Characteristics of oil palm trunks for rearing of Rhynchophorus palmarum (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Peruvian Amazon

Introduction: In the Peruvian Amazon, felled oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) trunks are usually burned to prevent the increase of these residues. These trunks are also used for the rearing of Rhynchophorus palmarum (Linnaeus, 1758) Csiki E., 1936 larvae, which locals use as a food source. Objective: To establish the relationship between the characteristics of the cut E. guineensis trunks and the rearing of R. palmarum larvae. Materials and methods: The research was conducted in three districts (San Pedro-Campo Verde, Tahuayo-Neshuya and Maronal-Curimaná) of the department of Ucayali, Peru. The correlation between the number of R. palmarum larvae and the length and diameter of the trunk's central cylinder was analyzed using the Spearman coefficient (r_s). In addition, the soil texture class was determined and the correlation with the number of larvae was established. Results and discussion: The length and diameter of the felled oil palm trunks were different (P < 0.05) in the three sites evaluated. There is no relationship between the number of R. palmarum larvae and the length and diameter of the trunk segments. By contrast, the soil's clay loam texture is positively correlated with the number of larvae (r_s = 1.00, P < 0.01). The number of larvae was higher in the Tahuayo-Neshuya district samples (145.67 ± 39.67; P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Characteristics of the oil palm trunk are not associated with the development of R. palmarum.