MORPHOMETRIC VARIATIONS IN Elaeidobius kamerunicus FAUST AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE QUANTITY AND VIABILITY OF CARRIED POLLEN

Animal-mediated pollination is crucial for oil palms, with the weevil Elaeidobius kamerunicus (EK) as 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.