Originally from tropical Asia, the Red Palm Weevil has spread to Africa and Europe, reaching Portugal in 2007. Thousands of Palm Trees are dying thanks to its larvae which can excavate holes in the trunk up to one meter long. New alternative technologies using semiochemicals and bio insecticides are being developed to more effectively control this devastating pest.
13 comments:
It always amazes me how something so small can cause so much damage.
Amazing how much destruction a small insect can cause! Hope that the new insecticides are able to eradicate it!
I agree with the others!! How DOES something so small cause so much destruction??? Scary! Hope they find a way to control it!!
The evil creature. And it looks disgusting.
Serial killer, indeed! What a shame.
We have a similar problem here with the emerald ash borer, also from Asia.
Nasty thing!
Yes, we also have problems with the emerald ash borer doing the same thing.
It is horrible to see insects and other invaders arriving in places where there are no natural defenses. Pure evil!
Little bugger.
Strange, just today we got a notice from our town council. The landscape experts said this year they will not be trimming the palm trees before the Sukkot holiday in October. So there will be no palm branches available to roof our sukkot (the temporary booths or tabernacles).
The reason: infestation of the Red Palm Weevil spreads after the trimming.
Actually I was not aware of this pest until I saw it here on your blog.
Now on the map I see that out infestation is heaviest (the red dots) along our Rift Valley. Well, that is where most of the date crop is grown.
http://www.google.com/fusiontables/embedviz?q=select+col6+from+1R6Or6YXcNWBgvbERZleL3zTLDNP9H5q0_zKyQO0h&viz=MAP&h=false&lat=32.58804461872181&lng=35.394416942138605&t=3&z=10&l=col6&y=2&tmplt=2&hml=TWO_COL_LAT_LNG
:( I confess I wouldn't like to face one! Feioso hein, e causa tantos problemas!
Abraços
Léia
That is a killer indeed.
And it looks so innocent except for its pointy nose.
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