Screening Date Palm Cultivars for Resistance to Red Palm Weevil,Rhynchophorus ferrugineus(Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

A study on the Al-Ahsa Oasis reveals that the widely cultivated 'Khalas' date palm is highly susceptible to red palm weevil (RPW) infestation. Researchers found that female RPW adults were strongly attracted to 'Khalas' and other cultivars like 'Reziz', 'Sheshi', and 'Hatmi,' with no significant antibiotic resistance observed in any of the seven tested date palm cultivars. The study used olfactometer assays to measure attraction, oviposition rates, egg hatch, and larval tunneling. Since over 50% of the oasis is planted with 'Khalas'—a cultivar particularly vulnerable during its first two decades—the research warns that RPW could pose a significant threat to date palm cultivation in the region.

Faleiro, J. R., El-SHAFIE, H. A. F., Ajlan, A. M., & Sallam, A. A. (2014). Screening Date Palm Cultivars for Resistance to Red Palm Weevil,Rhynchophorus ferrugineus(Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Florida Entomologist, 97(4), 1529–1536. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.097.0427