MORPHOMETRIC VARIATIONS IN Elaeidobius kamerunicus FAUST AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE QUANTITY AND VIABILITY OF CARRIED POLLEN
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2026.0049
Received: 4 September 2025 Accepted: 26 August 2026 Published Online: 29 October 2026
its primary pollinator. However, inconsistent pollinator efficiency limits yield stability. While often linked to abundance, the roles of male and female weevils and their effects on pollen transfer quality remain unclear. This study investigated morphometric differences between male (N = 201) and female EK (N = 192) regarding pollinator efficiency. Weevils were sampled quarterly over one year at an early-mature oil palm estate. Laboratory analyses showed that male EK possessed larger body dimensions, including total length and body surface area. Conversely, females had significantly longer snouts (p < 0.001). While no significant difference was found in total pollen quantity between sexes, female EK carried a significantly higher proportion of viable pollen (43.09% in females, while 33.57% in males; p = 0.007). This is likely due to their specialised snout morphology, allowing deeper access to fresher, protected pollen within compact male inflorescences. These results challenge the assumption that larger male body size indicates greater pollinator effectiveness. The findings reveal a previously underestimated role for female EK and suggest that behaviour and physiology are critical to pollen transfer viability. Further research into these factors is necessary to optimise pollination strategies in plantations.
KEYWORDS:1 Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences,
Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak,
Jalan Nyabau, Bintulu 97008, Sarawak, Malaysia.
2 Center for Pre-University Studies,
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak,
Kota Samarahan 94300, Sarawak, Malaysia.
3 Faculty of Resource Science and Technology,
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak,
Kota Samarahan 94300, Sarawak, Malaysia.
4 Research and Development Department,
Lambir Research Centre, Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad (SOPB),
98007 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia.
5 Malaysian Palm Oil Board,
6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi,
43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
6 Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop
Germplasm Resource of Zhejiang Province,
College of Agriculture and Biotechnology,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
* Corresponding authors’ e-mail: