Behavior-specific intervention: anti-escape trap net physically control Pimelocerus perforatus (Roelofs, 1873) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) by exploiting ascending-descending behavior.

Background: The weevil Pimelocerus perforatus (Roelofs, 1873) is a major wood-boring pest of Luteolaceae, causing significant ecological damage and economic loss in China. Currently, there are no effective control methods due to their hidden feeding sites and lack of effective natural predators. The use of chemicals pesticides causes severe pollution. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore an efficient means to control the weevil damage.

Results: Here, we found that P. perforatus has the same ascending-descending behavior as other weevils. Based on this, an anti-escape trap net (AETN), which is used in pest trapping, was applied in this study to: (1) the distribution of P. perforatus; (2) analyze the interaction between P. perforatus and AETN; (3) compare the efficacy at different height; (4) assess the trapping effect in the field. The results shows that weevils emergence holes were mostly distributed in the north and concentrated at 0-5 cm of the host. They had five distinct interaction behaviors with AETN. The laboratory capture assay revealed a higher average recapture rate as the AETN was suspended at a height of 20 cm (47.33%) compared to 80 cm (13.33%). When applied in the field, a total of 1270 weevil individuals were captured over 2 years, resulting in a significant decrease of 38.83% in the population of P. perforatus in Shanghe in 2024 compared to 2023.

Conclusion: The use of AETN can monitor P. perforatus dynamics and effectively reduce host damage rate. Overall, the AETN is an efficient and environment-friendly physical control device for P. perforatus. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.