Refined action threshold for pepper weevil adults (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in bell peppers

Pepper weevil (Anthonomus eugenii Cano) management based on insecticide action thresholds that use presence of adult weevils on exposed terminal buds was compared with weekly applications of insecticide in bell peppers (Capsicum annum L.). Results indicated that a previously established action threshold of one pepper weevil adult per 100 terminal fruiting buds in a low-input pepper production system was insufficient to prevent significant yield loss in high-input, high-yielding bell pepper. Action threshold values were not affected significantly by temporal variation in the number of pepper weevil adults observed on exposed terminal buds during the day, but were affected by the type of insecticide used. The more conservative action threshold of one pepper weevil adult per 400 terminal buds (at two buds per plant) provided adequate control of pepper weevil in a commercial setting and saved 12 applications of permethrin.