Red Palm Weevil

The most destructive pest of palm trees in the world, the red palm weevil (RPW) has spread from South Asia to the Middle East, Mediterranean, and North Africa, killing millions of date and coconut palms. Larvae bore through the trunk interior, hollowing it out completely. By the time external symptoms are visible, the palm is usually too damaged to save. RPW is now the primary threat to date palm production in the Middle East and North Africa.

Adults are large (35-40 mm), reddish-brown to black weevils with a distinctive long curved snout (rostrum) and dark spots on the thorax. Larvae are large (50-60 mm at maturity), creamy-white, legless grubs with a dark brown head capsule — found inside palm trunks. Cocoons are made of palm fiber, found inside the trunk or at the trunk base.

• 1

  Adults attracted to aggregation pheromone traps confirm presence — traps should be checked weekly

• 2

  Reddish-brown weevils with dark thorax spots and long curved snout are unmistakable

• 3

  Press ear against trunk and listen for crunching/rasping sounds of larval feeding

• 4

  Look for brown ooze and fermented smell from trunk wounds

• 5

  Crown collapse (fronds drooping in umbrella shape) is the most obvious but late-stage symptom

• Collapse of the crown — fronds droop and hang like an umbrella

• Tunneling sounds (chewing) audible by placing ear against the trunk

• Brown oozing fluid from trunk wounds or pruning scars

• Fermented odor from the trunk (decomposing internal tissue)

• Sawdust-like frass at the base of frond stubs or trunk wounds

• By the time symptoms are visible externally, internal damage is usually catastrophic

Red Palm Weevil can attack 3 crop species.