Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Curculionidae
Genus:	Rhynchophorus
Species:	R. ferrugineus
Binomial name
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier, 1790) [1]
Synonyms
Curculio ferrugineus Olivier, 1790 Curculio schach Olivier, 1790 Curculio vulneratus Panzerer, 1798 Calandra ferruginea Fabricius, 1801 Rhynchophorus pascha Boheman in Schönherr, 1845 Rhynchophorus ferrugineus v. tenuirostris Chevrolat, 1882 Rhynchophorus indostanus Chevrolat, 1882 Rhynchophorus signaticollis Chevrolat, 1882 Rhynchophorus pascha v. cinctus Faust, 1892 Rhynchophorus ferrugineus v. seminiger Faust, 1894 Rhynchophorus signaticollis v. dimidiatus Faust, 1894

The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a species of beetle also known as the Asian palm weevil or sago palm weevil. It is relatively large, between two and five centimeters long; usually a rusty red colour, but many colour variants exist and have been often been named as different species (e.g., Rhynchophorus vulneratus;^[2]). Its larvae can excavate holes up to a metre long in the trunk of palm trees, thereby weakening and eventually killing the host plant. As a result, the beetle is considered a major pest of palm plantations, including the coconut palm, date palm and oil palm.^[3] Originally from tropical Asia, the red palm weevil has spread to Africa and Europe, reaching the Mediterranean in the 1980s. It was first recorded in Spain in 1994^[4], and in France in 2006. The weevil was first reported in the Americas on Curaçao in January 2009^[5] and sighted the same year in Aruba.^[6] It was reported in the United States at Laguna Beach, CA late in 2010.^[7][8]

Life Cycle

This weevil usually infests palms younger than twelve years. While the adult causes some damage through feeding, it is the burrowing of the larva into the heart of the palm that can cause the greatest mortality. The adult female lays approximately two hundred eggs on new growth in the crown of the palm, at the base of young leaves, or in open lesions on the plant. The egg hatches into a white legless larva. The larva will feed on the soft fibres and terminal buds, tunnelling through the internal tissue of the tree for about a month. The larvae can occasionally grow to a length of six to seven inches. At pupation, the larva will leave the tree and form a cocoon built of dry palm fibers in leaf litter at the base of the tree. The total life cycle takes about 7–10 weeks.

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Symptoms of infestation

The crown wilts first, and lower leaves will follow, due to damage to vascular tissue. Major symptoms such as crown loss or leaf wilt are usually only visible long after the palm has become infested. Secondary infections of opportunistic bacteria and fungi may occur within damaged tissues, accelerating decline. By the time these external symptoms are observed, the damage is usually sufficient to kill the tree^{[citation needed]}, and the infestation may have been present for six months or longer^{[citation needed]}. In high-density infestations, sounds of the larvae burrowing and chewing can be heard by placing one's ear to the trunk of the palm. Recent research has been conducted using electronic listening devices^{[citation needed]} or dogs trained to recognize the scent of weevils or palm decay^{[citation needed]} to detect infestations at low densities earlier in the process.

Control

The main control method is through the application of a systemic insecticide. Insecticide is usually applied through a funnel about 5 cm above the infested area of the trunk.The red palm weevil can be monitored using pheromone lures ^[9] bucket or pitfall traps^[10], and alternative forms of control use field sanitation and mass trapping with traps baited with pheromone and plant derived semiochemicals. New alternative technologies using semiochemicals and bio insecticides are being developed to more effectively control this devastating pest of palm trees. One of them is a new formulation with insecticide and pheromone called SPLAT^[11] RPW that attracts the weevils to a point source and kills them. Another ecofriendly management technique is to drench the base of palm fronds with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae^[12], or Beauveria bassiana^[13].

Prevention

As the weevil prefers to lay its eggs in softer tissues, avoiding mechanical damage to plants can help to reduce infestation. Tarring wounds after pruning a plant of dead or old leaves can also reduce the probability of infestation. The movement of plant material such as husks, dead leaves, or untreated coir from infested to uninfested areas is not recommended.

Distribution

Host range

Areca catechu, Arenga pinnata, Borassus flabellifer, Caryota maxima, C. cumingii, Cocos nucifera (coconut palm), Corypha gebanga, C. elata, Elaeis guineensis, Livistona decipiens, Metroxylon sagu, Oreodoxa regia, Phoenix canariensis, P. dactylifera (date palm), P. sylvestris, Sabal umbraculifera, Trachycarpus fortunei, Washingtonia spp.^[14]. Lab studies have reared the insect on diets of Agave americana and Saccharum officinarum, but these findings have not been observed in the wild.

Habitat range

Bangladesh, Bahrain, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam, also Papua-New Guinea and Solomon Islands. It has most recently been reported in Slovenia, France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Morocco, Aruba and the United States.

References and additional resources

1. ^ Rhynchophorus ferrugineus at European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO)
2. ^ Hallett, R.H., Crespi, B.J., Borden, J.H. 2004. Synonymy of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), 1790 and R. vulneratus (Panzer), 1798 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Rhynchophorinae). J. Nat. Hist. 38:2863-2882
3. ^ Rhynchophorus ferrugineus at North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO)
4. ^ Ferry & Gómez. 2002. The red palm weevil in the Mediterranean. Vol. 46, No 4, Palms (formerly Principes), Journal of the International Palm Society. link
5. ^ "Biologische bestrijding Red Palm Weevil" Ben Kleine, March 28th, 2009 on Amigo.com
6. ^ 2010 California Farmer periodical "World's worst palm pest in state" Richardson
7. ^ [1] Orange County Register, "Destructive exotic beetle found in Laguna Beach."
8. ^ [2] CDFA; Red Palm Weevil, Worst Known Pest of Palm Trees Detected in Laguna Beach
9. ^ http://www.iscatech.com/ecommerce/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=35
10. ^ http://www.iscatech.com/ecommerce/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=116
11. ^ http://www.iscatech.com/exec/SPLAT.htm
12. ^ http://www.iraqi-datepalms.net/uploadedfiles/entomopathogenic%20fungi.pdf
13. ^ http://www.pubhort.org/datepalm/datepalm2/datepalm2_31.pdf
14. ^ [3] FDACS Pest Alert

• Red Palm Weevil Home
• Red Palm Weevil Control & Tips
• Red Palm Weevil Research Chair, King Saud University, Riyadh
• Greek webpage dedicated to management

See also

• Sago worm or Sago grub.
• CISR: Red Palm Weevil Information

External links

Media related to Rhynchophorus ferrugineus at Wikimedia Commons