I. Rhinoceros Beetle

I. Rhinoceros Beetle






Symptoms
The adult beetle bores into the unopened fronds and spathes.
Attacked fronds when fully opened show characteristic geometric cuts

Control measures
Hook out the beetle from the attacked palms using beetle hook.
As a prophylactic measure, fill up the top most three leaf axils with Sevidol 8G(25g) + fine sand (200g) thrice in April, September and December.
OR
Place 10.5g naphthalene balls in the leaf axils and cover it with fine sand.
To be practiced once in 45 days.
Spraying 0.01% Carbaryl (50WP) in the breeding sites of the beetle help destroy the larva.
Biological control using the virus Baculovirus oryctus (release 10 - 15 virus infected beetles in 1 ha)


AND
green muscardine fungus, Metarrizhium anisopliae (spray 250ml Metarrizhium culture + 750ml water in manure pits and other breeding sites of the beetle)
Practice clean cultivation.
Video Film on Integrated management of Rhinoceros Beetle

________________________________________




Rhinoceros beetle

Three stages from larva to adult'
Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Coleoptera

Family: Scarabaeidae

Subfamily: Dynastinae
MacLeay, 1819







II. Red Palm Weevil
Symptoms
Presence of holes on the stem, oozing out of viscous brown fluid and extrusion of chewed up fibres through the hole.
Some times the gnawing sound produced by the feeding grubs will be audible.
In the advanced stage of infestation yellowing of the inner whorl of leaves occur.
The crown falls down or dry up later when palm is dead.

Control measures
Practice clean cultivation by cutting and removing palms already damaged and the decaying stumps in the garden. Such palms should be split open and the different stages of pest inside burned off.
Avoid injury to the trunk as the pest lay eggs in these wounds. Wounds if any, should be pasted with a mixture of carbaryl / Thiodan and soil. While cutting leaves, retain at least 1m of petiole.
Use pheromone trap for attracting weevils and kill the collected ones.
If rhinoceros beetle attack is prevalent, follow the recommended measures.
Use fungicides if leafrot / bud rot is noticed as the weevil lays eggs in such palms.
Inject attacked palms with 0.1% Endosulfan (3ml / litre water) or 1% Carbaryl (20gm/litre). Plug the holes in damaged region and pour the insecticide suspension into a slanting hole made above the damaged portion using a funnel. Then plug this hole also. If needed repeat after one week.




Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Coleoptera

Family: Curculionidae

Genus: Rhynchophorus

Species: R. ferrugineus


XI. Slug Caterpillar
(Leucopholis coneophora Burm.) (Melolonthinae: Coleoptera)

Symptoms
The white grubs are mostly found in sandy loam tracts of Kerala and Karnataka. It damage the roots. In seedling, it tunnels in to the bole and collar region.
It has an annual life cycle with a grub period of 8 months. Peak grub population is observed from Sept. to Oct. Adult beetles emerge out of the soil after pre- monsoon showers in May-June during sunset hours.

Control measures
Plouging and digging of soil during pre and post monsoon period will expose the insect for predation.
Collection and destruction of the adult beetles during May-June.
Setting up light traps to attract adult beetles.
Application of phorate 10G @ 100g per palm should be mixed and raked in the top 15cm soil in May-June and Sept.-Oct. is recommended in coastal and Malanad areas. Irrigation is necessary after the pesticide application.




IX. White Grub
(Leucopholis coneophora Burm.) (Melolonthinae: Coleoptera)

Symptoms
The white grubs are mostly found in sandy loam tracts of Kerala and Karnataka. It damage the roots. In seedling, it tunnels in to the bole and collar region.
It has an annual life cycle with a grub period of 8 months. Peak grub population is observed from Sept. to Oct. Adult beetles emerge out of the soil after pre- monsoon showers in May-June during sunset hours.

Control measures
Plouging and digging of soil during pre and post monsoon period will expose the insect for predation.
Collection and destruction of the adult beetles during May-June.
Setting up light traps to attract adult beetles.
Application of phorate 10G @ 100g per palm should be mixed and raked in the top 15cm soil in May-June and Sept.-Oct. is recommended in coastal and Malanad areas. Irrigation is necessary after the pesticide application.

________________________________________