Demografi Kumbang Penyerbuk Kelapa Sawit, Elaeidobius kamerunicus (Coleoptera : Curculionidae)

Abstract

Oil palm is a specific host plant for the weevil E. kamerunicus. These weevils can only eat, lay eggs, and breed in oil palm male flowers. This study aimed to study demographics of E. kamerunicus as oil palm pollinators, such as biology, life table, and the survivorship. A pair of E. kamerunicus were reared in the box contained male flowers spikelet. At the base of spikelet were immersed by water at film bottle. Body and sex ratio were observed during development of egg to adult. Demographic study were analyzed based on gross reproductive rate (G), net reproductive rate (R0), generation time (T), and intrinsic growth rate (r). In average life cycle of E. kamerunicus was 33 days i.e. 2.5 days of egg, 12 days of larvae, 5 days of pupae, and 15 days of male and 18 day of female adult, respectively. Demography of the weevil were: gross reproductive rate was 6 individuals, net reproductive rate was 3 individuals, generation time was 15 days, and intrinsic growth rate was 0.06. In a life cycle, fecundity of E. kamerunicus was 27 eggs and mortality from egg to adult was 72.9%. Based on the survivorship curve, mortality in early phase was constant and increase at adult phase.