Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Curculionidae
Genus: Rhynchophorus
Species:
R. ferrugineus
Binomial name
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
(Olivier, 1790) [1]
Synonyms
  • Curculio ferrugineus Olivier, 1790
  • Cordyle sexmaculatus Thunberg, 1797
  • Calandra ferruginea Fabricius, 1801
  • Rhynchophorus pascha v. papuanus Kirsch, 1877
  • Rhynchophorus indostanus Chevrolat, 1882
  • Rhynchophorus signaticollis Chevrolat, 1882
  • Rhynchophorus pascha v. cinctus Faust, 1893
  • Rhynchophorus ferrugineus v. seminiger Faust, 1895
  • Rhynchophorus signaticollis v. dimidiatus Faust, 1895

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 (1 and 1+1⁄2 inches) long, and are usually a rusty red colour—but many colour variants exist and have often been classified as different species (e.g., R. vulneratus). 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. As a result, the weevil is considered a major pest in palm plantations, including the coconut palm, date palm and oil palm.[2]

Originally from tropical Asia, the red palm weevil has spread to Africa and Europe, reaching the Mediterranean in the 1980s. It was first recorded in Spain in 1994,[3] and in France in 2006.[4] Additional infestations have been located in Malta, Italy (Tuscany, Sicily, Campania, Sardinia, Lazio, Marche, Puglia and Liguria), Croatia and Montenegro. It is also well established throughout most of Portugal, especially in the South.[5] It also has established in Morocco, Tunisia, and other North African countries.[6] The weevil was first reported in the Americas on Curaçao in January 2009[7] and sighted the same year in Aruba.[8] It was reported in the United States at Laguna Beach, California late in 2010[9][10] but this was a misidentification of the closely related species, R. vulneratus, and it did not become established.[11]

Larvae of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus are considered a delicacy in Southeast Asian cuisine. In some regions, however, larvae farming is strictly prohibited to prevent the potential devastation of plantation crops.[12]

  1. ^ "Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (RHYCFE)". Global Database. European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. 2002-10-21. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  2. ^ "Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliver". Phytosanitary Alert System. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  3. ^ M. Ferry; S. Gómez (2002). "The red palm weevil in the Mediterranean Area" (PDF). Palms. 46 (4). International Palm Society. S2CID 81168514.
  4. ^ "EPPO Reporting Service" (PDF). EPPO Reporting Service (11). Paris, France. 2006-11-01.
  5. ^ Soares, Marisa (9 February 2014). "As palmeiras ainda podem ganhar a guerra contra o escaravelho-vermelho". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  6. ^ "Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (red palm weevil) CABI fact Sheet".
  7. ^ "Niet Gevonden". amigoe.com. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  8. ^ 2010 California Farmer periodical "World's worst palm pest in state" Richardson[dead link]
  9. ^ "Destructive exotic beetle found in Laguna Beach". Orange County Register. 2010-10-04. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  10. ^ [1] Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine CDFA; Red Palm Weevil, Worst Known Pest of Palm Trees Detected in Laguna Beach
  11. ^ Hoddle, Mark S.; Hoddle, Christina D.; Alzubaidy, Mohammed; Kabashima, John; Nisson, J. Nicholas; Millar, Jocelyn; Dimson, Monica (2016). "The palm weevil Rhynchophorus vulneratusis eradicated from Laguna Beach". California Agriculture. 71 (1). University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources: 23–29. doi:10.3733/ca.2016a0012. ISSN 0008-0845.
  12. ^ "Chỉ thị 01/2015/CT-UBND nghiêm cấm nhân nuôi phát tán đuông dừa tỉnh Bến Tre". thuvienphapluat.vn. Retrieved 2022-01-05.