Observations on egg-laying behaviour of the banana weevil,Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar)

Banana weevil females laid on an average 2.7 eggs/week in rhizome material and 0.7 eggs/week in pseudostem material in the laboratory. At extremely high weevil population densities the egg-laying activity declined. Under controlled field conditions 0.7 eggs/week were laid in banana suckers and 1.3 eggs/week in stumps of harvested suckers. 25% of the weevil stages found in suckers in the field were eggs of which 78% were laid in the rhizome and 22% in the pseudostem base. The majority of eggs was deposited in the crown area of the rhizome followed by the remaining surface area of the rhizome, the walls of abandoned larval tunnels in rhizome and pseudostem and the leaf sheaths. 58% of the eggs found were considered accessible to egg predators.     

Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin as an endophyte in tissue culture banana (Musa spp.)

Beauveria bassiana is considered a virulent pathogen against the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus. However, current field application techniques for effective control against this pest remain a limitation and an alternative method for effective field application needs to be investigated. Three screenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the ability of B. bassiana to form an endophytic relationship with tissue culture banana (Musa spp.) plants and to evaluate the plants for possible harmful effects resulting from this relationship. Three Ugandan strains of B. bassiana (G41, S204 and WA) were applied by dipping the roots and rhizome in a conidial suspension, by injecting a conidial suspension into the plant rhizome and by growing the plants in sterile soil mixed with B. bassiana-colonized rice substrate. Four weeks after inoculation, plant growth parameters were determined and plant tissue colonization assessed through re-isolation of B. bassiana. All B. bassiana strains were able to colonize banana plant roots, rhizomes and pseudostem bases. Dipping plants in a conidial suspension achieved the highest colonization with no negative effect on plant growth or survival. Beauveria bassiana strain G41 was the best colonizer (up to 68%, 79% and 41% in roots, rhizome and pseudostem base, respectively) when plants were dipped. This study demonstrated that, depending on strain and inoculation method, B. bassiana can form an endophytic relationship with tissue culture banana plants, causing no harmful effects and might provide an alternative method for biological control of C. sordidus.     

Experimental evaluation of the impacts of two ant species on banana weevil in Uganda

The banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar), is an important pest of bananas. Predatory ants are increasingly being viewed as possible biological control agents of this pest because they are capable of entering banana plants and soil in search of prey. We studied ant predation on banana weevil in Uganda in crop residues and live plants in both laboratory and field experiments. Field studies with live plants used chemical ant exclusion in some plots and ant enhancement via colony transfer in others to measure effects of Pheidole sp. 2 and Odontomachus troglodytes Santschi on plant damage and densities of immature banana weevils.In crop residues, an important pest breeding site, twice as many larvae were removed from ant-enhanced plots as in control plots. In young (2 month) potted suckers held in shade houses, ant ability to reduce densities of banana weevil life stages varied with the weevil inoculation rate. At the lowest density (2 female weevils per pot), densities of eggs, larvae, and pupae were reduced by ants. At higher rates there was no effect. In older suckers (5–11 months) grown in larger containers, banana weevil densities were not affected by ants, but damage levels were reduced. In a field trial lasting a full crop cycle (30 months), we found that the ants tested reduced the density of banana weevil eggs in suckers during the crop, but did not affect larval densities in the sampled suckers. However, most larvae occur in the main banana plants, rather than associated suckers. Nevertheless, levels of damage in mature plants at harvest did not differ between Amdro-treated and ant-enhanced plots, suggesting the ant species studied were not able to provide economic control of banana weevil under our test conditions.     

Migration potential of the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus

• 1 The banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a major pest in banana (Musa spp.) growing areas. The weevil is known to be relatively sedentary and closely associated with its host plant but little is known about the species' ability to migrate between banana fields and in nonhost habitats.
• 2 Mark–recapture experiments were conducted to assess the weevils' migration potential, possible differences between the sexes, and the relative attractiveness of pseudostem and pheromone baits.
• 3 One thousand two hundred marked weevils were released in the nonhost habitat at five distances (5, 10, 20, 40 and 70 m) from fresh pseudostem, and from pitfall traps baited with 45 mg of sordidin.
• 4 Two hundred males and 200 females were marked and released at five distances (5, 10, 20, 40 and 70 m) from the pheromone traps.
• 5 Distance and distance/bait interactions had a significant effect on recaptured weevils (binary logistic regression). The two baits were almost equally attractive to weevils in the range 0–10 m, whereas the pheromone was more attractive in the range 10–100 m.
• 6 Distance, bait and distance/bait interactions had a significant effect on the time elapsed from release to recapture (regression with life data) but the pattern observed was not consistent.
• 7 There was no significant difference between males and females with respect to distance or time elapsed from release to recapture.
• 8 The results obtained in the present study show that the migration potential of the banana weevil is greater than previously reported. This should be taken into account when new banana fields are established with clean planting material.

