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Red Palm weevils found in Laguna Beach, CA


Tom S

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here is the story of how they got to north america:

http://www.redpalmwe...t/Caribbean.htm

...here is the story of how they got to Curaçao in the Caribean. Curacao is near to Florida,but Laguna Beach is located at the other side of the continent.......

How they went from Curaçao to California??????????

Carambeí, 2nd tableland of the State Paraná , south Brazil.

Alt:1030m. Native palms: Queen, B. eriospatha, B. microspadix, Allagoptera leucocalyx , A.campestris, Geonoma schottiana, Trithrinax acanthocoma. Subtr. climate, some frosty nights. No dry season. August: driest month. Rain:1700mm

 

I am seeking for cold hardy palms!

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Alberto, that's the link I first read about Carribean RPW from.

When I first read it, I was expecting to hear very soon that RPW made it's way to Miami - but, quite frankly, California was a bit surprising.

Regarding references to RPW flying great distances, these things are not really strong flyers - they seem to wobble around significantly in flight, bounce off things and actually knock themselves to the ground ( as John from Spain described ). They don't fly very far without taking a rest and they seem to die of hunger when they don't quickly enter a new host palm - so you can count them out as island hoppers.

As in the story of their arrival in the Carribean, migration is always due to importation of palms from affected areas.

Edited by mlovecan

Lardos, Greece ( Island of Rhodes ) 10B

1.9 km from Mediterannean Sea

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They would probably not survive in containers that are not loaded with palms..... Insects can also be transported in a plain in suitcases...and with a so destructive insect (date industry) you can also think about the possibility of ´´bioterrorism´´..... :unsure::(

Imagine the catastrophic consequences if this weewil will parasite palms like Brahea Pseudophenix, Coccotrinax, etc...etc.... a nightmare!!!:huh: :huh: :huh::blink: :blink: :blink:

Carambeí, 2nd tableland of the State Paraná , south Brazil.

Alt:1030m. Native palms: Queen, B. eriospatha, B. microspadix, Allagoptera leucocalyx , A.campestris, Geonoma schottiana, Trithrinax acanthocoma. Subtr. climate, some frosty nights. No dry season. August: driest month. Rain:1700mm

 

I am seeking for cold hardy palms!

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Here are my two cents to add

It is estimated that in four generations one female at the beginning can give origin to 53 000 000 of RPW. So it's not logarythmic, it's simply a nightmare. You hardly can think about eradication. Still, it is said in Israel they have succeeded in eradicating the RPW.

Here is a list of palm species attacked by the RPW. It came as the first information, probably from some country of the South East, as most of the species do not grow in the Mediterranean

Phoenix canariensis e Phoenix dactylifera, Cocos nucifera, Elaeis guineensis, Areca catechu, Arenga pinnata, Borassus flabellifer, Calamus merillii, Caryota maxima, Caryota cumingii, Corypha gebanga, Corypha elata, Livistona decipiens, Metroxylon sagu, Oreodoxa regia, Phoenix sylvestris, Sabal umbraculifera, Trachycarpus fortunei, Washingtonia sp..

The problem of imidacloprid is it's shor life time in the plant, 1-3 months. The problem of preventive treatments is it's high cost in big palms as the leaves have to be sprayed at the height of 30-40 feet. The trunk injection is not an easy task for a non professional, a relatively expensive equipment is needed. A preventive treatment must be repeated every 6 months, nobody can say for how many years to come.

Tomas

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Ron Vanderhoff's weekly gardening column in the Daily Pilot (a local paper for the Newport Beach area which is just up the coast from Laguna Beach) is devoted to the red palm weevil and quotes extensively from this very Palm Talk thread.

You can read it here.

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Hmm.. It has to be said. I resemble that last comment! I'm not into killing for sport, but when you see these things - even if like me, you are a little squeamish and love all of mother nature - you WILL want to terminate these critters on sight, for the destruction they represent!

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They likely started with one or more illegally imported trees - as what happened here. Our infection started at a single garden centre that imported a number of trees from Sicily. In the first year, all of the CIDP's within 5 miles of that garden center perished.

In that case the US should hit every palm within 10 miles of the infected one with treatment.

We don´t need PANIC for sure!

But what are the californian authorities doing about this?

