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Analysis of banana weevil olfactory responses to stimuli released from different plants

Abstract:

An olfactory analysis technique to investigate responses of the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus to different odours was evaluated in the laboratory. The tested odours were from: an ethanol sample, various tissue specimens from the pseudostem and corm of cv Cambur Manzano banana (Musa acuminata), pineapple and cacao pods. The weevil was attracted by pseudostem and corm tissues, but not by pineapple fruit, cacao pods or ethanol. The attractiveness of pieces of banana corm and pseudostem, healthy and presenting signs of weevil infestation, were also compared. Healthy corm and pseudostem tissues were more attractive than those damaged by weevils. In the field, corm tissue odours were more attractive than those released by pseudostem tissues. © 1995 Elsevier, Paris.