Pheromone receptor of the globally invasive quarantine pest of the palm tree, the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus)

AbstractPalm trees are of immense economic, sociocultural, touristic and patrimonial significance all over the world, and date palm-related knowledge, traditions and practices are now included in UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Of all the pests that infest these trees, the red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) is its primary enemy. The RPW is a category-1 quarantine insect pest that causes enormous economic losses in the cultivation of palm trees worldwide. The RPW synchronizes mass gathering on the palm tree for feeding and mating, regulated by a male-produced pheromone composed of two methyl-branched compounds, (4RS,5RS)-4-methylnonan-5-ol (ferrugineol) and 4(RS)-methylnonan-5-one (ferrugineone). Despite the importance of odorant detection in long-range orientation towards palm trees, palm colonization and mating, nothing regarding the molecular mechanisms of pheromone detection in this species is known. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of the first RPW pheromone receptor, RferOR1. Using gene silencing and functional expression in Drosophila olfactory receptor neurons, we demonstrate that RferOR1 is tuned to both ferrugineol and ferrugineone and binds five other structurally related molecules. We reveal the lifetime expression of RferOR1, which correlates with adult mating success irrespective of age, a factor that could explain the wide distribution and spread of this pest. As palm weevils are challenging to control based on conventional methods, elucidation of the mechanisms of pheromone detection opens new routes for mating disruption and the early detection of this pest via the development of pheromone receptor-based biosensors.

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The Effect of Gut Bacteria on the Physiology of Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier and Their Potential for the Control of This Pest

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12070594 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 594

Author(s):

Qian-Xia Liu ◽

Zhi-Ping Su ◽

Hui-Hui Liu ◽

Sheng-Ping Lu ◽

Bing Ma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Gut Bacteria ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus ◽

Intestinal Immunity ◽

Red Palm Weevil ◽

Nutrient Metabolism ◽

Palm Weevil

Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, is a notorious pest, which infests palm trees and has caused great economic losses worldwide. At present, insecticide applications are still the main way to control this pest. However, pesticide resistance has been detected in the field populations of RPW. Thus, future management strategies based on the novel association biological control need be developed. Recent studies have shown that the intestinal tract of RPW is often colonized by multiple microbial species as mammals and model insects, and gut bacteria have been found to promote the growth, development and immune activity of RPW larvae by modulating nutrient metabolism. Furthermore, two peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs), PGRP-LB and PGRP-S1, can act as the negative regulators to modulate the intestinal immunity to maintain the homeostasis of gut bacteria in RPW larvae. Here, we summarized the current knowledge on the gut bacterial composition of RPW and their impact on the physiological traits of RPW larvae. In contrast with metazoans, it is much easier to make genetic engineered microbes to produce some active molecules against pests. From this perspective, because of the profound effects of gut bacteria on host phenotypes, it is promising to dissect the molecular mechanisms behind their effect on host physiology and facilitate the development of microbial resource-based management methods for pest control.

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Haplotype-resolved genome assembly enables gene discovery in the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-89091-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Guilherme B. Dias ◽

Musaad A. Altammami ◽

Hamadttu A. F. El-Shafie ◽

Fahad M. Alhoshani ◽

Mohamed B. Al-Fageeh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genome Assembly ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Single Copy ◽

Gene Content ◽

Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus ◽

Red Palm Weevil ◽

Transcriptomic Data ◽

Palm Trees ◽

Palm Weevil

AbstractThe red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an economically-important invasive species that attacks multiple species of palm trees around the world. A better understanding of gene content and function in R. ferrugineus has the potential to inform pest control strategies and thereby mitigate economic and biodiversity losses caused by this species. Using 10x Genomics linked-read sequencing, we produced a haplotype-resolved diploid genome assembly for R. ferrugineus from a single heterozygous individual with modest sequencing coverage ($$\sim$$ ∼ 62x). Benchmarking against conserved single-copy Arthropod orthologs suggests both pseudo-haplotypes in our R. ferrugineus genome assembly are highly complete with respect to gene content, and do not suffer from haplotype-induced duplication artifacts present in a recently published hybrid assembly for this species. Annotation of the larger pseudo-haplotype in our assembly provides evidence for 23,413 protein-coding loci in R. ferrugineus, including over 13,000 predicted proteins annotated with Gene Ontology terms and over 6000 loci independently supported by high-quality Iso-Seq transcriptomic data. Our assembly also includes 95% of R. ferrugineus chemosensory, detoxification and neuropeptide-related transcripts identified previously using RNA-seq transcriptomic data, and provides a platform for the molecular analysis of these and other functionally-relevant genes that can help guide management of this widespread insect pest.

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Pheromone receptor of the globally invasive quarantine pest of the palm tree, the red palm weevil ( Rhynchophorus ferrugineus )

Molecular Ecology ◽

10.1111/mec.15874 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Binu Antony ◽

Jibin Johny ◽

Nicolas Montagné ◽

Emmanuelle Jacquin‐Joly ◽

Rémi Capoduro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Palm Tree ◽

Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus ◽

Red Palm Weevil ◽

Pheromone Receptor ◽

Quarantine Pest ◽

Palm Weevil

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Haplotype-resolved genome assembly enables gene discovery in the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

10.1101/2020.08.30.273383 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Guilherme B. Dias ◽

Musaad A. Altammami ◽

Hamadttu A.F. El-Shafie ◽

Fahad M. Alhoshani ◽

Mohamed B. Al-Fageeh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genome Assembly ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Single Copy ◽

