Abstract
During 2005 and 2006, the loss and damage caused by the black weevil in mature plants of agave 'mezcalero' were determined in the Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. Population dynamics was determined as well. The percentage of damage found for Agave tequilana, fluctuated from 0.7% of category 6 (completely damaged head) to 16.9% of damage category 4 (heads with a presence of 16 to 20 spots). For Agave angustifolia Haws, the numbers fluctuated from 0.3% of category 6 (completely damaged head) to 13.3% of damage category 3 (head with a presence of 11 to 15 spots). Loss caused by degrees of advance for A. tequilana ranged from 4 to 19.1 kg/plant, and for A. angustifolia from 5.4 to 30 kg/plant. The heads with a degree of damage 5 had the least weight, the highest number of injuries and the highest number of insects in both species. Also, it was found that the maximum values of the black weevil populations (40 insects per sample) occurred between June and October, period with high humidity level due to more rain and hot weather.
| Translated title of the contribution | Scyphophorus acupunctatus (=interstitialis) Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Pest of agave mezcalero: Losses and damage in Oaxaca, México |
|---|---|
| Original language | Spanish |
| Pages (from-to) | 175-180 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Revista Cientifica UDO Agricola |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - 2007 |