Pacific Pests & Pathogens - Mini Fact Sheet EditionSweetpotato West Indian weevil (119)
Pacific Pests & Pathogens - Mini Fact Sheet EditionSweetpotato West Indian weevil (119)
Summary
- Widespread distribution. Central and South America, Caribbean, parts of US and Asia. An important pest.
- Adults lay eggs in base of stem ('crown') and in storage roots, and larvae do the damage by making tunnels. Same damage as sweetpotato weevil (Cylas).
- Does not fly; crawls from weedy borders.
- Spreads in cuttings and storage roots, same as Cylas.
- Cultural control: early, deep rooting varieties; plant only tip cuttings; remove wild morning glory; hill-up, covering cracks during dry times; ideally, make one-time harvest; 3-4-year crop rotation; after harvest, collect and destroy vines and infested storage roots.
- Chemical control: treat vines (bifenthrin); treat plants in field every 3-4 weeks (bifenthrin or fipronil).
Common Name
West Indian sweetpotato weevil
Scientific Name
Euscepes batatae; previously Euscepes postfasciatus
AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information from CABI (2014) Euscepes postfasciatus (West Indian sweet potato weevil) Crop Protection Compendium. (www.cabi.org/cpc); and from 1Reid C Identification of sweetpotato weevil species in the west Pacific. Australian Museum. Sydney. Photos 1&2 Gerald McCormack, Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage. (http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org/).
Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
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