.........Using ferromone traps,OK........... Treating preventivily all the CIDPs and other potential host palms around the infested area?........Waiting for someone that reports his/her palms are dieing?or worser,died two months ago?..........

Carambeí, 2nd tableland of the State Paraná , south Brazil.

Alt:1030m. Native palms: Queen, B. eriospatha, B. microspadix, Allagoptera leucocalyx , A.campestris, Geonoma schottiana, Trithrinax acanthocoma. Subtr. climate, some frosty nights. No dry season. August: driest month. Rain:1700mm

 

I am seeking for cold hardy palms!

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We don´t need PANIC for sure!

If this pest is in the american continent, it might take many years but for sure it will travel south.

I cant help but wonder what it will do to the many species of wild populations in latin america

Resident in Bristol UK.

Webshop for hardy palms and hybrid seeds www.hardy-palms.co.uk

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We don´t need PANIC for sure!

If this pest is in the american continent, it might take many years but for sure it will travel south.

I cant help but wonder what it will do to the many species of wild populations in latin america

I was thinking the same......Imagine that it will infest palms like Sabal, Brahea (not only infest,but destroy hole ecosystems

:):unsure: and will reach the palm rich forests of Central America and then the Amazon..................................:(:blink::huh::(

We need action NOW. If it spreed it´s too late!

Carambeí, 2nd tableland of the State Paraná , south Brazil.

Alt:1030m. Native palms: Queen, B. eriospatha, B. microspadix, Allagoptera leucocalyx , A.campestris, Geonoma schottiana, Trithrinax acanthocoma. Subtr. climate, some frosty nights. No dry season. August: driest month. Rain:1700mm

 

I am seeking for cold hardy palms!

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alberto ,nigel,perhaps birds in central america that eat these insects ??? and do not get to south america??? !!!

  • Upvote 1

GIUSEPPE

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this is interesting

will this insect spread around the entire planet killing off the palms of the world ?

I know it sounds like crazy talk but things like this HAVE happened.

now on the other hand maybe in a place like the Amazon the WEEVIL will NOT

make it because other animals will hunt it down and eat it.

for example frogs, birds, army ants, lizards all might have a field day eating

those wondeful little red weevils.

:)

Edited by trioderob
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I wonder if ammonia, chili powder, or some other offensive organic repellent can be sprayed up into the crowns.

Matt Bradford

"Manambe Lavaka"

Spring Valley, CA (8.5 miles inland from San Diego Bay)

10B on the hill (635 ft. elevation)

9B in the canyon (520 ft. elevation)

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I wonder if ammonia, chili powder, or some other offensive organic repellent can be sprayed up into the crowns.

it can be.

whether or not it wall make a difference is another story entirely. :mellow:

the "prince of snarkness."

 

still "warning-free."

 

san diego,california,left coast.

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I think that they're already south of the border. Last year on a project in Puerta Vallarta, the weevils attacked 3 bismarkias on one estate. None of the other palms were affected. Two Phoenix canariensis had died the year before and it was probably the same thing. My understanding, from what I was told, was that infestations were already happening up and down the coast.......even attacking cocos.

Richard Wanberg

San Anselmo, CA

Cold Air Basin of Zone 15

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State of FLORIDA is all over this

here is the pest report :

"Of particular concern is R. ferrugineus, known as the red palm weevil. It is a pest of coconut and other palms in its native

range. Over the past three decades, its range has expanded into the Middle East, North Africa and Mediterranean Europe.

It attacks many palm species, but is especially devastating on date palms. It recently became established in Curaçao

in the Caribbean, placing it ever closer to Florida.

In each case, it is suspected that the weevils travelled with imported

palms. In January 2010, the federal government prohibited the importation into the United States of live palms belonging

to 17 genera."

link:

http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/pest_alerts/pdf/giantpalmweevils.pdf

Edited by trioderob
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We don´t have the red palm wevil yet, but Venezuela was kind enough to send the red palm mite to Roraima where it will probably spread south to the rest of Brazil eventually; When it appeared earlier in the year all the banana shipments from Roraima to Manaus were cut off. Roraiama supplies almost all the bananas here. Things have since normalized. But, I have not heard where the palm mites are. They may be here already.

dk

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

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Click here to visit Amazonas

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now on the other hand maybe in a place like the Amazon the WEEVIL will NOT

make it because other animals will hunt it down and eat it.

for example frogs, birds, army ants, lizards all might have a field day eating

those wondeful little red weevils.

:)

This beetle is originary from the equatorial forests of indonesia, New Guinea,Malaysia with the difference that in it´s original habitat it is in balance with the hole ecosystem for thousands and thousands of years. There it didn´t destroy 80% of the palms (CIDPs) in a few years like in some mediterranean Islands.

But what will happen if it reach again tropical/equatorial forests in Central and South America where it isn´t in balance with the ecosystem?????? Here in Brazil we have the Rhinchophorus palmarum ,closely related ,but a ´´saint´´ compared to the asian bug.

Carambeí, 2nd tableland of the State Paraná , south Brazil.

Alt:1030m. Native palms: Queen, B. eriospatha, B. microspadix, Allagoptera leucocalyx , A.campestris, Geonoma schottiana, Trithrinax acanthocoma. Subtr. climate, some frosty nights. No dry season. August: driest month. Rain:1700mm

 

I am seeking for cold hardy palms!

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Carambeí, 2nd tableland of the State Paraná , south Brazil.

Alt:1030m. Native palms: Queen, B. eriospatha, B. microspadix, Allagoptera leucocalyx , A.campestris, Geonoma schottiana, Trithrinax acanthocoma. Subtr. climate, some frosty nights. No dry season. August: driest month. Rain:1700mm

 

I am seeking for cold hardy palms!

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But what will happen if it reach again tropical/equatorial forests in Central and South America where it isn´t in balance with the ecosystem?????? Here in Brazil we have the Rhinchophorus palmarum ,closely related ,but a ´´saint´´ compared to the asian bug.

yes I have seen the native weevil here, horrible thing but as Alberto says a saint... well almost. I have seen them destroy Butia eriospatha after pruning. However, this was next to a field of Archontophoenix that had been harvested for palm heart. The owner is obliged to take up the trunks and destroy them, but he left them to rot and there was a huge infestation of palm weevils that spread to some local plants. Normally though, even if a palm weevil attacks a butia the palm doesnt die.

I had a heart attack last year when after cutting some leaves I found one of these critters on my butia but almost a year later and no sign of anything wrong.

Resident in Bristol UK.

Webshop for hardy palms and hybrid seeds www.hardy-palms.co.uk

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This has the potential to be like the Lethal Yellow scourge of Coconuts and others.

Going to start a new post on that one . . .

The only real answer is to find natural enemies and introduce them. Bug killers are simply going to be too expensive, and ordinary bug eaters like birds won't have a clue about those [expletive] grubs.

I can remember when the Eugania psyllid made its way into California in the 1980s. It severely damaged -- though didn't destroy -- lots of Eugenia hedges, very popular for topiaries. This little [expletive] bug lives inside the leaf tissue, and the only way to get at it was to shoot it with systemlics like orthene.

Disneyland had miles of Eugenia hedge and topiaries, and orthene smells like vile armpits, chemical warfare and passed gas all at once, not a nice thing for the Happiest Place on Earth.

Those who could, took out Eugenia hedges and topiairies.

Finally, a natural enemy was introduced, which got that psyllid under control, and you can raise your Eugenias without having to souse them every month.

Natural enemies or nothing. There is no other viable alternative.

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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Here is one of them, I found it no more than one km from my place, actually a beautiful bug and luckily not such a good flyer it dropped right in front of me

post-37-079504900 1286915999_thumb.jpg

The preferred treatment at the moment is an application of a mix of insecticide and nematodes every three months in summer; the insecticide will kill the mature bugs that visit the tree and the nematodes will finish the larvae that are already present.

The bug seems to have a preference for palms with a lot off loose fiber around the petioles(Phoenix,Washingtonia,Trachycarpus) so it has plenty of material to make cocoons for its secondary stage, imo this is one of the reasons it does not (yet?) palms with a crownshaft

It also seems to have a preference for male trees, this could be a hormone thing

  • Upvote 2

Charles Wychgel

Algarve/Portugal

Sunset zone 24

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Whoa whoa whoa... Why haven't I heard of this? Wouldn't this be in the national news if it was as serious as you all of you are saying it is? You guys must be making it sound a lot worse than it really is...? Shouldnt phil and other palm folks be posting here worried?

