Positive Phototactic Response of the West Indian Sweet Potato Weevil, Euscepes postfasciatus (Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to Chemiluminescent Light and Effectiveness of the Light Source for Attracting Weevils in the Field

Abstract

We detected positive phototactic response of the West Indian sweet potato weevil, Euscepes postfasciatus (Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to chemiluminescent light, used as a light source for fishing floats at night, in laboratory observations. We examined the effectiveness of the light source for attracting weevils in a sweet potato field. In the field, traps baited with sweet potato roots and light captured significantly more weevils than the traps baited with roots only.