Rhynchophorus palmarum (South American palm weevil)

Pictures

Picture	Title	Caption	Copyright
Title Adult male and female - line drawing Caption Adult male (left) and female (right), with black, hard cuticle and the characteristic elytra of Coleoptera, protecting the abdomen when closed. 4-5 x 1.4 cm. Copyright Sanchez	Adult male and female - line drawing	Adult male (left) and female (right), with black, hard cuticle and the characteristic elytra of Coleoptera, protecting the abdomen when closed. 4-5 x 1.4 cm.	Sanchez
Title Moulting Caption Moulting R. palmarum in pupa. Copyright Sanchez	Moulting	Moulting R. palmarum in pupa.	Sanchez
Title Pupae Caption Pupae inhabit a cylindrical-ovoid closed cocoon 7-9 x 3-4 cm, built with vegetative fibres, organised in a spiral configuration. Copyright Sanchez	Pupae	Pupae inhabit a cylindrical-ovoid closed cocoon 7-9 x 3-4 cm, built with vegetative fibres, organised in a spiral configuration.	Sanchez
Title Larva Caption Larvae have no legs, initially 3-4 mm long, may reach 5-6 cm. Sclerotized mouth parts with strong mandibles. Copyright Sanchez	Larva	Larvae have no legs, initially 3-4 mm long, may reach 5-6 cm. Sclerotized mouth parts with strong mandibles.	Sanchez
Title Eggs Caption Eggs 2.5 x 1 mm, located individually 1-2 mm inside soft plant tissue, white with rounded ends. Copyright Sanchez	Eggs	Eggs 2.5 x 1 mm, located individually 1-2 mm inside soft plant tissue, white with rounded ends.	Sanchez

Identity

Preferred Scientific Name

• Rhynchophorus palmarum (Linnaeus, 1758)

Preferred Common Name

• South American palm weevil

Other Scientific Names

• Calandra palmarum (Linnaeus) 1801
• Cordyle barbirostris Thunberg, 1797
• Cordyle palmarum (Linnaeus) 1797
• Curculio palmarum Linnaeus, 1758
• Rhynchophorus barbirostris (Thunberg)
• Rhynchophorus cycadis Erichson, 1847
• Rhynchophorus depressus Chevrolet, 1880
• Rhynchophorus languinosus Chevrolet, 1880

International Common Names

• English: palm weevil; palm-marrow weevil
• Spanish: casanga; gorgojo cigarrón; gorgojo cigarrón del cocotero; gorgojo prieto de la palma; gualpa; mayate prieto del cocotero; picudo de la palma de coco; picudo del cocotero; picudo negro de la palma
• French: charançon du palmier
• Portuguese: broca do olho do coqueiro

Local Common Names

• Germany: Neotropischer Palmen-Ruessler

EPPO code

• RHYCPA (Rhynchophorus palmarum)

Taxonomic Tree

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Metazoa
•         Phylum: Arthropoda
•             Subphylum: Uniramia
•                 Class: Insecta
•                     Order: Coleoptera
•                         Family: Curculionidae
•                             Genus: Rhynchophorus
•                                 Species: Rhynchophorus palmarum

Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature

Description

Distribution

Distribution Table

The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.

Risk of Introduction

Hosts/Species Affected

Host Plants/Plants Affected

Growth Stages

Symptoms

Symptoms List

Species Vectored

Biology and Ecology

Natural Enemies

Notes on Natural Enemies

Impact

Since the beginning of twentieth century R. palmarum has been reported as one of the most important pests on ornamental palms and on oil palms, mainly in commercial plantations of Cocos nucifera and Elaeis guineensis (Griffith 1968, 1970; Dean 1979; Fenwick 1967; Sánchez and Cerda 1993).

The larvae feed on the growing tissue in the crown of the palm, during which it makes a gallery, often destroying the apical growth area and causing eventual death of the palm. Economic damage depends on the palm species and on the number of larvae infesting the plant. Fenwick (1967) and Griffith (1968) reported that populations of 30 larvae are sufficient to cause the death of an adult coconut palm.

