Influence of mango chemicals on the mango pulp weevil, Sternochetus frigidus (fabr.)

Issue Date

10-2004

Abstract

The mango pulp weevil Sternochetus frigidus (Fabr.) is an important quarantine pest that infests cultivated and wild mango species in Palawan. This research was conducted to determine the chemicals from mango that mediate recognition and elicit attraction and oviposition responses of the mango pulp weevil. An investigation of the volatile components of the full bloom mango flower was made by trapping in Tenax AG. The attractancy of some of the floral components to the weevil was determined using the Y-tube bioassay. the component fatty acids present on the surface of green mango peel were determined by GC-MS. Stimulation of oviposition of gravid females by the active fractions and standard chemicals was determined by Petri-dish bioassay. A six component blend of floral volatiles containing acetic acid (0.70%), decane (0.3%), acetone (4.4%), linalool (82.2%), ethyl benzoate (11.4%) and 2-metyl heptenone (1.0%) elicited 70% attraction response by the mango pulp weevil. This blend was better than each individual component. The hexane extract of 70-day-old green "carabao" mango fruit yielded two active fractions (fractions 5 and 6 at 4.6 mg and 11.7 mg per kg fruit, respectively) eliciting oviposition by gravid female weevils. When the fatty acids found in the active fractions were tested in the oviposition bioassay but using their corresponding standards, it was found that myristic and oleic acids elicited significantly higher oviposition response (averages of 5.7 and 4.0 eggs, respectively) compared to all other treatments including the control (average of 1.5 eggs). These findings represent an important step in the development of bait traps. The use of bait traps could enhance current control strategies for the mango pulp weevil and could provide an important quarantine tool for monitoring weevil populations in the field.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Entomologist

ISSN

0048-3753

Volume

18

Issue

2

Page

168-169

Document Type

Article

Frequency

semi-annually

Language

English

En – AGROVOC descriptors

CURCULIONIDAE; MANGOES; PLANT PESTS; ATTRACTANTS; PEST CONTROL; PEST MONITORING

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS