Abstract
The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier is the most severe insect of major cultivated palm trees. In the present studies, different experiments were carried out to evaluate the different sources of food baits compared with control (aggregation pheromone trap) in attracting RPW adults. Data recorded showed that the experiments that used aggregation pheromone and top soft trunk fresh tissues bait caught significantly more target adults pest (95.0 and 100.2 adults/2016 a year and 111.4 and 115.0 adults/2017 a year) compared with other treatments. The traps showed significant increase in weevils captured during the second season (2017) compared with the first season (2016). The top soft trunk tissues trap was the highest efficacy compared with the other baits (28.0% (2016) with all grand total a year 357.8 adults & 24.69% (2017) with all grand total a year 465.6 adults). Also our observations of captured weevils showed that the ratio of females to males captured was 1.3 female 1.0 male (2016) and 1.0 female :1.0 male (2017). The synergistic effects of temperature and R.H. % with different bait traps were also recorded with significant effects for the temperature than the humidity. Three flight peaks were recorded during two experimental for years of study, April, July and September. Outcomes from this study may serve as basis for future proper formulation of red palm weevil trapping food baits which could be adapted to the Mediterranean Sea. The second aim from this study is useful in the utilization of farm date palm residues in attracting adults and saving resistance expenses and not using or importing chemicals.