Red palm weevil?

[Peter Pacific]

I found this sucker burrowing into one of my palms. Is this a dreaded Red Palm Weevil? Thank God it was only ravaging a Queen. When we dug deeper into the trunk and found three of them! Can anyone give me some pointers how to eradicate these pests. Is it best to get rid of them manually or should I be spraying chemicals? Do they remain on certain species or wreak havoc to my whole garden?

I know this was covered in a previous post but I wasn't paying attention when I thought I was pest-free!

Thank you for your help everyone.

Peter

[grant b.]

im far from and amateur entomologist, but it doesn't look like a red palm weevil larvae to me. attached is a bulletin from the CA department of food and agriculture for some reference.

[Phoenikakias]

Whatever it is, surely it remains imo a borer. Pictures are not clear but I think I see tunnels in the trunk with secondary fungal infection , typical signs of borer infection. Any picture available of the whole palm? Is the picture taken in Guatemala or Florida? I think I have read a post in this forum made by a member in another central american country (Honduras?), who reports the rpw being a pest in plantations of oil palms there!

[DoomsDave]

PP:

Whatever that little grubworm is, it has potential to ravage. I don't think is an RPW, though, as they are much bigger, fatter, and paler.

I suspect that your bug has some natural enemies that keep it in check and keep it from running amok. That said, it might not be a bad idea to treat some of your prized palms with a systemic bug killer like acephate (if available) or its substitutes as a preventative measure.

[Monòver]

I'm sure it is not a red weevil.

I saw hundreds reed weevil larvae and it is white and fat.

Here never saw the RPW in a queen.

In a queens we have problems with the paysandisia.

But this bug, it is not a paysandisia.

I think the best is treat your palms with chemicals. With this, you will sleep quiet.

[Peter Pacific]

Thanks for the help guys! Here's a shot of the whole tree. Grant, you're probably right, it doesn't look like a rpw, but the beetle, when grown, looks like one in your photo.

Peter

[Kostas]

I am sorry to see it damage one of your palms. It's not a Rhynchophorus ferrugineus thankfully and it's probably a native in your area with natural enemies to keep it in check. So, in general, no need to worry too much about it. I don't think that it's worth treating your palms with chemicals and polluting your living space as it will probably not cause damage frequently. It is worth erradicating the population from your palm though as they could spread to nearby palms more easily when done with it than if they are not present nearby.

Rhynchophorus palmarum is native in Central and South America and R. cruentatus in FL and Central America. If you post a photo of the adult, I may be able to ID it

[Peter Pacific]

Cool Kostas, thank you!

I will have to find one and take a picture!

Peter