An Electric Air Flow Olfactometer and the Olfactory Response of Rhynchophorous ferrugineus Weevil to Some Volatile Compounds
Aziza Sharaby *
Pests and Plant Protection Department, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt
Mona Al-Dosary
Biology Department, College of Science and Humanities, Salman Bin Abdel Aziz University, Saudi Arabia
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
An electric air flow olfactometer was designed for testing the olfactory response of adult weevils (males and females). Thirty one natural plant volatile oils, eighteen terpenes and nine volatile chemical compounds were tested in the designed olfactometer for their stimulation on the adult weevil as attractants or repellents, data cleared some of the tested materials were attractants for both sex while others were repellents. They are arranged according to their intensity of reaction. The most attractive natural plant oil for both sexs and terpene were Juniper oil and terpene (-) Camphene, while Fenugreek oil was attracted to males and repellent for females. The repellent oils for both sex reached 15 of the tested oils. The attractive terpenes for females were (-) Camphene and Anethol. The attractive terpene for males was (-) Camphene. The other volatile chemicals (Alcohols, Aldyhydes and Ketones) were tested in 9 chemical compounds could be arranged in descending order, for females they were (Propionaldehyde>Furyl methyl Ketone), while Methylbenzaldehyde, Menthanal, Acetophenone, Benzaldehyde and Acetyl thiophene were repellents. All the nine chemical compounds were repellents for males. The attractive materials maybe used in bait traps in an IPM program, and repellent oils as a repellent by spraying on the wounded arias of palm trees.
Keywords: Red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, olfactometer, volatile chemicals, olfactory response, attractants, repellents, plant oils, terpenes