0:00
Welcome to simply educate.mme.
0:02
Let's see how a mango pulp weevil larvae
0:04
takes action when disturbed.
0:09
After the unripe mango was cut open,
0:11
this small larvae tried to find its way
0:13
back to the mango. It inched its way
0:16
back to the unripe pulp instead of
0:18
wandering to some other place.
0:22
Now it's back to its comfort zone. Its
0:26
first instinct was to rebuild its
0:33
Notice that the mango pulp weevil larvae
0:35
does not develop towards maturity in the
0:37
seed which its cousin the mango seed
0:58
The larvae swerves its tiny head here
1:00
and there, hitting one side, then the
1:02
opposite end. It's like a tailor sewing
1:05
a thread at one end, then attaching the
1:08
other in the opposite direction.
1:16
It gathers bits of pulp once in a while
1:18
to rebuild the opening made by a knife.
1:31
Now, upon closer look, you will see the
1:33
intricate web of transparent webbing.
1:36
It's more obvious now because it
1:37
successfully pinned several threads of
1:39
thin filaments from its body.
1:44
It builds its cocoon just like how a
1:49
I never knew that before because deep
1:51
inside the mango, we cannot see this
1:53
happening unlike the spider that does it
1:55
amongst the trees. It secretly builds
1:58
its home inside the mango without us
2:03
It's amazing how this insect adapts to
2:05
changes in its environment. In the wild,
2:08
they would have done so if anything
2:10
happens to a growing mango fruit. The
2:12
larvae mends its house. That's why we
2:15
could not see any damage to a growing
2:20
But we want to get rid of it because we
2:22
consider them as pests that compete with
2:25
our food needs. But what it does is to
2:27
realize its role in the ecosystem where
2:29
it thrives, fulfill its destiny to
2:31
become an adult, then repeat the cycle
2:34
once again after mating with other
2:39
Why then do they come in multitudes?
2:41
that we can obviously spot them in the
2:43
mangoes that we eat. Something that
2:45
could cause us alarm due to its impact
2:47
on mango farmers livelihoods and
2:49
consumer who find these weevils
2:51
detestable for good reason.
2:55
Did they live this way to harm us? Or
2:58
perhaps it's nature's way of releasing
2:59
the mango seeds right after they fall
3:01
into the ground. Broadening our
3:04
perspective would help us understand why
3:05
these insects prefer to make the mango
3:07
pulp their preferred homes.
3:12
Maybe it's a sign that there's imbalance
3:13
in nature that we need to correct.
3:18
Don't you think the preponderance of the
3:20
mango pulp weevil is due to
3:21
indiscriminate pesticide use?
3:26
Because the weaver ants, their predators
3:28
that serve to balance the mango weevil
3:30
populations were gone.
3:35
Let us know in your comments in this
3:38
Thank you for visiting simply