Gene Content ◽

Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus ◽

Red Palm Weevil ◽

Transcriptomic Data ◽

Palm Trees ◽

Palm Weevil

ABSTRACTThe red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an economically-important invasive species that attacks multiple species of palm trees around the world. A better understanding of gene content and function in R. ferrugineus has the potential to inform pest control strategies and thereby mitigate economic and biodiversity losses caused by this species. Using 10x Genomics linked-read sequencing, we produced a haplotype-resolved diploid genome assembly for R. ferrugineus from a single heterozygous individual with modest sequencing coverage (~62x). Benchmarking against conserved single-copy Arthropod orthologs suggests both pseudo-haplotypes in our R. ferrugineus genome assembly are highly complete with respect to gene content, and do not suffer from haplotype-induced duplication artifacts present in a recently published hybrid assembly for this species. Annotation of the larger pseudo-haplotype in our assembly provides evidence for 23,413 protein-coding loci in R. ferrugineus, including over 13,000 predicted proteins annotated with Gene Ontology terms and over 6,000 loci independently supported by high-quality Iso-Seq transcriptomic data. Our assembly also includes 95% of R. ferrugineus chemosensory, detoxification and neuropeptide-related transcripts identified previously using RNA-seq transcriptomic data, and provides a platform for the molecular analysis of these and other functionally-relevant genes that can help guide management of this widespread insect pest.

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AN EVALUATION OF INVASIVE PEST, RED PALM WEEVIL RHYNCHOPHORUS FERRUGINEUS (OLIVIER, 1790) (COLEOPTERA, CURCULIONIDAE) POPULATION IN IRAQ

Bulletin of The Iraq Natural History Museum ◽

10.26842/binhm.7.2020.16.2.0203 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 203-218

Author(s):

Mohammed M. Alderawii ◽

◽

Aqeel A. Alyousuf ◽

Samir A. Hasan ◽

Jasim K. Mohammed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Date Palm ◽

Monitoring Program ◽

Invasive Pest ◽

Palm Tree ◽

Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus ◽

Red Palm Weevil ◽

Palm Trees ◽

Palm Weevil ◽

Baited Traps ◽

Management Protocol

The Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier, 1790) is a devastating invasive pest of palm trees, invading the Iraqi date palm tree in 2015 for the first time in Safwan county, Basrah province. The Red Palm weevil has been categorized as a quarantine pest of date palm trees worldwide. In this study, a five years monitoring program has been achieved by scouting the invasive pest RPW population in Safwan county by using visual sampling and Pheromone baited traps. The results indicated that the number of infested palms, increased from 12 trees in 2015 to 111 in 16 orchards in 2016. The number of the infested palms was minimized to 3 trees in the county in 2019 due to the management protocol of the Ministry of Agriculture. Furthermore, the results of RPW adults appeared monthly in the county with two activity peaks during the moderate-temperature-months. In conclusion, the quarantine and management protocol of RPW decreased the population of the invasive pest which did not spread to other districts of Iraq.

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A Comparative Study on the Microbial Communities of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Red Palm Weevil)-Infected and Healthy Palm Trees

Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering ◽

10.1007/s13369-021-05979-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

N. Alshammari ◽

Meshari Alazmi ◽

Naimah A. Alanazi ◽

Abdel Moneim E. Sulieman ◽

Vajid N. Veettil ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Communities ◽

16S Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus ◽

Tree Trunk ◽

Red Palm Weevil ◽

Healthy Tree ◽

Palm Trees ◽

Infected Tree ◽

Palm Weevil

AbstractSeveral studies have investigated palm trees’ microbiota infected with red palm weevil (RPW) (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), the major pest of palm trees. This study compared the microbial communities of infected and uninfected palm trees in the Hail region, Northern Saudi Arabia, determined by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing by Illumina MiSeq. The results indicated that taxonomic diversity variation was higher for infected tree trunk than the healthy tree trunk. Soil samples from the vicinity of healthy and infected trees did not have a significant variation in bacterial diversity. Myxococcota, Acidobacteriota, and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in RPW-infected tree trunk, and Pseudomonadaceae was the most prominent family. This study is the first report on the characterization of RPW-infected and healthy palm trees’ microbiome.

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Early Detection of Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), Infestation Using Data Mining

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10010095 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 95

Author(s):

Heba Kurdi ◽

Amal Al-Aldawsari ◽

Isra Al-Turaiki ◽

Abdulrahman S. Aldawood

Keyword(s):

Data Mining ◽

Plant Size ◽

Support Vector ◽

Classification Algorithms ◽

Palm Tree ◽

Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus ◽

Red Palm Weevil ◽

Palm Weevil ◽

Using Data ◽

F Measure

In the past 30 years, the red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), a pest that is highly destructive to all types of palms, has rapidly spread worldwide. However, detecting infestation with the RPW is highly challenging because symptoms are not visible until the death of the palm tree is inevitable. In addition, the use of automated RPW weevil identification tools to predict infestation is complicated by a lack of RPW datasets. In this study, we assessed the capability of 10 state-of-the-art data mining classification algorithms, Naive Bayes (NB), KSTAR, AdaBoost, bagging, PART, J48 Decision tree, multilayer perceptron (MLP), support vector machine (SVM), random forest, and logistic regression, to use plant-size and temperature measurements collected from individual trees to predict RPW infestation in its early stages before significant damage is caused to the tree. The performance of the classification algorithms was evaluated in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F-measure using a real RPW dataset. The experimental results showed that infestations with RPW can be predicted with an accuracy up to 93%, precision above 87%, recall equals 100%, and F-measure greater than 93% using data mining. Additionally, we found that temperature and circumference are the most important features for predicting RPW infestation. However, we strongly call for collecting and aggregating more RPW datasets to run more experiments to validate these results and provide more conclusive findings.

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