ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF MANAGEMENT TOOLS FOR ORYCTES RHINOCEROS (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE)

Abstract

Oryctes rhinoceros (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a pestiferous beetle causing severe damage to coconut and other palms by boring into and feeding upon the crown tissue. Several tools are used to manage this beetle, including pheromone lured traps and the biocontrol agent, Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus (OrNV). The pheromone lure, ethyl 4-methyloctanoate, was assessed for its attractive ability towards the CRB-S and CRB-G haplotypes by comparing the distribution of the haplotypes in non trap-caught and trap-caught populations collected from Palau. A diagnostic qPCR assay was designed to detect OrNV, and was found to be a more sensitive and accurate method for OrNV detection compared to the conventional PCR assay. Finally, because the newly emerged CRB-G haplotype has acquired resistance to OrNV, RNA extractions were sent for high-throughput sequencing to discover other viruses present in O. rhinoceros. Three sequences were discovered to be similar in sequence to viruses of other insect species.