A supervised control programme for the pepper weevil,Anthonomus eugeniiCano, in Honduras, Central America

Abstract

Adult pepper weevils, Anthonomus eugenii Cano, were more exposed and hence easier to count between 08.00 and 11.00 hours than at any other hour of the day. Twice weekly counts of exposed adult weevils and the use of action thresholds of either one or two adults per 100 terminals resulted in more cost effective control than did weekly scheduled applications. The former threshold is recommended for capital intensive farmers, while the latter may be most appropriate for capital-limited producers. Manual collection and destruction of fallen fruits was not a cost effective supportive tactic where insecticides were used, but may be of limited value in the absence of chemical control. The low' cost, simplicity and efficacy of the procedures described should make them acceptable to small scale, capital limited farmers.

Pepper Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Preferences for Specific Pepper Cultivars, Plant Parts, Fruit Colors, Fruit Sizes, and Timing

“…Adult population estimates are best obtained by visual examination or by yellow sticky traps [22]. According to Andrews et al [23], an economic threshold recommended when visually scouting for A. eugenii is one adult per 100 plants. Action thresholds of one adult per 400 terminal buds [21] or 1% of buds infested also have been suggested [21,24].…”

Toxicity of Selected Insecticides toCatolaccus hunteri(Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in the Laboratory

“…peppers and is widely distributed throughout the southern United States (Elmore et al 1934;Goff & Wilson 1937;Riley & King 1994), Mexico (Laborde & Pozo 1984), Central America (Andrews et al 1986), and the Caribbean (Abreu & Cruz 1985). Eggs are deposited in flower buds and fruit, where larvae and pupae complete their development.…”

Response ofCatolaccus hunteri(Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) to Colored Sticky Traps in the Laboratory

“…The pepper weevil is a serious economic pest of cultivated Capsicum spp. peppers in the southern United States (Elmore et al 1934;Goff and Wilson 1937;Riley & King 1994), Mexico (Laborde & Pozo 1984), Central America (Andrews et al 1986), and the Caribbean (Abreu & Cruz 1985). The pest was found in field trials to respond to yellow sticky traps (Riley & Schuster 1994).…”