The Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus: Current Issues and Challenges in Malaysia
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Oil Palm Bulletin 74 (May 2017) p. 17-24 The Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus: Current Issues and Challenges in Malaysia Wahizatul Afzan Azmi*; Chong Ju Lian*; Hazlina Ahamad Zakeri**; Norhayati Yusuf**; Wan Bayani Wan Omar*; Yong Kah Wai*; Ainatun Nadrah Zulkefli* and Mohd Haris Hussain* ABSTRACT sawit. Kaedah semasa untuk menguruskan RPW di Malaysia adalah sebahagian besarnya menggunakan The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus perangkap feromon. Walau bagaimanapun, kaedah ferrugineus is an economically important pest ini bukanlah satu kaedah yang efektif untuk of palms in many parts of the world. The weevil mengurangkan infestasi RPW kerana populasi was first reported in the east coast of Peninsular kumbang didapati telah bertambah secara drastik. Malaysia in the early 2007, where it is now causing Oleh itu, tindakan segera perlu dilakukan untuk severe damage to coconut palms. However, in 2016, mengurangkan masalah ini dengan mengambilkira the RPW has been reported in five states – Perlis, pengurusan yang khusus. Penulisan berkaitan RPW Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Terengganu and Kelantan, ini merangkumi keterangan identiti, kitaran hidup, with the latter being the worst-hit. The weevil has simptom serangan, taktik pengurusan semasa dan also been found in oil palm plantations of FELDA juga potensi ancamannya terhadap industri sawit. and FELCRA by using pheromone trapping, but so far there is no evidence of the oil palm trees being affected. Current method to manage the Keywords: red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus RPW in Malaysia is largely based on pheromone ferrugineus, control management, coconut palm, oil mass trapping. However, it is still not an effective palm. way to reduce the infestation of the RPW as the weevil population keeps increasing drastically. INTRODUCTION Thus, urgent action with special management considerations should be taken in order to reduce Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: the problem. Here we report the identification, life Dryophthoridae) or commonly known as the red cycle, symptoms of infestation, current management palm weevil (RPW) is a destructive insect pest tactics for the RPW, and the potential threat of RPW of a wide range of palm trees (Abbas, 2010). The to oil palm industry. attack of the RPW in Malaysia was first detected in 2007 by the Department of Agriculture (DOA) ABSTRAK Terengganu and had spread to 58 localities in all the seven districts of the state of Terengganu. In Kumbang merah palma (RPW), Rhynchophorus 2011, the number of infestation sites has increased ferrugineus adalah merupakan perosak penting significantly to 858 localities (DOA, 2011). Recently pokok palma di banyak kawasan di dunia. Kehadiran in 2016, the weevil has been found in Perlis, Kedah, kumbang ini pertama kali dilaporkan di pantai timur Pulau Pinang, Terengganu and Kelantan which Semenanjung Malaysia pada awal tahun 2007, indicated a drastic increase and rapid spread of RPW di mana kini ianya menyebabkan kerosakan yang population in Malaysia (DOA, 2016). The weevil is teruk kepada pokok kelapa. Walau bagaimanapun, believed to be introduced by date palm trees which pada 2016, RPW telah dilaporkan melanda lima were brought in across the border either for the date negeri - Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Terengganu palm plantation or landscaping purposes without dan Kelantan, negeri terakhir yang paling teruk proper quarantine several years back (Wahizatul et terkesan. Kumbang ini juga telah ditemui di ladang al., 2013). One of the severe signs of infested coconut sawit FELDA dan FELCRA dengan menggunakan palms is the drooping of dried leaves giving the perangkap feromon, tetapi setakat ini tiada bukti umbrella-like shaped, but the sign is considered too menunjukkan serangan telah berlaku ke atas pokok late and eventually inflicts the death of the palms between six to eight months. Other symptoms are the presence of holes in petioles and chewed up * School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Universiti plant fibres with a very foul fermented odour. Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. This weevil is a concealed tissue borer that attacks ** School of Fundamental Science, Universiti Malaysia more than 26 palm species worldwide belonging Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. to 16 genera, including coconut, oil palm and sago E-mail: [email protected] 17 Oil Palm Bulletin 74 palm (EPPO, 2007) (Table 1). However, there is no Current strategies for management of the RPW evidence of breeding preference by the RPW for are mostly based on insecticide applications which any specific palm species or genera, although the might cause long-term damage to the environment RPW attacks a broad range of palm species. RPW and human health. Now, there is a strong emphasis is widely distributed in many geographical areas, on the development of integrated pest management as it had spread from its native Southeast Asia, to (IPM) which integrates different techniques to Asia (including China and India), Northern Africa, suppress the pest populations based on pheromone the Middle East, Europe, Oceania (Australia, Papua traps and biological control rather than insecticides New Guinea, etc.) and the Caribbean (Aruba and applications (Faleiro, 2006). Pheromone traps had Curacao) (EPPO, 2007). been incorporated into RPW-IPM programs and used successfully to monitor and mass trap this The RPW is most destructive on date palms pest in several countries (Oehlschlager et al., 1993; especially in the Middle East (i.e. Saudi Arabia, Hallett et al., 1999; Al-Saoud et al., 2010). Recently, in United Arab Emirates, Sultanate of Oman and Malaysia, the Department of Agriculture (DOA) has Egypt) (Bokhari and Abuzuhira, 1992). It has also conducted many approaches to control its spread, been reported that R. ferrugineus is a major pest of including spraying with the cypermethrin and soil sago palm in Sarawak, besides R. vulneratus (Flach, drenching in the highly infested areas. Besides, the 1983) and R. schach (Bong et al., 2008). In India and DOA is also conducting pheromone trapping using Sri Lanka, RPW is reported to be a serious pest of the aggregation pheromone imported from Costa coconut (Nirula, 1956; Faleiro and Kumar, 2008) and Rica (ferrolure, 4-methyl-5-nonanol) throughout oil palm (Misra, 1998) and it can completely destroy Malaysia to control the RPW infestation. However, the plants. In 1994, RPW was found in southern the effectiveness of the control strategies is still Spain and other European countries (Barranco et unknown as the infestations keep increasing in al., 1996). In 2010, it was first reported attacking the recent years. landscape palms in Laguna Beach, California but it has been successfully eradicated from California Malaysia houses a broad range of palm species. (EPPO, 2014). Due to that, RPW is listed on the A2 These include the coconut (Cocos nucifera), oil palm list of EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant (Elaeis guineensis), sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) and Protection Organization) as a significant serious several other ornamental palm trees including pest (EPPO, 2008). TABLE 1. LIST OF HOST PLANTS FOR THE RED PALM WEEVIL, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus IN SOUTH EAST ASIA (Murphy and Briscoe, 1999; DoA, 2016) Host species Common name Location of records Areca catechu Betel nut palm Philippines Arenga pinnata Sugar palm Indonesia, Philippines Borassus flabellifer Toddy palm India, Indonesia Caryota cumingii Fishtail palm Philippines Caryota maxima Pugahan Philippines Cocos nucifera Coconut palm Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka Corypha elata Buri palm Philippines Corypha gebanga Gebong Indonesia Elaeis guineensis Oil palm India, Indonesia, Philippines Livistona decora Ribbon fan palm Malaysia Livistona chinensis Chinese fan palm Malaysia Metroxylon sagu Sago palm Malaysia, Indonesia Oncosperma horridum Nibong palm Indonesia Oncosperma tigillarium Nibong palm Indonesia, Philippines Roystonea regia Royal palm Malaysia, Philippines Phoenix canariensis Date palm Malaysia, India, Indonesia Source: Muhd Syazlie Che Ibrahim. 18 The Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus: Current Issues and Challenges in Malaysia the canary date palm (Phoenix canariensis). As Terengganu, Malaysia (Wahizatul et al., 2013). Its this invasive weevil has the potential to become orgins are unknown but the theory surrounding an aggressive pest that will threaten the oil palm its appearance is that the weevil could have been industry in Malaysia, effective control measures transported accidentally from date palms from must be considered seriously. Thus, this paper the Middle East. It was observed that more than highlights some of the important aspects of RPW 30 variations in adult sizes, colours, numbers and which includes the taxonomy and biology of RPW, shapes of pronotal markings found in Terengganu signs and symptoms of infestation, management of (Figure 1). Preliminary morphological assesments RPW and its potential threat to oil palm. were unable to confirm the identity of the RPW although it bears remarkable similarities to R. IDENTIFICATION OF RPW ferrugineus. Hitherto, all RPW species associated with major damage to sago palm in Sarawak (Bong Rhynchophorus ferrugineus belongs to the family et al., 2008) and coconut in Hilir Perak (Sivapragasm Dryophthoridae, Superfamily Curculionoidea from et al., 1990) is regarded as R. schach, then known as the Order Coleoptera. The Rhynchophorus palm R. vulneratus or commonly as the Red Stripe Weevil. weevil is a large