A. C. OEHLSCHLAGER
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B. C., VSA 1S6, Canada
Oil palm occupies approximately 300,000 Ha in Central and South America and 4,500,000 Ha in Southeast Asia. In the Americas the American palm weevil, Rhynchophorus palmarum, is a major threat to oil and coconut palm as a vector of red ring nematode. In 1991 we demonstrated that the maleproduced aggregation pheromone for this weevil captured large numbers of weevils when presented in traps containing a food source. Pheromonebased trapping of R. palmarum has now been shown to lower red ring nematode infection rates by 80% over 1 year using I trap per 5 hectare. Pheromone-based trapping is currently used throughout Central and South America to reduce red ring disease in oil palm.
The coconut rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros, is the most important pest of young oil palm in Southeast Asia. Hallett et al. have recently reported a male-produced aggregation pheromone for this pest. An operational pheromone-based trapping system has been developed which avoids the use of insecticides and is more cost effective than current population management which involves periodic inspection and insecticide treatment of young palms.