On Blue Agave
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1454 Florida Entomologist 96(4) December 2013 POPULATION DYNAMICS OF SCYPHOPHORUS ACUPUNCTATUS (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE) ON BLUE AGAVE 1* 1 2 PEDRO FIGUEROA-CASTRO , JUAN FERNANDO SOLÍS-AGUILAR , HÉCTOR GONZÁLEZ-HERNÁNDEZ , 3 4 1 5 RAMÓN RUBIO-CORTÉS , ELIÚ G. HERRERA-NAVARRO , LUÍS EMILIO CASTILLO-MÁRQUEZ AND JULIO C. ROJAS 1Departamento de Parasitología Agrícola, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Carretera México-Texcoco Km 38.5, CP 56230, Chapingo, Edo. de México, México 2Fitosanidad-Entomología y Acarología, Colegio de Postgraduados, Carretera México-Texcoco, Km 36.5, CP 56230, Montecillo, Texcoco, Edo. de México, México 3Tequila Sauza S.A. de C.V., Campo Experimental Rancho El Indio, Carretera Internacional Guadalajara-Nogales No. 400, CP 46400, Tequila, Jalisco, México 4Casa Herradura, Calzada del Carmen 82, Centro, CP 45380, Amatitán, Jalisco, México. 5Grupo Ecología y Manejo de Artrópodos, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Km 2.5, CP 30700, Tapachula, Chiapas, México *Corresponding author; E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The agave weevil, Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal, is considered the main pest of Agave tequilana Weber var. ‘Azul’ (Asparagales: Asparagaceae) in Mexico. In this study, we investigated the population fluctuations ofS . acupunctatus for 19 months using 2 sampling methods in blue agave fields inA hualulco and Amatitán, Jalisco, Mexico. We recorded the direct damage caused by weevils on the sampled agave plants and evaluated the correla- tion between the number of S. acupunctatus captured by pheromone traps and the density of weevils located on plants. In Ahualulco, the highest agave weevil population density (for all developmental stages) was detected in Mar 2008, although the peak of trap captures occurred in May 2009. In Amatitán, the highest agave weevil population density was ob- served in Apr 2009, and the highest number of insects was captured in May and Sep 2009. The mean fraction of necrotic bole tissue caused by the weevils per sampled plant was 75.4 ± 2.1% and 72.6 ± 2.0% in Ahualulco and Amatitán, respectively. In Ahualulco, there was a positive correlation between the number of weevils caught in the pheromone traps and the number of adult weevils on the plants, whereas the number of weevils caught by the pheromone traps at Amatitán was positively correlated with the total number of weevils on the plants. We found that the sex ratio of weevils recovered from agave plants was approxi- mately 1:1 at both experimental sites, and this trend did not vary seasonally; conversely, the sex ratio of captured weevils in pheromone traps was female-biased year-round. Key Words: agave tequilero, agave weevil, population fluctuation, aggregation pheromone traps RESUMEN El picudo del agave, Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal, es considerado la principal pla- ga en Agave tequilana Weber var. Azul en México. En esta investigación, se utilizaron dos métodos de muestreo para estudiar la dinámica poblacional de S. acupunctatus durante 19 meses en plantaciones comerciales de agave tequilero en Ahualulco y Amatitán, Jalisco. Así mismo, se registró el daño directo causado por larvas de picudo en las plantas muestreadas. Adicionalmente, se determinó la posible relación entre el número de picudos encontrados en plantas y el número de picudos capturados en trampas con feromona de agregación sintética. En Ahualulco la mayor densidad poblacional de picudo (todos los estadios de desarrollo) se detectó en marzo de 2008, mientras que la mayor cantidad de picudos capturados en tram- pas ocurrió en mayo de 2009. En Amatitán, la mayor densidad poblacional de picudo (todos los estadios de desarrollo) se detectó en abril de 2009, mientras que las mayores cantidades de picudos capturados en trampas se obtuvieron en mayo y septiembre de 2009. El daño promedio causado por picudo por planta de agave muestreada fue de 75.4 ± 2.1% y 72.6 ± 2.0% en Ahualulco y Amatitán, respectivamente. En Ahualulco el número de picudos cap- Figueroa-Castro et al.: Population Dynamics of the Agave Weevil 1455 turados en trampas estuvo positivamente correlacionado con el número de picudos adultos en plantas. En Amatitán el número de picudos capturados en trampas con feromona estuvo positivamente correlacionado con el número total de picudos en plantas. En ambos sitios experimentales la proporción sexual de los picudos adultos encontrados en plantas fue de aproximadamente 1:1 y esta tendencia no varió a lo largo del tiempo. Sin embargo, en el caso de los picudos capturados en trampas, la mayoría fueron hembras. Palabras Clave: agave tequilero, picudo del agave, fluctuación poblacional, trampas con fe- romona de agregación Tequila is a spirit distilled from the fermented yet weevil captures in pheromone traps are not juice of the blue agave plant, Agave tequilana always representative of field populations with Weber var. ‘Azul’ (Asparagales: Asparagaceae), in respect