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Summary
The agave weevil, Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), is the main insect pest on maguey grown for mezcal beverage production in Guerrero, Mexico. We studied the effectiveness of several food attractants in pheromone-baited traps for capturing S. acupunctatus in mezcal maguey plantations. All of the tested food attractants synergized the response of the agave weevil to synthetic aggregation pheromone traps. Adding papalote maguey tissue, ripe banana, or ripe pineapple fruit increased the number of captured weevils in pheromone-baited traps. However, it is easier, cheaper, and more practical to use ripe banana or pineapple fruit as the bait attractant than using the agave tissue.
Key Words: agave weevil; food attractant; monitoring; pheromone trap
Sumario
El picudo del agave Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), es la principal plaga en maguey mezcalero in Guerrero, México. En la presente investigación se evaluó la efectividad de varios atrayentes alimenticios en trampas con feromona de agregación sintética para la captura de S. acupunctatus en plantaciones de maguey mezcalero espadín. Todos los atrayentes alimenticios empleados potencializan la respuesta de este picudo a las trampas con feromona sintética. Colocar tejidos de maguey papalote, fruta madura de plátano o piña incrementa el número de picudos capturados en las trampas con feromona. Sin embargo, emplear fruta madura de plátano o piña es más sencillo, económico y práctico que usar tejido de agave.
Palabras Clave: picudo del agave; atrayentes alimenticios; monitoreo; trampas con feromona
Agave weevil, Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), is the main pest on wild and cultivated agave in Mexico (González-Hernández et al. 2007; Aquino Bolaños et al. 2014). In Guerrero State, this weevil infests wild, semi-cultivated, and cultivated maguey for producing mezcal (Agave vivipara L. = Agave angustifolia Haworth, and Agave cupreata Trel. & Berger; Asparagaceae) (Barrios Ayala et al. 2006; P. F.-C. unpublished data). Conventional management tactics (i.e., pesticide applications) have been inefficient to control agave weevil populations mainly because of the cryptic habits of this weevil, which completes its life cycle inside the agave boll (P. F.-C. unpublished data).
A pheromone-baited trap system is the standard tool for monitoring adult populations of S. acupunctatus on blue agave in Mexico (Figueroa-Castro et al. 2013). The use of agave tissue as a bait was proposed by Rojas et al. (2006). Further,...