Abstract
A field experiment to evaluate integrated effect of baited aggregation pheromone traps and entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana or insecticide for controlling the red palm weevil (RPW). Rhyncophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Rhynchophoridae) was conducted in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt in 2008/09. Results indicated that the population of captured weevils was decreased as a result of using a combination of baited pheromone traps + the fungus or insecticide compared with using baited pheromone trap only. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between the mean numbers of captured adults in treated areas with baited pheromone traps alone and combination of traps and fungus or insecticide whereas the total mean numbers were 17.04, 4.93 and 8.02 adults/3 traps, respectively. Total mean reduction of RPW population caused by mass-trapping and the fungus B. bassiana insecticide was 61.40 and 40.16%, respectively. Considerable reduction of infested palm tree numbers was noticed in treated areas with the combinations compared with the control. There were significant differences in mean numbers of infested palms among different field trials and untreated areas. They were the least (0.77 and 0.82 palms) at the combination of baited pheromone traps + the fungus and baited pheromone traps + insecticide, respectively and the highest (2.03 and 2.15 palms) at the mass-trapping or insecticide alone. However, untreated areas recorded highest infested palm trees whereas the mean number was 3.73 palms.