Cosmopolites sordidus

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Cosmopolites sordidus
Cosmopolites sordidus.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Curculionidae
Subfamily: Dryophthorinae
Tribe: Sphenophorini
Genus: Cosmopolites
Species:
C. sordidus
Binomial name
Cosmopolites sordidus
(Germar, 1824)
Synonyms

Calandra sordidaGermar, 1824

Cosmopolites sordidus, commonly known as the banana root borer, banana borer, [1] or banana weevil, [2] is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is a pest of banana cultivation and has a cosmopolitan distribution, being found in all parts of the world in which bananas are grown. [1] It is considered the most serious insect pest of bananas. [3]

Contents

Description

The adult banana root borer is about 11 mm (38 in) in length and has a glossy greyish-black or dark brown appearance. Unlike the billbugs (Sphenophorus), the thorax lacks depressions. The tibia of each of the limbs bears an accessory hook-like claw with which the insect clings to plants. The larva is plump and whitish with a reddish-brown head. The eighth abdominal segment of the larva bears a large spiracle, the remaining segments bearing small spiracles; the last two segments appear truncated, being fused together to form a plate-like structure. The pupa has an irregular appearance, with the developing wings and limbs being discernable through the pupal case. [4]

Distribution

The banana root borer probably originated in southeastern Asia and Indonesia. It now has a cosmopolitan distribution and is found in all the banana-growing regions of the world: southern Asia, Africa, Macaronesia, Australia, South and Central America, the West Indies and Mexico. [2] In the United States it is restricted to Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties in Florida. It is easily transported from one place to another in the larval stage, inside sections of root or corm. [4]

Ecology

Banana root borers feed on any species of Musa (banana), but they show a preference for plantains and East African Highland bananas (matoke) over dessert and brewing bananas. They are attracted to the host plants by the volatile chemicals given off, especially from damaged corms. [3] They have been reported as feeding on Manila hemp, sugarcane and yams, but they probably only do this when they are unable to access banana plants. [4]

The adult female deposits her eggs singly between the leaf sheath and the stem, or at the base of the stem in the vicinity of the corm. On hatching about six days later, the larvae burrow into the stem or the root, and it is their burrowing activities that weaken the plant and make it liable to be blown over. The complete life cycle takes 30 to 40 days, including a larval stage of 15 to 20 days. [4] In southeastern Asia, the banana root borer is preyed on by the beetle Plaesius javanus , which feeds on the eggs, all the larval stages, the pupae and the adults. This beetle has been introduced to other parts of the root borer's range to attempt biological pest control. [5]

Damage

The tunnelling activities of the root borer weaken the stem, make the plant more susceptible to lodging, cause reduced uptake of nutrients, and result in crop damage and lower yields. Newly planted stands fail to thrive, and the damage increases over time. The adults are nocturnal, are poor fliers, and have low fecundity; their dispersal is limited. Planting insect-free roots or tissue culture plantlets may be effective for a few years before insects move in from surrounding areas. The removal and destruction of crop residues is another means of reducing damage from this pest and increasing yields. [6] Another possible control method is attracting the adults with pheromones and trapping them. [3]

Related Research Articles

Curculionidae Family of beetles

The Curculionidae are the family of the "true" weevils. They are one of the largest animal families, with 6,800 genera and 83,000 species described worldwide. They are the sister group to the family Brentidae.

Borer may refer to:

<i>Diaprepes abbreviatus</i> Species of beetle

Diaprepes abbreviatus is a species of weevil that is native to the Caribbean, where in Spanish it is colloquially called chichí.

<i>Cotinis nitida</i> Species of beetle

Cotinis nitida, commonly known as the green June beetle, June bug or June beetle, is a beetle of the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in the eastern United States and Canada, where it is most abundant in the South. It is sometimes confused with the related southwestern species figeater beetle Cotinis mutabilis, which is less destructive.

<i>Rhynchophorus ferrugineus</i> Pest weevil on palm (oil, coconut, date)

The palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is one of two species of snout beetle known as the red palm weevil, Asian palm weevil or sago palm weevil. The adult beetles are relatively large, ranging between 2 and 4 centimetres long, and are usually a rusty red colour—but many colour variants exist and have often been classified as different species. Weevil larvae can excavate holes in the trunks of palm trees up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) long, thereby weakening and eventually killing the host plant. As a result, the weevil is considered a major pest in palm plantations, including the coconut palm, date palm and oil palm.

Wharf borer Species of beetle

The wharf borer, Nacerdes melanura, belongs to the insect order Coleoptera, the beetles. They belong to the family Oedemeridae, which are commonly known as false blister beetles. Wharf borers are present in all the states of the USA except for Florida. It takes about a year to develop from an egg to an adult. The insect is called the 'wharf borer' because the larval stage of this insect is often found on pilings and timbers of wharves, especially along coastal areas. The adult beetles can be identified via a black band across the end of both elytra, or wing covers. In addition, wharf borers can be distinguished from other members of the family Oedemeridae via the presence of a single spur on the tibia of the forelegs, and the distance between both eyes. Eggs are oviposited on rotten wood where larvae hatch and burrow to feed on rotten wood. Adults do not feed and depend on stored energy reserves accumulated during the larval stage. They are considered to be a pest because they damage wood used in building infrastructures.

