| Title: | How Far Can the Red Palm Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Fly?: Computerized Flight Mill Studies With Field-Captured Weevils |
| Author(s): | Hoddle MS; Hoddle CD; Faleiro JR; El-Shafie HA; Jeske DR; Sallam AA; |
| Address: | "Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521. Center for Invasive Species Research, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521. mark.hoddle@ucr.edu. Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521. Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Date Palm Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, PO Box 43, Al-Hassa 31982, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Date Palm Research Center of Excellence, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, Al Ahsaa-31982, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Department of Statistics, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0022-0493 (Print) 0022-0493 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Adult Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) captured in pheromone-baited traps in commercial date palm orchards in the Al Ahsaa Directorate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, were used in computerized flight mill studies to determine the flight characteristics of this highly invasive and destructive palm pest. Flight mill studies were run at three different time periods, winter (December), spring (March), and summer (May). Of the 192 weevils tethered to flight mills approximately 30% failed to fly > 1 km. Of those weevils flying > 1 km (n = 139), 55% flew > 10 km, and of these flyers 5% flew > 50 km in 24 h. Flying weevils exhibited an average weight loss of 20-30% and nonflying control weevils lost approximately 9-13% body weight in 24 h. Male and female weevils flying in summer (average laboratory temperature was approximately 27 degrees C) flew the longest average distances ( approximately 25-35 km), exhibited highest weight reductions ( approximately 30%), and greatest mortality rates ( approximately 80%). Consequently, time of year not weevil sex or color morph had a consistent and significant effect on flight activity, weight loss, and survivorship rates. Flight activity was predominantly diurnal commencing around 5:00 a.m. and peaking between 9-11:00 a.m. before tapering off. The distribution of flight distances combined across season and sex was mesokurtic (i.e., normally distributed)" |
| Keywords: | "Animal Distribution Animals Female *Flight, Animal Male Random Allocation Weevils/*physiology Saudi Arabia color morph dispersal flight kurtosis;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineHoddle, M S Hoddle, C D Faleiro, J R El-Shafie, H A F Jeske, D R Sallam, A A eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2015/10/16 J Econ Entomol. 2015 Dec; 108(6):2599-609. doi: 10.1093/jee/tov240. Epub 2015 Aug 9" |
