Acoustic signal applications in detection and management of Rhynchophorus spp. in fruit-crops and ornamental palms

Authors

  • Johari Jalinas School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia;
  • Bernice Güerri-Agulló Glen Biotech, Colegio Mayor Universitario, Ctra. San Vicente del Raspeig, 03080 Alicante, Spain
  • Omotola G Dosunmu Entomology and Nematology Department, P.O. Box 110620, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-0620, USA
  • Muhammad Haseeb Center for Biological Control, College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida 32307, USA
  • Luis V Lopez-Llorca Department of Marine Sciences and Applied Biology, Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies (MIES) Ramon Margalef, University of Alicante, Ap. 99, 03080 Alicante, Spain
  • Richard Mankin USDA, Agriculture Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida 32608, USA

Abstract

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) is an economically important, internally feeding pest of ornamental and fruit producing palms in many subtropical regions. A related weevil, Rhynchophorus cruentatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), is an internally feeding palm pest in the southeastern USA. Acoustic methods for detection of early instars hidden in palms in field environments have been investigated for both species. Acoustic methods also have been used to examine the effectiveness of physical, biological, and other control treatments. This report addresses several physical, physiological, and behavioral factors that influence the spectral and temporal patterns of sounds produced by palm weevil larvae under different laboratory and field experiment conditions, which must be considered carefully in interpreting larval sound production. Such factors include the leakage of fluid from the palm tree tissues into tunnels scraped out by larvae as they move and feed within the tree trunk, as well as occurrences of molting between periods of feeding activity, and frequency-dependent damping that distorts signals as the distance between insects and sensors increases. Methods are discussed that combine effects of environmental, physiological, and behavioral variability to facilitate reliable interpretations of Rhynchophorus and other insect larval acoustic activity in hidden environments.

 

Resumen

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) es una plaga económicamente importante que se alimenta internamente de palmeras ornamentales y frutícolas en muchas regiones subtropicales. Un gorgojo relacionado, Rhynchophorus cruentatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), es una plaga de la palma que se alimenta internamente en el sureste de los EE. UU. Métodos acústicos para la detección de estadios tempranos escondidos en palmas en ambientes de campo han sido investigados para ambas especies. Los métodos acústicos también se han utilizado para examinar la efectividad de los tratamientos físicos, biológicos y otros tratamientos de control. Este informe aborda varios factores físicos, fisiológicos y de comportamiento que influyen en los patrones espectrales y temporales de los sonidos producidos por las larvas del gorgojo de la palma en diferentes condiciones de laboratorio y experimentos de campo, que deben considerarse cuidadosamente al interpretar la producción del sonido larval. Tales factores incluyen la fuga de líquido de los tejidos de la palmera hacia túneles raspados por las larvas a medida que se mueven y se alimentan dentro del tronco del árbol, así como las ocurrencias de las mudas entre los períodos de actividad de alimentación y la amortiguación dependiente de la frecuencia que distorsiona las señales al aumentar la distancia entre los insectos y los sensores aumenta. Se discuten los métodos que combinan los efectos de la variabilidad ambiental, fisiológica y de comportamiento para facilitar interpretaciones confiables de la actividad acústica de larvas de Rhynchophorus y otros insectos en ambientes ocultos.

Key Words: red palm weevil; palmetto weevil; biological control

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Published

2019-09-29

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Research Papers