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The control of the Red Palm Weevil is difficult, because its larvae damage the interior of the trunk of the palm trees, when the visible damages are already irreparable.
The Red Palm Weevil or Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is considered the worst pest that can attack palm trees. Originally from Egypt, the pest has been detected in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, southern Europe, California, Miami and Mexico.
Damage caused by the red palm weevil
Adult females lay between 300 and 400 eggs at the base of leaves, on their wounds or on trunks. They preferably go to diseased palm trees, with pruning wounds or weakened by having been transplanted recently. The cuts or wounds that occur with the pruning of palm trees give off an aroma that attracts them powerfully.
The damage occurs mainly because of the larvae, which feed on the soft fibers and the terminal tissue of the buds, and move towards the interior of the palm making tunnels and cavities. They can be found anywhere inside the palm, even at the base of the trunk itself.
Adults usually remain in the palm tree while it has fresh plant tissue and go outside when the palm tree is completely destroyed or does not have the capacity to house more individuals inside. When adults go outside they look for new specimens to colonize and are attracted by the smell given off by palm trees as a result of pruning, and by the pheromones that they themselves emit to attract other individuals of the same species.
They have diurnal activity and can move from one palm tree to another nearby, although it can also travel long distances in flight favored by the wind, although its greater dispersion is produced by the movement of infested palm trees from one area to another.
Life cycle and control of the Red Palm Weevil
From the biological development cycle of the Red Palm Weevil, FuturCrop calculates the following events:
Usually, damage caused by larvae is visible only long after infection. So when the first symptoms of the attack appear, they are so severe that they usually result in the death of the tree. For this reason it is essential to keep in mind the following symptoms of damage for the control of the red palm weevil:
Symptoms of damage
- Young central leaves poorly developed, with part of the leaflets eaten and with a decayed appearance.
- The affected leaves yellow, wither and detach easily.
- They can sometimes be observed, at the base of the leaves, galleries made by the larvae and find cocoons, adults and remains of fiber.
- The damage caused by larvae can even affect the base of the palm tree, observing galleries, larvae and cocoons in the stump of the same.
- When the damage affects the apical bud of the palm tree, the death of the specimen occurs.
- In advanced infections, a complete detachment of the tuft of the palm tree occurs.
- Other symptoms to control are the entry and exit holes of adults, a reddish viscous exudation on the trunk, a strong odor, and you can even perceive the noise produced by the larvae when feeding.
The time of treatment depends on the type of treatment performed. To perform a conventional chemical treatment, it is the immediately after laying, according to FuturCrop calculations.
Monitoring and Control of the red palm weevil
Surveillance of the condition of palm trees is the main tool for pest control. It is generally recommended to check the external appearance of the palm tree at least every 30 days, review of traps every 15 days, and several preventive treatments during the year. However, through FuturCrop you can receive alerts of the phases of biological development of the pest and therefore predict the risks, optimize the monitoring, the review of traps and the treatments that need to be carried out.
Likewise, the information provided by the software allows you to be sure to perform the pruning in the appropriate period, controlling the moment of flight of the adults.
FuturCrop calculates short-term forecasts of the activity of 179 agricultural pests, based on accumulted temperature thresholds associated with critical stages of their life cycle.
FuturCrop forecasts indicate, for a given day, the stage of the pest’s life cycle and the day for the most efficient treatment.
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