Aggregation pheromone and kairomones in attracting banana pseudostem weevil Odoiporus longicollis Olivier

A laboratory bioassay was conducted to study the effect of male released aggregation pheromone, 2-methyl4-heptanol, of banana pseudostem weevil in combination with host plant extract in attracting the sexes of Odoiporus longicollis Olivier (Curculionidae: Coleoptera) using 4-arm olfactometer. The results indicated that pheromone and host plant extract combination attracted more weevils than either pheromone or host plant extract individually. There was no variation in the attraction of sexes to semiochemicals. The advantages and disadvantages of using the 4-arm olfactometer over two-choice bioassay is also discussed.