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Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
(Reed palm weevil)
The pest
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Adult (red palm weevil)
Adults: Beetle from 2 to 5 cm. reddish and with an elongated beak. Dark round spots on the thorax and back lines on the wings.
Larvae: Larvae develop inside the palm and can reach the 5 cm in length.
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Methods of control
Trap with fermented bait and captured Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Partially buried trap, with attractant, insecticide, and fruit, to cause bait fermentation.
DETECTION AND MONITORING
A trapping device should be installed as soon as possible, to enable the monitoring of the affected area. This deice will make possible the detection of new infestation focuses and is a complement to the visual inspection.
- Place a Rhynchophorus trap , for every 3 ha. of crop or for each monitored area
- Place the trap half buried in the ground (up to the side holes).
- Place the trap in a shaded area (out of direct sunlight)
- Place the pheromone inside the trap and attach it to the lower part of the lid, with the spreading membrane facing the bottom of the trap, or hanging from the lid. Do not touch the diffusing area, and use gloves.
- Suspended from the lid is also placed the ethyl acetate spreading.
- Place insecticide (DDVP Vapona) inside to kill the insect (it can be substitute with the filling of the bottom of the trap with water + soap)
- Place insecticide (Vapona DDVP) inside to kill the insect (it can be substitute with the filling of the bottom of the trap with water + soap)
- Place the trap far from sensitive palm (Phoenix canariensis and dactilifera). If the trap is installed near palms, although not very sensitive, it is recommended to apply a preventive treatment in the trunk using an authorized residual insecticide (micro capsulated diazinon or micro capsulated fenitrotión), and repeat the treatment once a month.
- Traps are controlled once a week to collect and note the number of red palm weevils catch. It is also necessary to check that traps are still well placed, and refill if necessary container and bottom water. It’s important to maintain the humidity inside the trap.
- Attractants must be renewed every 6 weeks.
Monitoring will be conducted throughout the year, so that adults can always fly, but the most important periods are those between April and November.
MASS TRAPPING
Place, immediately, the traps within a radius of 1,000 m. from the point where the infested palm was detected:
- On the streets, set a trap every 50 meters
- One for each round with date palms
- In gardens and parks one trap every 2.500m2.
To carry out the control using mass trapping follow the same instructions mentioned above with he following specifications:
- Place the traps in he area to control, separated by 50 meters (4 traps/ha approximately)
- Place traps inside and outside of the parcel or area to be controlled.
- Strengthen the areas where catches are higher (reduce the distance between traps until 25 meters)
- Mass trapping will mainly be conducted from spring to autumn.
It’s known that some of the adults attracted to traps don’t fall into them, but fly to the nearby palm trees, so that the preventive treatment described above should be strictly applied on that palms, and with a higher frequency while the mass trapping device is installed. Placement and baiting of the traps must be optimal not to favor this effect. If after 12 months neither any new affected palm nor any reed palm weevils are detected, the device could lighten and become one of monitoring.
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Protocol to proceed
INSPECTION
Immediately quick inspection of all the palm trees in about 1,000 m around the place were the infested palm has been found. Systematic elimination of the sprouts should begin immediately once detecting an affected palm, and that process must be as brief as possible.
As regards to Phoenix canariensis, the fact that red palm weevil is mainly attracted by that specie, whatever its height is, makes a priority the location and checking of all the palm trees of that specie belonging at the affected area, plus subsequently regular inspection.
REMOVAL OF PALM TREES
The administration has ordered the removal of all infested palms, and the report of that fact is required, although it would be necessary to take into account the following parameters: the location of the insect in the palm, the damage caused on it and the degree of infestation.
- With regard to the date palm, the infestation usually begins in the shoots area. Very often, this infection progresses very slowly (the date palm offers more resistance than canary palm). When detected at the beginning, what can happen when cutting the shoots or at inspecting the trunk, the infection may affect only a very superficial area. In this case, you must perform a thorough cleaning of this area (plus chemical treatment and mastic application) and the future development of the palm wouldn’t be affected. From a phytosanitary approach, the removal of these palms is completely useless, and if those affected palms are of a large size it has serious consequences for the conservation of landscape heritage
- In case of infection in the upper part of the trunk, where leaves are found, which normally occurs in the case of the Canary Island palm, but also in the date palms, an assessment of the degree of infestation it’s required before taking more actions.
Taking those actions instead of removing the affected palms don’t represent any phytosanitary threat, is much more economic and should allow the landscape heritage conservation. The incurable palm trees or those which have been highly damaged for the pest should be removed.
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More information
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