     

Effects of two pheromone trap densities against banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus, populations and their impact on plant damage in Uganda

Abstract:  An on-farm study to evaluate the effect of pheromone trap density on the population of the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) (Col., Curculionidae) was conducted in Masaka district, Uganda. The pheromone used was Cosmolure+, a commercially available weevil aggregation pheromone. Forty-two farms were assigned to one of three treatments: 0, 4 and 8 pheromone traps/ha. Pheromone lures were changed monthly at which time the traps were moved to a different location within the stand. Adult weevil population densities were estimated by using mark and recapture methodology at 0, 6, 12, 18 and 21 months, while damage to the banana corm was assessed at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 21 months since the start of the experiment. Pheromone trap captures were generally low: about 10 weevils per trap per month. There were no significant differences in mean catches of C. sordidus per trap per month except for February 2002 when doubling the pheromone trap density decreased weevil catches. Although not significant, decreased efficiency was also the trend in higher trap densities over all the data sets. Doubling the number of traps increased the number of weevils caught per hectare per month from 0.4 to 0.6%. There was no significant difference in plant damage between the pheromone treatments in low- compared with high-trap densities. There were generally no significant differences in weevil populations and plant damage between pheromone-treated and control farms. Possible reasons for the low-trap efficacy in this study are discussed.     

Identification and laboratory behavioral test of the alarm pheromone of Acanthocoris sordidus Thunberg (Hemiptera: Coreidae)

The winter cherry bug, Acanthocoris sordidus Thunberg (Hemiptera: Coreidae), widely spread in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, is becoming an economic pest in these regions. Its elevated pest status in pepper plant, Capsicum annuum, is a trigger for eco‐friendly management tactics. In order to use its pheromone for pest management, the cuticular components of adult A. sordidus were identified and a behavioral bioassay on the functions of the components was conducted. From the whole‐body extracts of male and female A. sordidus, 13 compounds (hexanal, 1‐hexanol, 2‐hexanol, 3‐hexanol, hexanoic acid, hexyl acetate, heptyl acetate, octyl acetate, tetradecane, 2‐butyl‐2‐octenal, hexyl hexanoate and (2α,4α,6β)‐2,4,6‐tripentyl‐1,3,5‐trioxane (hexanal trimer, cis‐ and trans‐forms) were identified. In addition to these, two unidentified compounds, a male‐specific and a male‐rich compound, were also found. Hexanal provoked clear escaping behavior. 1‐Hexanol, hexyl acetate and hexanoic acid evoked weaker behavior than hexanal. We concluded that hexanal worked as an alarm pheromone and could be used as a pushing signal for a control program for A. sordidus.     

Local and neighboring patch conditions alter sex‐specific movement in banana weevils

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the movements and spread of a species over time and space is a major concern of ecology. Here, we assessed the effects of an individual's sex and the density and sex ratio of conspecifics in the local and neighboring environment on the movement probability of the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus. In a “two patches” experiment, we used radiofrequency identification tags to study the C. sordidus movement response to patch conditions. We showed that local and neighboring densities of conspecifics affect the movement rates of individuals but that the density‐dependent effect can be either positive or negative depending on the relative densities of conspecifics in local and neighboring patches. We demonstrated that sex ratio also influences the movement of C. sordidus, that is, the weevil exhibits nonfixed sex‐biased movement strategies. Sex‐biased movement may be the consequence of intrasexual competition for resources (i.e., oviposition sites) in females and for mates in males. We also detected a high individual variability in the propensity to move. Finally, we discuss the role of demographic stochasticity, sex‐biased movement, and individual heterogeneity in movement on the colonization process.     

The use of aggregation pheromone to enhance dissemination of Beauveria bassiana for the control of the banana weevil in Uganda

Candidate strains of Beauveria bassiana were identified for use in integrated pest management of the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus. Horizontal field transmission of B. bassiana between banana weevils using different delivery systems, including aggregation pheromones, was investigated. We observed that infected weevils could transmit the fungal pathogen to healthy individuals. Most dead weevils (52%) due to B. bassiana infection were found at the base of banana plants in the leaf sheath or in the soil near banana plants. Significantly more weevils died from the pathogen in plots where B. bassiana was applied in combination with the pheromone than where it was applied alone. Our data demonstrate that C. sordidus aggregation pheromone can be a valuable tool to enhance the dissemination of B. bassiana for the control of C. sordidus.     

Reduction of Banana Weevil Populations Using Different Formulations of the Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana

One of the major constraints for banana production in Uganda is the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar), (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Investigations were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of maize, soil-based and oil formulations of an indigenous isolate of Beauveria bassiana for the control of the banana weevil. Weekly trapping of weevils over a 9-month monitoring period showed significant reduction in unmarked and marked weevil population in B. bassiana treated plots. Application of maize formulation at 2 ×10 15 conidia ha -1 proved most effective, reducing the weevil populations by 63-72% within 8 weeks after a single application. The soil based formulation at 2 ×10 14 conidia ha -1 was intermediate while the oil formulation at 6 ×10 15 conidial ha -1 was least effective. Trapping efficiency declined in B. bassiana treated and untreated banana plots but was greatest in the latter.