Authors:M. D. Patil
Abstract:Dendrocalamus stocksii is a commercially important bamboo species in Peninsular India. The Bamboo weevil Cyrtotrachelus sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is reported for the first time as a shoot borer of tender shoots of D. stocksii at Dapoli, Maharashtra, India. A stagnant rancid odour in the plantation first indicated heavy infestation of the pest. As much as 62% of the newly emerging shoots showed infestation. Around 94% of the incidences were recorded within 1.5m above ground surface. Tunneling by the grubs resulted in terminal shoot damage and led to the formation of epicormics. Observations on the biology, infestation status and economic significance of this pest are presented.
Keywords:Bamboo pests, earthen puparia, entomophilic nematodes, insect pheromones, Western Ghats