Cosmopolites is a genus of true weevil in the Dryophthorinae subfamily and tribe Sphenophorini. The type species and most economically important is the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus.

<i>Otiorhynchus ovatus</i> Species of beetle

Otiorhynchus ovatus, the strawberry root weevil, is one of the many species in the weevil family (Curculionidae), occurring across Canada and the northern United States. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Its name comes from its affinity for strawberry plants, which form a large part of its diet. They are, however, known to feed on other plants as well. Occasionally the larvae cause serious damage to seedlings and young transplants in plantations and nurseries. It is known to be one of the major pests threatening sub-tropical strawberry farming.

<i>Hylobius transversovittatus</i> Species of beetle

Hylobius transversovittatus is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is native to the Old World where both adults and larvae feed on purple loosestrife. This plant is regarded as an invasive species in North America and the weevil has been introduced into both the United States and Canada in an effort to control the plant.

Polyphagozerra coffeae, the red coffee borer or coffee carpenter, is a moth of the family Cossidae. It was described by John Nietner in 1861 and is found in Asia. Records from the Moluccas and New Guinea refer to Polyphagozerra reticulata, which was previously considered to be a synonym of P. coffeae. It is a widespread pest that attacks many plants.

<i>Curculio elephas</i> Species of beetle

Curculio elephas is a species of beetle in the family Curculionidae, the true weevils. It is known commonly as the chestnut weevil. It is a serious pest of chestnut in Europe.

Stemborer Index of animals with the same common name

A stemborer is any insect larva, or arthropod, that bores into plant stems. However the term most frequently refers among the Coleoptera to the larva of certain longhorn beetles such as Dorysthenes buqueti and those of the genus Oberea, and among the Lepidoptera to certain moths of the Crambidae, Castniidae, Gelechiidae, Nolidae, and Pyralidae families.

<i>Plaesius javanus</i> Species of beetle

Plaesius javanus, the Jepson's beetle, is a species of clown beetles belonging to the family Histeridae.

Listronotus bonariensis is a species of weevil that is native to South America and is commonly known as the Argentine stem weevil. It is a pest of grasses and cereals, with the larvae being more destructive than the adult insects. It has spread to Australia and New Zealand, where it is regarded as a pest species.

<i>Sitona lineatus</i> Species of beetle

Sitona lineatus, commonly known as the pea leaf weevil is a species of weevil with a Palearctic distribution. It is a common pest of beans, peas, and other plants in the family Fabaceae. Adult beetles of S. lineatus measure 3.4-5.3 mm in length. They are characterized by a series of colored scales arranged in alternating lines (striae) on the elytra; it is from this characteristic where the species gets its name lineatus meaning 'lined' or 'striped'. The head and pronotum also have fine pointed setae amongst the scales. The antennae are clubbed, pointed and preceded by 7 segments. The femora is dark, but tibiae and tarsi are red. As a member of Order Coleoptera (beetles) their forewings are modified to form hardened covers over the thorax and abdomen, with the hindwings for flight underneath.

Trichobaris trinotata, commonly known as the "potato stalk borer", is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae. It is found in North America where it is a pest of potato plants, the larvae tunnelling inside their stems.

Listronotus oregonensis, the carrot weevil, is a species of weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is found in North America.

Diocalandra frumenti, commonly known as the palm weevil borer, the lesser coconut weevil, or four-spotted coconut weevil, is a species of weevil in the family Curculionidae. It occurs in Africa, Southern Asia and Northern Australia, and is a pest of coconut and other palm trees.

<i>Odoiporus longicollis</i> Species of beetle

Odoiporus longicollis, commonly known as banana stem weevil or banana pseudostem borer, is a species of weevil found in South Asia and South East Asia.

Polytus mellerborgi, commonly known as small banana weevil, is a species of weevil widely distributed in southeastern Polynesia through Melanesia, Micronesia, Indo-Malaya, south China, Burma, India, Sri Lanka, other islands of the Indian Ocean to Madagascar and as far as Mexico and Central America.

References

  1. 1 2 "Banana weevil". Infonet-Biovision. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Cosmopolites sordidus (banana weevil)". Invasive Species Compendium. CABI. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Gold, Clifford S.; Pena, Jorge E.; Karamura, Eldad B. (2001). "Biology and integrated pest management for the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)". Integrated Peat Management Reviews. 6 (2): 79–155. doi:10.1023/A:1023330900707. S2CID   81059999.
  4. Hasyim, A. (2003). "Prey potential of the predatory histerid beetle Plaesius javanus to control banana weevil borer, Cosmopolites sordidus Germar". Jurnal Stigma. 11 (2): 165–169.
  5. Masanza, M.; Gold, C.S.; Van Huis, A.; Ragama, P.E. (2004). "Use of crop sanitation for the management of the banana weevil in Uganda". Uganda Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 9 (1): 636–644. hdl:10568/103318.