ALERT - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - Rhynchophorus Palmarum (South American Palm Weevil)

[Cristóbal]

I discovered this palm weevil in Tijuana in 2010, and the authorities on both sides of the border were notified.

Since then, it has now become established in the very most south part of Southern California....and is moving north quickly.

 

Los Angeles TV (KABC - ABC Network) coverage about Rhynchophorus Palmarum:

http://abc7.com/news/expert-warns-of-new-insect-threat-to-socal-palm-trees/1407487/

 

Mark Hoddle's University of California Center for Invasive Species Research webpage about this weevil is located here:

http://cisr.ucr.edu/palmarum.html


Additional TV coverage in the Coachella Valley (KMIR - NBC network), where it was recently detected, is here:

http://www.kmir.com/story/32351065/invasive-bug-killing-palms-found-in-valley


Watching these videos and viewing the webpage, shows the tremendous damage this pest causes. These palms weigh several tons, and each cost thousands of dollars to remove.

Rhynchophorus Palmarum prefers Phoenix species palms, but will also attack many other species.
 

Please contact Mark Hoddle of the University of Southern California Riverside, Center for Invasive Species Research, through his webpage, if you see palms with similar damage in any part of Southern California.

 

http://cisr.ucr.edu/palmarum.html

Edited July 12, 2016 by Cristóbal

[Justin]

Thank you for the update on this.  It seems like there is a never-ending array of things out to get our palms.

[Monòver]

Thanks for the info!

I hope every californian people read this.

In Europe we have its cousin, the red weevil ( Rhynchophorus ferrugineus).

It arrived to Spain 20 years ago.

Now, after 20 years, the 90% Phoenix canariensis are death.

Do you want the same in California? People must be carefull.

[Danilopez89]

Thanks for passing on the info. I saw that news clip a couple weeks ago so I've been keeping an eye out for sick looking palms in the area. 

[Kim]

Thank you, Cristobal, for the news clips and links.  Everyone should be on the alert to protect their palm gardens.  Make your own traps with a bucket and monitor them! Southern California with thousands of tall dead palms is not a pleasant image.

[LJG]

Thanks for posting this. Sadly I believe this is a hopeless fight in the US. We can't stop humans, how can we stop insects? We will just need to learn to combat these guys here sooner or later. 

[Silas_Sancona]

Thank you Cristobal for the update, quite concerning indeed.. Crazy to think that in a 30 day period, these Beetles, which can fly up to 5 miles per day.. can cover a distance of anywhere from 75 to 150 Miles from where they originated.

[WestCoastGal]

Thanks for the update Cristobal. I remember reading your thread from a few years ago when you discovered those first infected palms. Always wondered if it was contained to a small area and then caught in time or not. Sad to hear about the latest finds.

So had this thought, what happens to it when it reaches our vast coastal and inland mountain ranges where I doubt there are any palms. Will that have exhausted it's food source? Catching infected palms from southern Cal from being shipped elsewhere has to be top of the list for prevention of the spread. Thanks to you Cristobal and the efforts of the ag departments and research people like Mark Hoddle has been an important early step in making nurseries, growers, etc. aware of the infestation.

[GottmitAlex]

Any updates on these south of the border invaders?

Edited November 3, 2018 by GottmitAlex

[sandgroper]

And Mark Hoddle is a Kiwi! Or at least he has a New Zealand accent.