A large beetle (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) native to South and Southeast Asia whose larvae bore through the trunk of date, coconut and ornamental palms, often killing the tree before infestation is detected. It has spread through the Middle East, the Mediterranean and parts of the Caribbean, threatening both commercial date production and ornamental palm plantings, with control costs and tree losses running into hundreds of millions of dollars regionally.
Facts
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Associated With
Date Palm, Crops The red palm weevil is the most destructive insect pest of date palm plantations across the Middle East and North Africa.
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Sources
1. Red Palm Weevil (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationOpening definition paragraph
The palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is one of two species of snout beetle known as the red palm weevil, Asian palm weevil or sago palm weevil. The adult beetles are relatively large, ranging between 2 and 4 centimetres long, and are usually a rusty red colour-but many colour variants exist and have often been classified as different species. Weevil larvae can excavate holes in the trunks of palm trees up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) long, thereby weakening and eventually killing the host plant.
lead description
A large beetle (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) native to South and Southeast Asia whose larvae bore through the trunk of date, coconut and ornamental palms, often killing the tree before infestation is detected.
In Group: Beetle and Weevil Pests, Lead
The palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is one of two species of snout beetle known as the red palm weevil, Asian palm weevil or sago palm weevil.
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