THE BLACK VINE WEEVIL (OTIORHYNCHUS SULCATUS F.) – A DANGEROUS PEST OF GREENHOUSE PLANTS IN THE POLAR-ALPINE BOTANICAL GARDEN

In 2015, a dangerous pest of tropical and subtropical plants, the Black Vine Weevil Otiorhynchus (Dorymerus) sulcatus (Fabricius, 1775) (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), was identified in the collection greenhouses of the Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden (PABGI). A list of greenhouse plants damaged by O. sulcatus was made and the degree of harmfulness was established. The feed relationships were determined and the plants most preferred by the pest were recorded: Datura metel L., Cyphomandra crassicaulis (Ortega) Kuntze., Spathiphyllum blandum Schott. A chemical method for combating O. sulcatus was developed and applied by treating plants with insecticides under the root, which significantly reduces the number of pests and ensures the preservation of plants decorativeness.