Acrotomopus atropunctellus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) preference for large sugarcane shoots mitigates damage to sugarcane crop
Keywords:
weevil, late harvest date, integrated pest management, punctureAbstract
Summary
The sugarcane weevil, Acrotomopus atropunctellus (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an increasingly important sugarcane pest in Argentina. Its emergence period overlaps with early stages of sugarcane phenology. This research assessed the preference of A. atropunctellus for shoot size and the effect of damage on shoot survival. Acrotomopus atropunctellus preferred to feed on large- and mediumsized shoots, regardless of sex. However, older plants were resistant to injury. Also, the number of punctures produced by females was 1.6 times greater than that produced by males. Avoiding late planting or harvest dates could be a useful tactic for mitigating A. atropunctellus incidence in sugarcane crops.
Sumario
El picudo de la caña de azúcar, Acrotomopus atropunctellus (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) es una plaga de la caña de azúcar cada vez más importante en Argentina. El periodo de emergencia de los adultos de A. atropunctellus coincide con estados fenológicos tempranos de la caña de azúcar (macollaje y gran crecimiento). El objetivo de este trabajo fue conocer la preferencia de alimentación de A. atropunctellus según distintos tamaños de brotes de caña de azúcar y el efecto del daño sobre la sobrevivencia de los brotes. Acrotomopus atropunctellus prefirió alimentarse de brotes medianos y grandes y la preferencia no varió según el sexo. Sin embargo, las plantas más viejas fueron resistentes al daño. Además, el número de perforaciones producidas por las hembras fue 1.6 veces mayor que las producidas por los machos. Evitar fechas de siembra y cosechas tardías puede contribuir a la reducción de incidenciade A. atropunctellus en los cultivos de caña de azúcar.
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