in Wadi Hadramout, Yemen

Abstract

The use of the pheromone traps to collect the red palm weevil showed the presence of all different stages of the insect throughout the year, suggesting that it has more than one generation per year. The peak of the insect’s activity in the four districts was in mid-March, where the total insects caught were 2351 insects (males and females). The insect population then decreased with an increase in temperature until it reached its minimum in mid-July. The sex ratio (females: males) was 2:1. Infestation severity with the red palm weevil increased as we moved west. In addition, it was found that infestation with the date palm borer was associated with the weevil activity in Wadi Hadramout.

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Keywords:

Red palm weevil, Rhynchophorous ferruginous, date palm, Wadi Hadramout, Yemen.