Severe Pest of Severe Pest of Coconut Coconut Coconut Coconut
Red weevi lRed weevi l
Presented by:Presented by: Mr.T.Sekaran.Mr.T.Sekaran.
Coconut Red WeevilCoconut Red Weevil
Scincetific name: Scincetific name: Rhynchophorus ferrugineusRhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier)(Olivier)
Common name: Red Palm Weevil and/or Asian Common name: Red Palm Weevil and/or Asian Palm Weevil and Indian palm weevilPalm Weevil and Indian palm weevil
ClassificationClassification
Kingdom: AnimaliaKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaPhylum: Arthropoda Class: InsectaClass: Insecta Order: ColeopteraOrder: Coleoptera Family: CurculionidaeFamily: Curculionidae Genus: Genus: RhynchophorusRhynchophorus
SpeciesSpecies:Rhynchophorus ferrugineus:Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Life CycleLife Cycle
Pupa
LarvaAdultEgg
EggEgg Creamy whiteCreamy white Oblonge & shinyOblonge & shiny Hatch in 3 daysHatch in 3 days 2.62 mm long & 1.12 2.62 mm long & 1.12
mm Widemm Wide
LarvaeLarvae Brown head, white Brown head, white
bodybody Body is composed 13 Body is composed 13
segmentssegments 35mm long35mm long 50mm long matured50mm long matured
PupaePupae First cream coloured but First cream coloured but
later turns brown.later turns brown. It’s surface is shiny.It’s surface is shiny. The Antennae & eyes are The Antennae & eyes are
quite prominent.quite prominent. Average length is 35mm Average length is 35mm
& the width is 15mm.& the width is 15mm.
AdultAdult
Reddish brown in colourReddish brown in colour 35mm long & 10mm wide.35mm long & 10mm wide. It has long Rostrum (snout) & It has long Rostrum (snout) &
Dark spots.Dark spots. Head & Rostrum comprise Head & Rostrum comprise
about one third of the total about one third of the total length.length.
Female : more slender, Female : more slender, curved and a little longer than curved and a little longer than the male.the male.
DamageDamage
Red weevil is one of Red weevil is one of the most destructive the most destructive pests of coconut.pests of coconut.
The grubs cause The grubs cause damage inside the damage inside the stem or crown by stem or crown by feeding on soft feeding on soft tissues.tissues.
In case of severe infestation the inside portion of trunk is completely eaten and become full of rotting fibres.
Many times reddish brown liquid can be seen oozing out from the hole.
In case of young palms the top withers while in older palms the top portion of trunk bends and ultimately breaks at the bend.
Damage symptomsDamage symptoms The female weevil scoops The female weevil scoops
out small holes in the soft out small holes in the soft tissues of the cut or tissues of the cut or damaged parts of the damaged parts of the coconut palms and deposits coconut palms and deposits eggs there. eggs there.
Some times the gnawing Some times the gnawing sound produced by the sound produced by the feeding grubs will be feeding grubs will be audible.audible.
In the advanced stage of In the advanced stage of infestation yellowing of the infestation yellowing of the inner whorl of leaves occur.inner whorl of leaves occur.
The crown falls down or dry The crown falls down or dry up later when palm is dead. up later when palm is dead.
Control methodsControl methods
Cultural methodCultural method
Biological methodBiological method
Chemical methodChemical method
Other control methodOther control method
Cultural MethodCultural Method
Plant & field Sanitation.Plant & field Sanitation. Destruction of infested plant material.Destruction of infested plant material. Physical methods by preventing entry of Physical methods by preventing entry of
weevils through cut ends of petioles and weevils through cut ends of petioles and wounds.wounds.
Biological controlBiological control Predator: Predator: Platymerus laevicollisPlatymerus laevicollis
Chemical controlChemical control Trunk injection – systemic insecticides Trunk injection – systemic insecticides
monocrotophosmonocrotophos Drenching of the crown of infested trees with Drenching of the crown of infested trees with
insecticides.insecticides. Treatment of wounds-filling with insecticide Treatment of wounds-filling with insecticide
dustdust
such as BHC mixed with sandu.such as BHC mixed with sandu.
Other Control methodsOther Control methods Avoid making cuts on the coconut Avoid making cuts on the coconut
stem.stem. Clean crown regularly.Clean crown regularly. Dig and turn the soil deeply Dig and turn the soil deeply
around, the coconut trunk in the around, the coconut trunk in the month of April-May.month of April-May.
Pick up grubs and kill them.Pick up grubs and kill them. Heavily infested trees should be Heavily infested trees should be
cut down and destroy along with cut down and destroy along with the various stages of the pest.the various stages of the pest.
Wounds on the trees should be Wounds on the trees should be filled with a mixture of 10% filled with a mixture of 10% carbaryl + sand (1:1)carbaryl + sand (1:1)
RefererenceRefererence
WWW.Redweevil.comWWW.Redweevil.com www.ikisan.com/links/tn_coconutInsectManagement.shtmlwww.ikisan.com/links/tn_coconutInsectManagement.shtml www.coconutboard.comwww.coconutboard.com
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