Meteorologist and PhD student in Climate Science

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Here is one of them, I found it no more than one km from my place, actually a beautiful bug and luckily not such a good flyer it dropped right in front of me

post-37-079504900 1286915999_thumb.jpg

The preferred treatment at the moment is an application of a mix of insecticide and nematodes every three months in summer; the insecticide will kill the mature bugs that visit the tree and the nematodes will finish the larvae that are already present.

The bug seems to have a preference for palms with a lot off loose fiber around the petioles(Phoenix,Washingtonia,Trachycarpus) so it has plenty of material to make cocoons for its secondary stage, imo this is one of the reasons it does not (yet?) palms with a crownshaft

It also seems to have a preference for male trees, this could be a hormone thing

Here's a snap of some I caught last year, Charles. Perhaps the black spots dictate the gender?

post-1155-054099700 1286918200_thumb.jpg

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Here is one of them, I found it no more than one km from my place, actually a beautiful bug and luckily not such a good flyer it dropped right in front of me

post-37-079504900 1286915999_thumb.jpg

The preferred treatment at the moment is an application of a mix of insecticide and nematodes every three months in summer; the insecticide will kill the mature bugs that visit the tree and the nematodes will finish the larvae that are already present.

The bug seems to have a preference for palms with a lot off loose fiber around the petioles(Phoenix,Washingtonia,Trachycarpus) so it has plenty of material to make cocoons for its secondary stage, imo this is one of the reasons it does not (yet?) palms with a crownshaft

It also seems to have a preference for male trees, this could be a hormone thing

Here's a snap of some I caught last year, Charles. Perhaps the black spots dictate the gender?

post-1155-054099700 1286918200_thumb.jpg

Hmm.

How about a Shoe for scale?

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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How about a Shoe for scale?

I put my Shoe ON it Dave after I took the picture :evil:

They are about an inch(25 mm) long sometimes slightly bigger

Charles Wychgel

Algarve/Portugal

Sunset zone 24

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Here's a biro for scale. Fully-grown adults can definitely exceed 1" - not including the snout. In metric, 30mm x 14mm would be fairly accurate dimensions for an adult weevil. The body length is very slightly twice the body width from my estimations.

post-1155-039642000 1286958095_thumb.jpg

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I once saw my two kittens of cats, that catching a one red palm, this was on the ground,

if the cat had wings...........

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GIUSEPPE

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If you took a ladder and climbed to the top of those trees, they would just be oozing with larvae and buzzing with mature weevils. We easily lost 90% of our CIDP's and at least 2/3 of those are still standing.

At least in California you can be reasonably certain somebody would come from the city and cut them down.

I just wish all the Californians the best of luck.

  • Upvote 1

Lardos, Greece ( Island of Rhodes ) 10B

1.9 km from Mediterannean Sea

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Whoa whoa whoa... Why haven't I heard of this? Wouldn't this be in the national news if it was as serious as you all of you are saying it is? You guys must be making it sound a lot worse than it really is...? Shouldnt phil and other palm folks be posting here worried?

Good question!!! Why haven't you heard of this?!!!!!!! Very good question!!!!

It should be the national news for sure!!1 It IS VERY SERIOUS!!!

Search in other languages,spanish: picudo rojo,italian: punterolo rosso

Imagine the skyline of Californian cities with 80% of the CIDP only remaining trunks ......

Urgent meeting in Italy in 2007 .WHY????

´´Il punteruolo rosso è alle porte! Il terribile predatore si avvicina alle palme della Riviera.´´

´´The red palm weewil is at the door! The terrible predator is at the neighborhood (close) of the palms of the Riviera´´

Now they ARE in California!!!! It is worser then YOU think it is!

http://www.palmtalk....h=1

Carambeí, 2nd tableland of the State Paraná , south Brazil.

Alt:1030m. Native palms: Queen, B. eriospatha, B. microspadix, Allagoptera leucocalyx , A.campestris, Geonoma schottiana, Trithrinax acanthocoma. Subtr. climate, some frosty nights. No dry season. August: driest month. Rain:1700mm

 

I am seeking for cold hardy palms!

