Page 36 - Volume 5, Issue 2, July 2012
Basic HTML Version
© Benaki Phytopathological Institute
Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki,
School of Agricultural Technology, Laboratory of Ento-
mology, P. O. Box 141, GR-574 00 Thessaloniki
e-mail
Maize is widely cultivated throughout the
world, with its production per annum being
greater than that of any other grain. In 2007,
over 150 million hectares of maize were
planted worldwide, with a yield of 4,970.9
kilograms/hectare (8). The United States ac-
count for almost half of the world’s produc-
tion (~42.5%). Other topproducing countries
include China, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, In-
dia, Pakistan and France. The crop is very im-
portant for Greece, decidedly contributing
to the country’s Gross National Product (6).
The most significant insect infestation
related to
Zea mays
cultivation in Greece is
mainly attributed to moths i.e. the corn stalk
borer,
Sesamia nonagrioides
(Lepidoptera:
Noctuidae), and the European corn bor-
er,
Ostrinia nubilalis
(Lepidoptera: Crambi-
dae). Furthermore, over the four past years,
adults of the western corn rootworm,
Di-
abrotica virgifera
(Coleoptera: Chrysomel-
idae), were monitored in pheromone traps
in some regions of northern Greece (4).
Di-
abrotica virgifera
is one of the major maize
pests in neighbouring countries to Greece
(Italy, FYROM and Bulgaria).
Tanymecus dilaticollis
Gyllenhal, 1834 (Co-
Hellenic Plant Protection Journal
5:
65-67, 2012
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Tanymecus dilaticollis
(Coleoptera: Curculionidae): First record
on
Zea mays
seedlings in Greece
S.C. Papadopoulou
Summary
Tanymecus dilaticollis
Gyllenhal, 1834, was
recorded for the first time infesting severely
maize seedlings in the region Agios Athanasios, northern Greece in 2010. The weevil was observed
to complete one generation per year on maize and high temperatures enhanced the feeding of
the
pest.
Additional Keywords:
corn, genitalia, maize seedlings
, Tanymecus dilaticollis
leoptera: Curculionidae) has been recorded
infesting sugar beet in Greece (1) and here-
by it is reported for the first time on maize.
Sorghum, wheat, barley, sunflower, peach,
apple, and almond trees are other hosts of
T
. dilaticollis
(2). In April 2010, a severe infes-
tation by the maize leaf weevil (southern
gray weevil),
T. dilaticollis,
was observed on
seedlings of corn in a 6.15 ha field, in Agios
Athanasios region of Thessaloniki (northern
Greece).
The infestation was recorded in a field
where corn was cultivated for over a period
of 6 years continuously. In spite of successful
germination, young plant development was
not satisfactory and the growers were led to
believe that the seed used was not of good
quality (Figure 1 and Figure 2). Inspection of
the entire plant as well as of the soil revealed
that the culprit was a coleopteran species
(Figure 3). Adult insects were collected and
brought to the laboratory for identification
based on morphological characteristics as
well as examination of male genitalia. Based
on themorphology, the species was thought
to be
Mesagroicus
pilifer
Boheman, 1833 (5),
which strongly resembles
T. dilaticollis
. How-
ever, examination of the genitalia according
to Snodgrass (7), combined with external
morphological observation (3), allowed us
to conclude that the genus was
Tanymecus
