Common insect pests in Saudi Arabia (for example) are ... - Colleges

Common insect pests in Saudi Arabia (for example) are:
1- Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria
2- American Cockroach Periplaneta americana
3- Cyclops Termites Psammotermes hybostoma
4- Check Capsid Deraeocoris pallens
5- Green Plant Bugs Nezara viridula
6- Bed Bugs Cimex lectularius
7- Bleached Ground Bug Dieuches mucronatus
8- Western Death's-Head Hawk moth Acherontia atropos
9- Convolvulus Hawk moth Agrius convolvuli
10- Oleander Hawk moth Daphnis nerii
11- Dark Clover Heliothis armigera
12- Okra Pea Moth Earias vittella
13- Citrus Swallowtail Papilio demoleus
14- House Fly Musca domestica
15- Two-toned Horsefly Tabanus rupinae
16- Grain Weevil Sitophilus granaries
17- Elegant Ground Weevil Bothnoderes anxius
18- Gaudy Carpet Beetle Anthrenus flavipes
19- Larder Beetle Dermestes lardarius
20- Date-Palm Weevil Rhyncophorus ferrugineus
The latter pest are most destructive of the date palm that threaten its existence;
mostly borers either in the trunk of the palm,
The Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (family Curculionidae)
As is well known, this pest is a newcomer to the region. Its occurrence in UAE
was discovered in 1985; from then it spread, in the same way in planting
material imported from the Indian Subcontinent, to all other Gulf Region
countries and then to Egypt and Jordan, to become a most important pest of the
century. Its importance lies in being a fast killer to the palm, unlike the
cerambycid trunk borer which is a very slow killer; un-noticed to a layperson.

The adult weevil measures about 40mm in length, with an about 10mm long
snout; the male is a little smaller than the female; otherwise there are no
morphological differences (dimorphism) between the two sexes, except for a
narrow strip of red hairs on the dorsal surface of the male snout (a beard in
reverse).
The larva is the trunk borer and the damaging stage of the weevil. When
hatched, it starts burrowing on the site of the wound on which the eggs are laid;
then it gradually enters into the palm’s trunk, digging upwards intricate
tunnels, feeding on the sap for 2-3 months. Upon completion of its
development the larva directs its tunnelling towards the surface of the palm
trunk till it reaches a base of a frond; there it collects the fibrous strands to
wrap them around itself; building the pupation cocoon. An effective method of
control is to remove all the fibrous strands from the palm.
Control there is a number of, methods; no chemicals are involved in any of
them -
Early detection of infestation in a palm and then performing surgery to remove
the eroded tissue of the palm at the site of entry of the larvae into the trunk
together with all development stages of the weevil, which are mostly larvae.
Aluminium phosphide tablets are placed in the resulting opening, usually at the
base of the trunk and then the opening is tightly closed. This is the most
important method of control.
Proper use of the pheromone trap; the traps at present are not properly used and
they are doing some damage themselves.
Control of the rhinoceros beetles, especially Oryctes agamemnon, because
they cause wounds, which pave the way for the entry of the weevil into the
palm trunk.
Best of all is to prevent the infestation from taking place; here a good extension
service is vital, not for this pest but for all pests and for all cultural operations.