Coconut Red weevil

Seivier Pest of Coconut

1. Severe Pest of Severe Pest of
Coconut Coconut Coconut Coconut
Red weevilRed weevil

Presented by:Presented by:
Mr.T.Sekaran.Mr.T.Sekaran.

2. Coconut Red WeevilCoconut Red Weevil
Scincetific name: Scincetific name: Rhynchophorus ferrugineusRhynchophorus ferrugineus
(Olivier)(Olivier)
Common name: Red Palm Weevil and/or Asian Common name: Red Palm Weevil and/or Asian
Palm Weevil and Indian palm weevilPalm Weevil and Indian palm weevil

3. ClassificationClassification
Kingdom: AnimaliaKingdom: Animalia
Phylum: ArthropodaPhylum: Arthropoda
Class: InsectaClass: Insecta
Order: ColeopteraOrder: Coleoptera
Family: CurculionidaeFamily: Curculionidae
Genus: Genus: RhynchophorusRhynchophorus
SpeciesSpecies:Rhynchophorus ferrugineus:Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

4. Life CycleLife Cycle
Pupa

LarvaAdult
Egg

5. EggEgg
Creamy whiteCreamy white
Oblonge & shinyOblonge & shiny
Hatch in 3 daysHatch in 3 days
2.62 mm long & 1.12 2.62 mm long & 1.12
mm Widemm Wide

6. LarvaeLarvae
Brown head, white Brown head, white
bodybody
Body is composed 13 Body is composed 13
segmentssegments
35mm long35mm long
50mm long matured50mm long matured

7. PupaePupae
First cream coloured but First cream coloured but
later turns brown.later turns brown.
It’s surface is shiny.It’s surface is shiny.
The Antennae & eyes are The Antennae & eyes are
quite prominent.quite prominent.
Average length is 35mm Average length is 35mm
& the width is 15mm.& the width is 15mm.

8. AdultAdult
Reddish brown in colourReddish brown in colour
35mm long & 10mm wide.35mm long & 10mm wide.
It has long Rostrum (snout) & It has long Rostrum (snout) &
Dark spots.Dark spots.
Head & Rostrum comprise Head & Rostrum comprise
about one third of the total about one third of the total
length.length.
Female : more slender, Female : more slender,
curved and a little longer than curved and a little longer than
the male.the male.

9. DamageDamage
Red weevil is one of Red weevil is one of
the most destructive the most destructive
pests of coconut.pests of coconut.
The grubs cause The grubs cause
damage inside the damage inside the
stem or crown by stem or crown by
feeding on soft feeding on soft
tissues.tissues.

10. In case of severe infestation
the inside portion of trunk is
completely eaten and become
full of rotting fibres.
Many times reddish brown
liquid can be seen oozing out
from the hole.
In case of young palms the top
withers while in older palms
the top portion of trunk bends
and ultimately breaks at the
bend.

11. Damage symptomsDamage symptoms
The female weevil scoops The female weevil scoops
out small holes in the soft out small holes in the soft
tissues of the cut or tissues of the cut or
damaged parts of the damaged parts of the
coconut palms and deposits coconut palms and deposits
eggs there. eggs there.
Some times the gnawing Some times the gnawing
sound produced by the sound produced by the
feeding grubs will be feeding grubs will be
audible.audible.
In the advanced stage of In the advanced stage of
infestation yellowing of the infestation yellowing of the
inner whorl of leaves occur.inner whorl of leaves occur.
The crown falls down or dry The crown falls down or dry
up later when palm is dead. up later when palm is dead.

12. Control methodsControl methods
Cultural methodCultural method
Biological methodBiological method
Chemical methodChemical method
Other control methodOther control method

13. Cultural MethodCultural Method
Plant & field Sanitation.Plant & field Sanitation.
Destruction of infested plant material.Destruction of infested plant material.
Physical methods by preventing entry of Physical methods by preventing entry of
weevils through cut ends of petioles and weevils through cut ends of petioles and
wounds.wounds.

14. Biological controlBiological control
Predator: Predator: Platymerus laevicollisPlatymerus laevicollis
Chemical controlChemical control
Trunk injection – systemic insecticides Trunk injection – systemic insecticides
monocrotophosmonocrotophos
Drenching of the crown of infested trees with Drenching of the crown of infested trees with
insecticides.insecticides.
Treatment of wounds-filling with insecticide Treatment of wounds-filling with insecticide
dustdust
such as BHC mixed with sandu.such as BHC mixed with sandu.

15. Other Control methodsOther Control methods

Avoid making cuts on the coconut Avoid making cuts on the coconut
stem.stem.
Clean crown regularly.Clean crown regularly.
Dig and turn the soil deeply Dig and turn the soil deeply
around, the coconut trunk in the around, the coconut trunk in the
month of April-May.month of April-May.
Pick up grubs and kill them.Pick up grubs and kill them.
Heavily infested trees should be Heavily infested trees should be
cut down and destroy along with cut down and destroy along with
the various stages of the pest.the various stages of the pest.
Wounds on the trees should be Wounds on the trees should be
filled with a mixture of 10% filled with a mixture of 10%
carbaryl + sand (1:1)carbaryl + sand (1:1)

17. RefererenceRefererence
WWW.Redweevil.comWWW.Redweevil.com
www.ikisan.com/links/tn_coconutInsectManagement.shtmlwww.ikisan.com/links/tn_coconutInsectManagement.shtml
www.coconutboard.comwww.coconutboard.com