Establishment of a trap network in the east border of the dispersal of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Col.: Curculionidae) in Crete (Greece)

Abstract: The red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus was recorded for the first time in Crete Island in Heraklion Prefecture during November 2005. Later the pest has spread in neighboring areas infesting and destroying hundred of palm trees. In autumn 2008 it became a serious threat for the native Cretan palm Phoenix theophrasti in the Lasithi Prefecture. A network of 44 pheromone traps was established in the infested areas to monitor the pest.Six different types of commercially available traps were tested, reveling significant differences in captures. A total of 4843 adults of R. ferrugineus were captured with a significant female domination. The majority of these insects were caught between September and January, showing that a seasonal distribution of flight activity occurs. The high number of captured adults in combination with the high proportion of females proves the need for constructing a denser network of traps for mass trapping of the pest.