1ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, H.A. Farm post, Hebbal, Bellary Road, Bengaluru - 560 024, Karnataka, India
2Date Palm Research Station, S.D. Agricultural University, Mundra- 370421, Gujarat
*E-mail: kolla.sreedevi@gmail.com
Online published on 17 August, 2021.
Field surveys conducted on the pest incidence of date palm during 2017–18, 2018–19 and 2019–2020 revealed a moderate to severe occurrence of date stone beetle, Coccotrypes dactyliperda (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) on immature date fruits in Kachchh (Nakhatrana) and Surendranagar (Dhangadhtra) districts of Gujarat. This is the first report of its occurrence on dates from Gujarat, India. Considering the significant area under date cultivation in the North West region of India, the pest needs to be monitored for its spread and kept under vigil. The diagnostics of the beetle, its damaging intensities along with distribution are presented in this paper.
Date palm, Gujarat, Scolytid, Beetle, Pest report
