EFFICACY AND COST EFFICIENCY OF TRAPS FOR MASS CAPTURE OF Rhynchophorus palmarum L. IN A MEXICAN Cocos nucifera L. ORCHARD

Background. Rhynchophorus palmarum is the main insect pest in Cocos nucifera orchards in the Pacific Centre of Mexico. The mass capture of adults is the strategy for control of this pest promoted by integrated pest management programs. It is essential to find an economic and efficient trap for farmers. Objective. The present study aimed to determine the efficacy and cost efficiency of five traps for capturing R. palmarum in a C. nucifera orchard and to correlate the capture with environmental parameters. Methodology. The bucket-trap (BT), trash-can trap (TCT), 20L-type trap (20LTT), bottle-type trap (BTT), and CSAT-type (Colegio Superior de Agricultura Tropical, a Spanish acronym) trap were evaluated. Total captured insects, number of males and females, cost of trapping, and cost-efficiency were measured. Total captured insects and environmental parameters were correlated using a Pearson model. Results. A total of 1065 insects were captured (60% females and 40% males). The TCT captured more (P=0.00001) insects than the BT, 20LTT and BTT. The CSAT ($540.5 USD) and TCT ($531.0 USD) were the most expensive traps during the period of the experiment (4.5 months), whereas the BTT was the cheapest ($515.5 USD). The cost of capture per insect in the TCT was $1.5 USD; therefore, this trap had the best cost efficiency overall of the studied traps (BT=2.6 USD, 20LTT=3.1 USD, CSAT=1.9 USD, and BTT=6.9 USD). The average (r=0.6115, P=0.0154) and maximum (r=0.6280, P=0.0122) wind speeds were correlated positively with the R. palmarum capture. Implications. This study demonstrates statistically that the TCT capture the same number of insects than the CSAT trap with lower cost. Conclusion. More females were caught than males, the TCT trap statistically captures the same amount of insects than the CSAT trap at a lower cost. Wind speed was positively correlated in the capture of R. palmarum.