Impact of pheromone baits on the incidence of rhinoceros beetle Oryctes rhinoceros (L.) on oil palm

ABSTRACT: Rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros (L.) is a migrant pest on oil palm from coconut and is commonly observed in all the oil palm growing areas of the country. Studies on the use of aggregating pheromone to trap the pest population and there by the variation in the intensity of infestation were carried out in both oil palm and coconut ecosystems in three districts of Andhra Pradesh during 2012-13. The pest intensity was observed more in the coconut plantations and its surrounding areas compared to oil palm. The beetle trappings in the pheromone traps confirm the attraction of the beetle to pheromone lures. Installation of pheromone trap with regular replacement of the lures, effectively reduced the pest infestation in oil palm plants irrespective of the age of the palms. Coconut ecosystem was more attractive to the beetle compared to oil palm which is more visible with the number of beetles trapped. The present results confirm the earlier findings of the preference of rhinoceros beetle towards coconut compared to oil palm