Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T12:11:41.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Host use and crop impacts of Oribius Marshall species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

P. Wesis ,
B. Niangu ,
M. Ero ,
R. Masamdu ,
M. Autai ,
D. Elmouttie  and
A. R. Clarke
P. Wesis
Affiliation:
National Agricultural Research Institute, Highlands Programme (Aiyura), PO Box 384, Kainantu 443, EHP, Papua New Guinea
B. Niangu
Affiliation:
National Agricultural Research Institute, Highlands Programme (Aiyura), PO Box 384, Kainantu 443, EHP, Papua New Guinea
M. Ero
Affiliation:
National Agricultural Research Institute, National Agricultural Insect Collection, PO Box 1691, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea School of Natural Resource Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 4001
R. Masamdu
Affiliation:
Plant Protection Service, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji Islands
M. Autai
Affiliation:
Fresh Produce Development Company, PO Box 958, Goroka, EHP, Papua New Guinea
D. Elmouttie
Affiliation:
School of Natural Resource Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 4001
A. R. Clarke*
Affiliation:
School of Natural Resource Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 4001
*
*Author for correspondence Fax: +61 7 3138 1535 E-mail: a.clarke@qut.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Oribius species are small flightless weevils endemic to the island of New Guinea and far northern Cape York, Australia. The adults feed externally on leaves, developing fruit and green bark, but their impact as pests and general host use patterns are poorly known. Working in Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, we carried out structured host use surveys, farmer surveys, shade-house growth trials and on-farm and on-station impact trials to: (i) estimate the host range of the local Oribius species; (ii) understand adult daily activity patterns; (iii) elucidate feeding habits of the soil dwelling larvae; and (iv) quantify the impacts of adult feeding damage. Oribius inimicus and O. destructor accounted for nearly all the Oribius species encountered locally, of these two O. inimicus was the most abundant. Weevils were collected from 31 of 33 plants surveyed in the Aiyura Valley, and a combination of farmer interviews and literature records provided evidence for the beetles being pestiferous on 43 crops currently or previously grown in the Highlands. Adult weevils had a distinct diurnal pattern of being in the upper plant canopy early in the morning and, to a lesser extent, again late in the afternoon. For the remainder of the day, beetles resided within the canopy, or possibly off the plant. Movement of adults between plants appeared frequent. Pot trials confirmed the larvae are root feeders. Quantified impact studies showed that the weevils are damaging to a range of vegetable and orchard crops (broccoli, capsicum, celery, French bean, Irish potato, lettuce, orange and strawberry), causing average yield losses of around 30–40%, but up to 100% on citrus. Oribius weevils pose a significant and, apparently, growing problem for Highland's agriculture.

Keywords

Grey weevilsdamageimpactcropsPapua New Guinea
Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 100 , Issue 2 , April 2010 , pp. 133 - 143
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bar-Zakay, I. (1995) Integrated pest management in (PNG) citrus groves. Unpublished technical report. Library of the National Agricultural Research Institute, Lae, Papua New Guinea.Google Scholar
Clarke, A.R., Armstrong, K.F., Carmichael, A.E., Milne, J.R., Raghu, S., Roderick, G.K. & Yeates, D.K. (2005) Invasive phytophagous pests arising through a recent tropical evolutionary radiation: the Bactrocera dorsalis complex of fruit flies. Annual Review of Entomology 50, 293–319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ero, M.M., Clarke, A.R., Wesis, P. & Niangu, B. (2006) Pest species of the genus Oribius Marshall (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Papua New Guinea. PNG Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 49(2), 3–13.Google Scholar
Greve, J.E., van, S. & Ismay, J.W. (Eds) (1983) Crop insect survey of Papua New Guinea from July 1st 1969 to December 31st 1978. PNG Agricultural Journal 32, 1–120.Google Scholar
Marshall, G.A.K. (1956) The Otiorrhynchine Curculionidae of the tribe Celeuthetini (Col.). 134 pp. London, UK, Trustees of the British Natural History MuseumGoogle Scholar
Marshall, G.A.K. (1957) Some injurious Curculionidae (Col.) from New Guinea. Bulletin of Entomological Research 48, 1–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marshall, G.A.K. (1959) Two weevil pests of coffee in New Guinea. PNG Agricultural Journal 12, 44–46.Google Scholar
Moxon, J. (1992) Grey weevil pests of cocoa. LAES Information Bulletin, No. 49. Keravat, Papua New Guinea, Lowlands Agricultural Experiment Station.Google Scholar
Szent-Ivany, J.J.H. (1959) Host plant and distribution records of some insects in New Guinea. Pacific Insects 1, 423–429.Google Scholar
Szent-Ivany, J.J.H. & Stevens, R.H. (1966) Insects associated with Coffea arabica and some other crops in the Wau-Bulolo area of New Guinea. Papua and New Guinea Agricultural Journal 18, 101–119.Google Scholar
Thistleton, B.M. (1984) Entomology Bulletin: No 30; Oribius weevils. Harvest 10, 36–40.Google Scholar
Thomas, R.T.S. & Verloop, C.M. (1962) Host plants and distributions of some grey weevil species of the Tribe Celeuthetini in Netherlands New Guinea. Papua and New Guinea Agricultural Journal 15, 33–37.Google Scholar
Waterhouse, D.F. (1997) The major invertebrate pests and weeds of agriculture and plantation forestry in the southern and western Pacific. ACIAR Monograph, No. 44. Canberra, Austraslia, ACIAR.Google Scholar
Wesis, P., Niangu, B., Ero, M., Elmouttie, D. & Clarke, A.R. (2007) Efficacy of five insecticides against Oribius inimicus Marshall and O. destructor Marshall (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). PNG Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 50, 3–8.Google Scholar
Wilson, K.C. (1977) Preliminary notes on growing apples in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Science in New Guinea 5(3), 121–126.Google Scholar
Yoon, H.-K. & Wiles, G. (1995) Citrus pest monitoring in the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea (March 1993–February 1994) Technical Report 95/4, Konedobu, Papua New Guinea, Department of Agriculture and Livestock.Google Scholar
Zimmerman, E.C. (1991) Australian Weevils. Vol 5. x+633 pp. Canberra, Australia, CSIRO.Google Scholar