Effect of ethyl acetate and date palm fruits quantity on red palm weevil capture in pheromone traps in UAE

Red palm weevil, Rhynchophorusferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a serious insect attacking date palm trees in UAE. The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy depends on using of food bait pheromone traps as a major component of theprogram. The efficacy of different date fruits quantity (350g, 450 g and 550 g) with and without Ethyl acetate dispenser (Weevil Mangnet^TM) (containing 40 ml of the active ingredient of EA at 98% purity) was evaluated. Field trial was carried out in RPW infested date plantations in Al-Rahba area for a year starting May 2010 to May 2011 using black RPW bait pheromone traps. A total of RPW captures with ethyl acetate were 2090, 2245 and 1938, while without ethyl acetate captures were 1183, 1316 and 1052 of 350 g, 450 g and 550 g, respectively. Data shows that the black RPW with 450g bait pheromone trap (2245 weevils) is the proper one to use. As a total of RPW captures in all treatments were 9833 (2923 males and 6910 females) with a sex ratio (male: female) of 1: 2.36.

Keywords: Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, pheromone, date fruit quantity, ethyl acetate, IPM, date palm