摘要
The aim of the research was to develop a catch-and-release trap for monitoring and controlling RPW （Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, red palm weevil）. The RPW insects were attracted through the use of an aggregation pheromone located into a dispenser inside the trap. The RPW adults entered through an entrance door into a sterilization room where they were sprayed with a solution containing the chemical sterilizer product ＂lufenuron＂. The adults were then forced to move into a contamination room where it was present a wet media containing spores and hyphae of Metarhizium anisopliae and spores and crystalline insecticidal proteins of Bacillus thuringensis. The sterilized and infected RPW adults were counted and released into the environment where they reached new palms and join natural populations of RPW. Preliminary experiments showed that the catch-and-release trap was able to reduce the fertility of RPW adults and to increase their mortality after contamination with entomopathogens. Moreover, the infected RPW adults were able to infect untreated RPW larvae leading to a larvae mortality of 93% within 30 days. In conclusion, the advanced catch-and-release trap represents a safe and effective tool to monitor and control the population of RPW pest without environmental pollution and risks for human health.
