Abstract

The response of the oil palm pollinating weevil Elaeidobius kamerunicus Faust (Coleoptera: Cucurlionidae) to the inflorescence of different palm species was tested in a choice, non- choice and a four arm- olfactometer bioassay. Weevils preferred significantly the inflorescence of oil palm (E. guineensis Jacq) for oviposition. In both choice and non-choice tests using mated adult females, significantly more eggs were laid on oil palm than coconut, livingstona and royal palms. E. kamerunicus is able to locate its host plant by olfactory stimuli. These experiments support the hypothesis that pollen–seeking insects use pollen odour cues to locate its oviposition site.

Key words: Elaeidobius kamerunicus, Elaeis guineensis, host preference, oviposition, olfactometer.