LABORATORY BIOASSAYS FOR PHYSICAL AND ODOUR PREFERENCES IN MANGO STONE WEEVIL (Sternochetus mangiferae (F.))

Laboratory studies were conducted to examine some physical and odour preferences of the mango stone weevil, Sternochetus mangiferae Fab. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). A total of 510 adult weevils were obtained from the stones of fruits collected from Ejura in the Ashanti region of Ghana for the studies. The results showed that fresh mango flowers were the most attractive plant part to S. mangiferae. The study also revealed that black colour significantly (P<.05) attracts the weevil than other colours. The weevils were also noted to rely on various shapes and colour combinations to respond to their host plants even though no significant difference was obtained in the number of weevils attracted among the colours when presented in a shape of a pyramid. The results suggest that colour background and olfactory cues influence the foraging activities of the weevil, and the implications of these were discussed.