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The arrival of Rhynchophorus to America is bad news indeed!

I think the Government of the Canary Islands did a good job. The insect was found on two islands in 2005. Everybody knew the tragic impact in Southern Europe and was worried for all the Phoenix canariensis of the islands, including the natural palm groves. The weevil was caught at the very start and a large operation was started against the bug. Loads of public money was given for this project. The RPW was not allowed to spread to the rest of the archipelago and now it is close to being erradicated.

In 2006, 296 palms were removed because of the RPW. In 2010, just three palms had to be killed ! Now... this is not yet erradication, I hope they keep the grants until the pest is really gone.

Visit this official site about RPW in the Canary Islands: http://www.picudorojocanarias.es/

Carlo

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The arrival of Rhynchophorus to America is bad news indeed!

I think the Government of the Canary Islands did a good job. The insect was found on two islands in 2005. Everybody knew the tragic impact in Southern Europe and was worried for all the Phoenix canariensis of the islands, including the natural palm groves. The weevil was caught at the very start and a large operation was started against the bug. Loads of public money was given for this project. The RPW was not allowed to spread to the rest of the archipelago and now it is close to being erradicated.

In 2006, 296 palms were removed because of the RPW. In 2010, just three palms had to be killed ! Now... this is not yet erradication, I hope they keep the grants until the pest is really gone.

Visit this official site about RPW in the Canary Islands: http://www.picudorojocanarias.es/

Carlo

Sounds like you guys got away, clean..

Mommy!

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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If you took a ladder and climbed to the top of those trees, they would just be oozing with larvae and buzzing with mature weevils. We easily lost 90% of our CIDP's and at least 2/3 of those are still standing.

At least in California you can be reasonably certain somebody would come from the city and cut them down.

I just wish all the Californians the best of luck.

Am i safe with my little cidp in South india ? :(

love conquers all..

43278.gif

.

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I just read at the ´´New Pest response guidelines from the USDA - chapter 8 ( http://www.aphis.usd...dpalmweevil.pdf ) the following:

Natural Movement

Natural spread of the red palm weevil into the continental United States is

unlikely. The closest populations of this pest are in Aruba and the Netherlands

Antilles, which would require a flight of over 1,100 miles. While red palm

weevil flights of greater than 900 miles have been reported (EPPO 2008), the

weevil would need to first establish in a closer location such as Central

America, and continue multiple flights northward through Mexico and

eventually into the United States.

Chapter2

Potential Distribution

From the reported global distribution of the red palm weevil, we estimate that

this pest would potentially be able to establish in areas of the United States that

are warmer than Plant Hardiness Zone 8. This Zone makes up approximately

25 per cent of the United States, including all of Hawaii and the Territories

(Figure 2-1).

Environmental Impact of Red Palm Weevil Infestation

Roystonea elata and Sabal miamiensis are on the Threatened and Endangered

Species System (TESS) list in Florida and 12 species of agave are on the TESS

list in various areas of the southwest such as Arizona, Texas, California,

Nevada and the Virgin Islands (USFWS 2009). These species are not reported

as hosts, but they may be impacted by the red palm weevil if the host range of

this pest expands. We estimate the environmental impacts to endangered or

threatened species to be low, but the impact of the red palm weevil on host

palms in the environment may be significant since infestation typically results

in death of the plant.

Carambeí, 2nd tableland of the State Paraná , south Brazil.

Alt:1030m. Native palms: Queen, B. eriospatha, B. microspadix, Allagoptera leucocalyx , A.campestris, Geonoma schottiana, Trithrinax acanthocoma. Subtr. climate, some frosty nights. No dry season. August: driest month. Rain:1700mm

 

I am seeking for cold hardy palms!

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Southern Italy was full of phoenix canariensis :(

latest news: in a house next to mine, I saw a phoenix canariensis that had not yet been attacked by the red weevil,

the owner Phoenix canariensis good,phoenix canariensis cut ,because he was afraid of red weevil :( and instead planted a Syagrus romanzoffiana

Panic broke out because the government does not help to inform people

Edited by gyuseppe
  • Upvote 1

GIUSEPPE

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While red palmweevil flights of greater than 900 miles have been reported (EPPO 2008)

I would be interested in seeing this study.

