Assessment of diferent methods in the control of coconut Rhinoceros beetle -Coleoptera scarabaedae

1. ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENT METHODS IN THE CONTROL OF
COCONUT RHINOCEROS BEETLE, Oryctes monoceros
(COLEOPTERA: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae)
Paulo Guilherme, MSc1
and Luisa Santos, PhD2
1
Universidade Lurio, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias, Unango, Niassa
2
Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Faculdade de Agronomia e Engenharia Florestal, PO Box
257, Maputo, Mozambique
Corresponding autor: paguinam@yahoo.com.br
ABSTRACT
A
B
MATERIALS AND METHODS
CONCLUSIONS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are grateful to the Millenium Challenge Account Mozambique for
supporting this Work.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Name: Prof. Dra Luisa Santos, PhD
Email: luisa@zebra.uem.mz
Organization:: Universidade Eduado Mondlane, Faculdade de Agronomia e Engenharia Florestal
Tel: +258 823079310
INTRODUCTION
This study was conducted at Agrarian Research Institute of
Mozambique into the MGT multiplication variety seed areas of
Zambezia Province and was aimed to test and disseminate easy
and accessible methods to apply for integrated control of the
Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (Oryctes monoceros) for reducing
losses in order to increase incomes of rural households in coconut
producing regions.
The Coconut Rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes spp. (Coleoptera:
Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae), is the most seriuos and important pest
in all coconut growing countries including Mozambique. This beetle
is widespread in all coconut growing areas of Mozambique, its
damage cause death in seedling and young palms, resulting in loss
of income in the highest Coconut Lethal Yellowing (ALC) incidence
areas, as in the case of Zambezia province. This study aimed to
test the effectiveness and efficiency of different control methods, to
test biological control methods such as: Metharizium anisopliae and
Beauvaria bassiana and to estimate the pest fluctuation throughout
the year.
Three studies were conducted. The first, consisted for a trial of
young palm trees MGT variety which where regularly attacked by
rhinoceros beetle, installed at Maquival-rio. Beyond the control
treatment, there were applied the mechanical removal using a metal
harpoon, extract of adult dead insects(30/1.5l), net fish
(10cmx50cm), naphthalene balls (3balls/plant), diatomite (silica gel)
(24g/l), Monty's Seed starter + MLC "(267ml +133 ml) and
Imidacloprid insecticide (173g/20l). The second experiment included
a test of the effect of Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauvaria
bassiana in a semi-field mortality larvae. The third one, were
estimated the fluctuation of coconut rhinoceros beetle population
during 12 months. Weekly inspections of decaying coconut trunks
were made to count eggs, larvae L1, L2, L3, pupae and adults
population. Beside, during 4 months, sampling adults were made
using pheromones traps (ethyl-4-methyloctanoate) at
Magurrumane, Machimbui and Maquival-river palm tree areas.
Efficiency and effectiveness of different methods of controlling
rhinoceros beetle.
b
Figure 1. Symptoms of frond bases damage caused by Oryctes (a). The
Rhinoceros beetle adult, the most important stage (b)
a
MAIN RESULTS
Figure 2. Oryctes infestation (% of coconut palms infested) in the 6th
observation, 18 months after the beginning of treatments.
Figure 3. Monthly average density (average number of individuals / month / trunk)
of the total population of Oryctes.
Fluctuation of Coconut Rhinoceros beetle population during the
period from January to December 2012.
Diatomite, Naphthalene balls and Imidacloprid insecticide were the
most effective treatments, protected against the pest attacks.
Results have indicated that there are two generations for this insect per
year with high population density of larvae in August and from
December to February, and adults were readily occurred in April to May
and from September to November.
The entomopathogenic fungus tested resulted in a mortality of the larvae.