Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet Edition

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Coconut red palm weevil (180)

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Photo 1. Adult red palm weevil, Rhyncophorus ferrugineus.

Photo 2. Larvae of red palm weevil, Rhyncophorus ferrugineus.

Photo 3. Adult, larva and pupa, red plam weevil, Rhyncophorus ferrugineus.

Photo 4. Damage at the end of a frond from a Phoenix palm; pupae of the red palm weevil, Rhyncophorus ferrugineus, in fibrous cocoons are lined up on the back of a petiole, in the foreground.

Summary

• Widespread distribution. On coconut, and other palms: betel nut, oil palm, sago palm, date palm, and ornamental palms. An important pest. 
• Adults and larvae tunnel into the base of stems and fronds; leaves in the crown wilt and die. Larvae tunnel into the soft insides for up to 1 m.
• Often difficult to see the symptoms until internal damage is severe.
• Natural enemies: red-eye assassin bug; earwigs.
• Cultural control: destroy infested stems by cutting and burying; if leaves are removed from palms during harvests, cut them where leaflets start.
• Chemical control: commercial pheromone lures available; trunk injections unlikely to be economic.

Common Name

Red palm weevil; also known as the Asian palm weevil or sago palm weevil.

Scientific Name

Rhyncophorus ferrugineus

This mini fact sheet is a part of the app Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds

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