By all accounts on this thread ( and my observation of the pest ), RPW is absolutely NOT a strong flyer. If an RPW has actually flown over 900 miles, it would not have been without touching ground many times and that 900 miles could not have consisted of more than a mile or so of water ( IMO ).

These insect are extremely clumsy flyers ( IMO ) and they do not seem to have the energy to survive that long without consuming palm material ( or other simular ). I have easily found more than a thousand in my garden that I believe have expired while attempting to enter my washys.

Illegal importation ( palms smuggled in suit cases or mis-labelled packages ) and inadequate quarentine / inspection ( or perhaps corruption in many Southern European instances ) are the only reasons this highly destructive pest have entered new land masses.

Regards

Maurice

Lardos, Greece ( Island of Rhodes ) 10B

1.9 km from Mediterannean Sea

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I would be interested in seeing this study.

By all accounts on this thread ( and my observation of the pest ), RPW is absolutely NOT a strong flyer. If an RPW has actually flown over 900 miles, it would not have been without touching ground many times and that 900 miles could not have consisted of more than a mile or so of water ( IMO ).

These insect are extremely clumsy flyers ( IMO ) and they do not seem to have the energy to survive that long without consuming palm material ( or other simular ). I have easily found more than a thousand in my garden that I believe have expired while attempting to enter my washys.

Illegal importation ( palms smuggled in suit cases or mis-labelled packages ) and inadequate quarentine / inspection ( or perhaps corruption in many Southern European instances ) are the only reasons this highly destructive pest have entered new land masses.

Here is the link to the report Maurice http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2338.2008.01195.x/full

They mention a reach of 900 m; needless to say this is meter and not miles so this was a translation hiccup :D

I have my doubt about the bugs travelling with palms in suitcases, normally the only palms attacked are the one with a trunk, you would need a very big suitcase to transport a trunking palm

Inadequate quarantaine/inspection is indeed a big problem, and corruption in some circles be it South or North European is another big problem

Here in Europe we are also lacking a strong local enforcement about agri-pests, and when action is taken it is usually too late and too little

Carlo story proves that this pest can be done with, Israeli reports the same, unfortunately here in Portugal nothing is done on a municipial level :(

Charles Wychgel

Algarve/Portugal

Sunset zone 24

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They are capable of total eradication of all phoenix and washingtonia in california.......

So what's the bad news?

Amusing. I've read similar sentiments from palm collectors regarding the Cocos nucifera where they grow easily "You can have them!" while there are those who live in areas where they can't be grown consider anything that looks similar and *might* grow in their home region as the "holy grail"

We have a mix of palm species (planted because of concern about lethal yellowing or other species specific diseases), which includes Phoenix species while knowing they are the step child to many palm collectors. Of all our palms, I would miss this P rupicola x the most....

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I am worried. We live not too far from Laguna Beach where the red palm weevil was found.

We have two non-hybrid rupicolas that are turning out to be just as beautiful :(

Jackie

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They mention a reach of 900 m; needless to say this is meter and not miles so this was a translation hiccup :D

The article mentions smelling a breeding site from 900 m - that I do believe - they follow my gardeners car around when he has unopened pheramone bait packages inside. I have a hard time believing they can fly for more than 100-200 m at a time - I may be wrong - the real answer may be interesting.

Carlo story proves that this pest can be done with, Israeli reports the same, unfortunately here in Portugal nothing is done on a municipial level :(

Funny I had read last year Portugal was making real inroads in battling the bug. Our municipality's eradication program made a big dent in the population. Unfortunately, it lasted only abput 3 months but wouldn't even be considered for the budget anymore( no secret Greece has a little cash problem at the moment ).

I have my doubt about the bugs travelling with palms in suitcases, normally the only palms attacked are the one with a trunk, you would need a very big suitcase to transport a trunking palm

We used to see only trunked palms attacked. Now the CIDP supply is so low, and we have so many weevils, they don't need to be all that big before attracting the attention of RPW.

This is the result of an experiment to determine if RPW were interested in Cretan Date Palms. Quite small specimans were used - and the RPW was interested. The weevil on the left came out of the speciman on the right.

Regards

Maurice

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Lardos, Greece ( Island of Rhodes ) 10B

1.9 km from Mediterannean Sea

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