to the sex ratio (Mitchell & Hardee 1974). Mexico. Tequila is produced in 5 states in Mexico, Thus, an understanding of the causes for changes but the main production areas are located in the in the distribution, abundance, and sex ratio of state of Jalisco, including the Tequila-Amatitán S. acupunctatus may be essential for developing region and the Jalisco Highlands (Cedeño & Alva- an integrated management system for this insect rez-Jacobs 1999). The tequila industry continues pest. to grow in Mexico due to increases in both domes- Using two sampling methods, we investigated tic consumption and foreign export; the tequila the population fluctuations ofS . acupunctatus for industry produced 312.1 million liters in 2008 19 months in two blue agave fields. We recorded (Valenzuela 2011). However, several abiotic and the direct damage caused by weevils on sampled biotic factors can limit the production of agave agave plants, and we further determined the plants, and one of the most important phytos- possible relationship between the number of S. anitary problems of blue agave is the weevil Scy- acupunctatus caught by pheromone traps and the phophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: density of weevils located on the plants. Curculionidae). The estimated damage caused by the feeding larvae of this insect on the agave boles MATERIALS AND METHODS tissue is approximately 24.5% (Solís-Aguilar et al. 2001); in addition to direct damage, the feeding Experimental Sites weevils may facilitate the entry of phytopatho- gens, causing bole rot disease (González et al. The experiments were conducted in 2 com- 2007). mercial agave plantations in Jalisco, Mexico, Insecticides are the main control method for each containing 7-yr-old blue agave plants. The S. acupunctatus (Solís-Aguilar et al. 2000; Terán- first plantation, “El Molino”, is located in the mu- Vargas et al. 2012); however, the effective use of nicipality of Ahualulco de Mercado (N 20° 37' W insecticides for controlling the weevil population 103° 52', 1,300 m asl). This municipality has an is hindered by the cryptic behavior of the insect. average annual rainfall of 871.4 mm, with a rainy Additionally, the misuse of insecticides may cause season normally occurring from Jun to Sep; the the development of resistance to these products average annual temperature is 20.6 °C, with Jun and cause environmental and health problems. as the hottest month and Jan as the coldest (Ruiz Within this context, the chemical ecology of S. acu- et al. 2004). The second plantation, “Loma Norte”, punctatus has recently been investigated (Ruiz- is located in the municipality of Amatitán (N 20° Montiel et al. 2003, 2008, 2009) in the search for 42' W 103° 37', 1,260 m asl). This region has an alternative management strategies. As with oth- average annual temperature of 23.2 °C, with Jun er weevil species, S. acupunctatus males release as the hottest month and Jan as the coldest; the a pheromone that attracts both sexes. Although average annual rainfall is 951.7 mm, and the the aggregation pheromone of S. acupunctatus is rainy season generally occurs from Jun to Sep composed of 2 ketones and 2 alcohols (Ruiz-Mon- (García 1987). tiel et al. 2008), the major pheromone component, 2-methyl-4-octanone (Ruiz-Montiel et al. 2008), is Direct Sampling on Whole Infested Plants sufficient to achieve captures equivalent to those for the quaternary blend (Rodríguez-Rebollar et Each month, 10 agave plants per experimen- al. 2012). In general, pheromone traps catch more tal site were selected for sampling (“jimadas”). S. acupunctatus females than males, though it is The plants selected exhibited symptoms of bole not known if this is due to a higher percentage rot disease with damage levels of 4 and 5 accord- of females than males present in the fields when ing to the conventional scale (Table 1) proposed the experiments were performed. Indeed, the po- by Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT 1999). tential to reduce the weevil population is much A relationship between weevil infestation and greater if more females than males are captured, bole root disease has been previously observed: 1456 Florida Entomologist 96(4) December 2013 TABLE 1. SCALE USED FOR DETERMINING THE DAMAGE LEVEL OF BOLE ROT DISEASE IN BLUE AGAVE, PROPOSED BY CONSEJO REGULADOR DEL TEQUILA (1999). Damage level Symptoms description 1 Apparently healthy plant 2 From 1 to 5 necrotic injuries points from 1 to 30 cm length, starting in the apical or lateral spines. 3 One or more necrotic injuries over 30 cm length, or more than 6 injuries from 5 to 30 cm. 4 Necrotic injuries in the head (crown), but healthy bole or “piña”, the disease has not yet reached the “piña”. 5 Head completely damaged and “piña” affected, the rot disease had invaded the “piña”. Plant obviously dead. plants more severely affected by the disease (4-5 nal de Jalisco, S. A. de C. V., Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, on a scale of 1-5) regularly showed the highest Mexico) (5 mL/L of water) were placed inside a number of weevils (Solís-Aguilar et al.