Death by Ox Beetle (Strategus aloeus)

[eevans]

Over the years, I've lost several of my palms to the ox beetle. It took me years to figure out that the mysterious crawfish-like burrows I'd sometimes find at the base of the trunks were caused by these beasts (after I found an adult emerging from one of the holes).

A burrow I found last summer on one of my last remaining windmill palms (1st picture) resulted in the palm's death this spring. The 2nd picture shows the damage done by the beetle larva, which eats up into the palm's "trunk" from below. I took this picture after sawing the dead trunk off at ground level. Pretty nasty.

So if you live anywhere in the southeastern US (I'm in Austin) and you see a "crawfish hole" next to the base of one of your palms, you've got trouble.

Other threads on Palmtalk address various treatments and remedies (e.g., http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/33134-strategus-aloeus-tis-the-season-for-the-ox-beetle/#comment-529483), but I hadn't thus far seen a photo of the actual trunk damage.

 

[Kris]

Sorry about your palm..

[Yunder Wækraus]

Yikes :-(

[Steve Mac]

Crickey