Effect of the Difference in Pheromone Trap Design and the Type of Pheromone Used on the Efficiency of Trapping Adults of the Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), in Basra Governorate

• Sanaa Sakhar Abbas, Ali Zagi Abdulqader

  Author

       Pheromone traps have been used successfully in the in management of red palm weevil insect in many countries, including Iraq. Therefore, this field study was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of four distinct pheromone trap designs. and four types of pheromones with different commercial brands during April and May 2024 in Safwan District, Basra Governorate, Iraq. The study's findings indicated that the design of the trap significantly influenced the efficiency of adult capture of the red palm weevil. The Pitfall trap was superior in recording the highest capture rate, which reached 9.69 insects/trap, followed by the Green Victory and Picusan traps, with capture rates of 8.72 and 7.34 insects/trap, respectively, whereas the Electrap trap recorded the lowest capture rate, which reached 7.06 insects/trap. The results also showed the importance of the type of pheromone used in attracting and capturing adults of the insect. The Rhyncho Pro Classic pheromone achieved the highest attraction rate, which reached 10.59 insects/trap, with a significant difference compared with the other pheromones. It was followed by the Green Victory and Pherosan pheromones, with attraction rates of 8.53 and 7.31 insects/trap, respectively, whereas the Rhyfer pheromone recorded the lowest attraction rate, which reached 6.38 insects/trap. The results also showed that all traps recorded higher capture rates for females, as their capture rate reached 9.20 insects/trap, with a significant difference compared with males, which recorded a rate of 7.20 insects/trap. These results indicate that trap design and pheromone type represent two important factors in improving capture efficiency, and that targeting females with pheromone traps may contribute to reducing the numerical density of the pest and supporting integrated management programs for the red palm weevil in palm orchards.

• pdf