Desiccation intolerance of the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (oliv) adults in relation to their cuticular hydrocarbons

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

The
desiccation tolerance of red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
was investigated in the laboratory. Adults exposed to 35 or 75% relative
humidity showed high rate of water loss. Water loss rate averaged 2.32 ± 0.35
and 6.71 ± 0.73 mg /g fresh body weight/hr at 35 or 75% RH, respectively, and
cumulative loss increased with time. Adults exposed to 35% RH died within a
maximum of 4 days. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) were isolated and identified
from adults to elucidate the physiological basis of their intolerance to
desiccation. They were dominated by saturated n-alkanes (75%), while the ester
compound 1-henicosyl formate, the fatty alcohol 3-(E) eicosanol and the alkene tricosene
represented 25% of total surface CHCs. The desecration intolerance of weevils
was attributed to the presence of relatively high proportion of 1-henicosyl
formate (17.5%) which could form large pores within the waxy waterproofed CHCs layer
of weevils

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