Is there evidence for inherited sterility in F1 at red date palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliv. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)?

Sterile insect technique (SIT) is a method of pest control using area-wide inundate release of sterile insects to reduce fertility of a field population of the same species. Inherited partial sterility (IS) is a known phenomenon in some insects, such as lepidopteron pests. IS occurs when the F1 male and female offspring are more sterile than the irradiated parental (P1) generation, and more F1 male progeny than female progeny are produced. The red date palm weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliv. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is considered a potential threat to date palm growers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in the Arabian Gulf region. In a recent study by Al-Ayedh and Rassol (2010),15-Gy was reported as the optimum radiation dose. There was a clear affect of gamma radiation on the F1 generation of RPW Rhynchophorus ferrugineus. The F1 percent egg hatchability and larval, papal, and adult life spans showed more sterility than the P1 group, indicating inherited sterility of the RPW following irradiation at the doses tested.