| In the years 2017 to 2019 an outbreak of the sugar beet weevil Bothynoderes punctiventris Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) caused enormous damage to sugar beet crops in eastern Austria. The search for efficient pest control strategies raised question on the ecology of the sugar beet weevil that need to be researched under controlled conditions in the laboratory. Knowledge on the host plant selection behaviour of this pest is of particular importance for the development of novel control measures. To date the olfactory cues – or any other stimuli - used by the beetles to localize young sugar beet plants have not been investigated. The attractiveness of the odour bouquets of potential host plants other than the sugar beet to the weevil has not been researched either, and odour components present in the plant odours of secondary hosts have not been analysed, although olfactory attractive odour compounds could enhance the efficiency of the currently used attractant Grandlure III-V. Moreover, the potential of secondary host plants – crops, weeds or miscellaneous plants – to sustain the B. punctiventris population needs to be clarified. Finally, feeding deterrent plant extracts and minerals applied to young sugar beet plants may disrupt the host selection process of this pest. Research on the behaviour of the sugar beet weevil is a sine qua non for the development of future environmentally friendly and sustainable control strategies. |