EVALUATION OF THREE TRAPPING STRATEGIES FOR THE PALM WEEVIL, RHYNCHOPHORUS VULNERATUS (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE), IN SUMATRA INDONESIA

Three different trapping protocols were assessed for attractiveness to the palm weevil, Rhynchophorus vulneratus, in a commercial oil palm plantation in Sumatra Indonesia. The three treatment types tested were: (A) a bucket trap loaded with aggregation pheromone, ethyl acetate synergist, and fermenting oil palm hearts; (B) consisted of Treatment A coupled with sections of cut coconut palm trunks, and (C) was comprised of sections of cut coconut palm trunks only. Treatments were replicated within and across three widely separated sites and traps were checked twice daily, in the morning (7:30am) and afternoon (3:00pm), for captured adult weevils. Results indicated that Treatment A and B caught significantly more weevils than Treatment C. Time of day did not significantly affect the mean total number of weevils captured. The results of this study are discussed in the context of eradication efforts targeting R. vulneratus in Laguna Beach California, USA.