Meeting in Italy about Rhynchophorus

[Carlo Morici 116]

Centro Studi delle Palme di San Remo is well known for hosting every 2 years the Biennale Europea delle Palme. They will host an "urgent meeting" about the predator.

The director, Claudio Littardi, asked me to spread this information. The entrance is free, just "call" before:

Tel 0184 541623 mail: setambie@sistel.it

WEBSITE: www.sanremopalme.it

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is a large sized weevil that invaded the Mediterranean basin during the most recent years.

It is named red palm weevil, picudo rojo de las palmeras, punteruolo rosso delle palme, etc.

France, Italy, Spain and Egypt are facing a red alert. Phoenix canariensis, which is one of the preferred hosts, is suddenly disappearing from the Mediterranean landscapes.

The weevil was spread to the European coasts by importing adult specimens of Phoenix dactylifera from Northern Africa. Cheap palms for cheap tourists caused a collapse in the Mediterranean palm world.

All the best,

Carlo, Tenerife

[DoomsDave 8,652]

Which illustrates why we have quarantine laws.

[Ken Johnson 198]

We have thoese type suckers in Florida. (I think a diferent species but the look is the same) They are native and eat Sabal. When given a chance they eat other stuff too (Bismarkia for example).

The larva are delicious to eat. There is a recipe for grilling them in Principies.

When the larve are eating downward towards the meristem you can hear them chewing if you put your ear to the trunk!

[Carlo Morici 116]

My abstract was too brief. This beast literally eats at least 150 palm species and occasionally attacks Agave spp. and other "palm-like" plants with sugary sap.  Cocos nucifera is the "typical" host and Elaeis is another favourite.

"150 species" is just because it did not hit yet any of our gardens with new many species to taste.

We have quarantine laws too, but some smart entrepreneurs "learned" how to shorten quarantines and shifted through the laws.

Carlo