Sterile Insect Technique as a Novel Tool for the Management of Pepper Weevil, Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in Greenhouse and Field Pepper Crops

The pepper weevil (PW), Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an economically significant pest of Capsicum crops in North America for which current management strategies are often insufficient. As a PW-SIT program has yet to be considered, this foundational research determined that a gamma radiation dose of 110 Gy applied to PW pupae was necessary to induce > 99% sterility in females, and > 97% sterility in males, though the longevity, spontaneous flight activity, sperm production, and mating competitiveness of the sterile adults were negatively impacted by the treatment.

Based on this work, a PW-SIT program could effectively and sustainably manage total PW populations in field or greenhouse pepper crops, and further research is recommended to ensure its success.