Abstract
The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, is a devastating insect-pest of 29 plants including date palm. It feeds inside the tree bark thus it is difficult to manage using insecticides. Only a few insecticides have been found effective against RPW. Among these insecticide, emamectin benzoate (EMB) is widely used. This insecticide can pose threat human and environmental health as it is used in the form of tree injection. Thus, keeping in view its possible, its sublethal effect on RPW was studied using Age-stage, two sex life table. Life table parameters of the progeny of exposed larvae to LC(10), LC(25,) and LC(50) of EMB were computed. Statistically higher fecundity (161.12 per female) was observed in control treatment, while less fecundity was observed in LC(50) treatment. Significantly higher values for intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), and net reproductive rate (R(o)) (0.0376, 1.0383, and 67.13 per day, respectively) were recorded for the control treatment. Contrarily, lower values for r, R(o), and λ i.e. 0.0318, 23.82, and 1.0324 per day, respectively were recorded in the LC(50) treatment. Decreased population parameters suggest that EMB can be successfully used in for the management of RPW.