In addition to the direct damage caused by this pest, R. palmarum is an active vector of the nematode Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus, which in turn is an obligate parasite distributed in all tissues of the plant. This nematode causes the plant illness known as red-ring disease which has reached epiphytotic levels in the past (Griffith, 1968). Coconut palms of 3-10 years of age die during the first 2 months after inoculation (Griffith, 1987). Thurston (1984) and Brathwaite and Siddiqi (1975) reported that infested plants take 23-28 days to show the symptoms of red-ring disease, and die 3-4 months after showing the first symptoms.

Esser and Meredith (1987) estimated that several millions of US dollars are lost annually due to the association of red-ring disease and R. palmarum. They estimated that 800 hectares of coconut plantations were abandoned in 1923 due to this disease, and that in Grenada 22% of the coconut palms were infested with red-ring disease. A similar situation seems to be common in other countries in America.

Diagnosis

A diagnostic protocol for R. palmarum is given in OEPP/EPPO (2007).

Detection and Inspection

Prevention and Control

Control strategies have to take into account that R. palmarum is both a pest in its own right and a vector of the nematode Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus. Bain and Fedon (1951) determined that contamination of healthy plants with red-ring disease occurs only if insect vectors are present. The most important vector in America is R. palmarum. At the moment, the control of red-ring disease is by control of the insect vector as no efficient control of the nematode exists. Chemical control of the insect, although often attempted, is not successful (Hagley, 1963). Cultural control consisting of the burning of affected trees reduces infestation. Chemical killing and drying of infected plants also reduces infestation (Victoria et al., 1970; Blair, 1970; Griffith, 1987), as larvae need living plant tissue in order to survive. The use of natural enemies against this pest may be possible, but has yet to be established. Moura et al. (1993) suggested that P. menezesi may be used to regulate populations of R. palmarum.

The most widely used control methods are based on the capture of adults with traps baited with rotting plant materials, such as palm tissue, pineapple and sugar cane (Griffith, 1987; Dean, 1979; Morin et al., 1986; Genty, 1988; Moura et al., 1990). Various different types of traps have been proposed in order to attract the insects and kill them in the trap with chemicals (e.g. triclorfon and pirimifos-ethyl) (Dean, 1979). Yellow traps seem to be more efficient than those of other colours (Camino, 1975).

The most modern versions of the trap use natural or synthetic aggregation pheromones to help attract the insects. Moura et al. (1989) and Rochat et al. (1991a) showed that males produce an aggregation pheromone, attracting males and females equally. Rochat et al. (1991a, b) identified the pheromone as 2(E)-6-metil-2-hepten-4-ol, calling it Rhynchophorol. It was found that male insects only release the pheromone when feeding. Jaffé et al. (1993) showed that it was the smell of the appropriate plant odours, mainly ethyl-acetate, that started the release by males of the aggregation pheromone, and that the aggregation pheromone alone only attracts insects up to a certain distance, after which plant odours are required to attract the insect into the trap. Oehlschlager et al. (1993) and Chinchilla and Oehlschlager (1992a, b, 1993) evaluated pheromone baited traps in the field. Various efficient trapping methods have been proposed (Moura et al., 1990, 1993; Chinchilla and Oehlschlager 1992a, b; Oehlschlager et al., 1992a, b; Vera and Orellana, 1988; Jaffé et al., 1993; Sánchez and Jaffé, 1993), all based on containers which attract the insect with odours produced by plant tissue (mostly sugarcane) and the aggregation pheromone. The pheromone can be obtained either by commercial synthesis or by filling the trap with males, activating them with ethyl-acetate odours to induce production of the pheromone (Sánchez and Jaffé, 1993). Captured insects can then be killed with insecticide or by other means.

References

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Distribution Maps

• = Present, no further details
• = Evidence of pathogen
• = Widespread
• = Last reported
• = Localised
• = Presence unconfirmed
• = Confined and subject to quarantine
• = See regional map for distribution within the country
• = Occasional or few reports

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