Food consumption, developmental time and protein profile of the digestive system of the red palm weevil rhychophorus ferrugineus larvae (Coleoptera:Dryophthoridae)

Abstract

The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) is the most dangerous pest of major cultivated palms including coconut, oil palm and sago. The larvae are the main stage for the destruction of the palms as it destroys the heart of the palm cabbage which it is the food source. In this study, the larvae were given three different food diets; coconut cabbage, oil palm cabbage and sago stem under laboratory conditions for food consumption and developmental time experiment, and also to determine the protein profile of the digestive system. The coconut diet was the most consumed and more nutritious for the RPW larvae compared to oil palm and sago diets. However, oil palm gave shorter developmental growth of larvae probably due to the high vitamin content such as vitamin E and K that can enhance the insect growth. Proteins profiling of eight 2-DE gel protein spots that range 50-20 kDa were identified by mass spectrometry sequence analysis.