ISHS Acta Horticulturae 380: Symposium on Tropical Root Crops in a Developping Economy
BIOLOGY AND PHEROMONE STUDIES WITH THE SWEET POTATO WEEVILS: CYLAS PUNCTICOLLIS (BOHE.) AND C. BRUNNEUS (FABR.) |
| Authors: | N.E.J.M. Smit, O. Magenya, B.L. Parker |
| Abstract:
In Kenya, two species of sweet potato weevils are important: Cylas puncticollis and C. brunneus. Laboratory studies showed that the mean generation time is longer for C. brunneus than for C. puncticollis. The sex-ratio is identical for both species (1:1). C. brunneus is active during daylight, while C. puncticollis prefers darkness. In the field neither C. brunneus nor C. puncticollis are attracted to traps baited with the sex pheromone for C. formicarius. Traps baited with virgin females of C. brunneus and traps baited with virgin females of C. puncticollis attract significantly more males of the respective species than does a control trap. In a bioassay, virgin, male C. brunneus weevils respond positively to a pheromone extract collected by drawing air over virgin, female C. brunneus. | |
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