Red palm weevil biological control research. Petri dishes containing live red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, left) and one that has been infe
Red palm weevil biological control research. Petri dishes containing live red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, left) and one that has been infected and killed by the parasitic Beauveria bassiana fungus (right). The red palm weevil is a major pest of palm plantations. The larvae can excavate metre-long holes in the trunks of palm trees, thereby weakening and eventually killing the host plant. This fungus is being studied as a means of controlling infestation in palm trees (family Arecaceae). It infects many arthropods causing white muscardine disease, and is commonly used as a biological insecticide to control a number of pests such as termites, thrips, whiteflies, aphids and different beetles. Photographed in Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain.
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Photo credit: © MARCO ANSALONI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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