Red Palm Weevil

Confirmed: Live Red Palm Weevil found in US

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 02:27:10 +0000

Confirmed: Live Red Palm Weevil found in US Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/19/2020 - 18:27 More Blog Posts CISR Team October 26, 2010

Update on the Red Palm Weevil Infestation in Laguna Beach

Mark Hoddle of UC Riverside discovered a live RPW in an infested palm in Laguna Beach today.

Today, representatives from the CISR and UCR, (Mark Hoddle and Mike Lewis), UCCE (John Kabashima and Don Hodel), the CDFA (Laura Petro), and the Orange County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office (Nick Nisson) visited the Laguna site with the palm tree infested with RPW. Around this infested tree CDFA has set out bucket traps with pheromones and chunks of apples to attract RPW to the traps. The buckets contain a liquid to drown RPW that fly into traps. So far no adult weevils have been caught in these traps in the neighborhood of concern. In addition to trapping, CDFA scouts are visually surveying palms from the ground to identify plants that may be infested with RPW. The trap and visual survey area is a 1.5 mile radius around the infested trees. So far 1,481 households have been visited, 9,721 palms have been inspected, and about 86% of the visual survey is complete. CDFA has deployed about 250 RPW traps over 9 square mile area in two patterns: (1) core traps at a high deployment rate of 49 traps per square mile around the “hot zone”, and (2) buffer traps put out beyond the intensive core trap zone at a rate of 25 traps per square mile.

The infested palm at Laguna shows signs of extensive damage. The crown of the palm has dropped off and the top of the trunk is now ringed with a “halo” of palm fronds.

The RPW infested palm at Laguna with its last remaining "halo" of fronds. Note the healthy palms in the background.

The trunk of the palm has been heavily damaged internally by feeding RPW. The central portion of the trunk now contains a highly fermented and very wet “mash” of plant material. Examination of the damaged plant material inside the trunk uncovered the abdomens of at least nine dead adult weevils, 7 empty RPW pupal cases, and one live adult weevil (possibly a male). This adult was killed and sent on overnight courier by the CDFA to the USDA-ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory for official confirmation as RPW. The color morph of the RPW found today is the same dark morph with the red streak on the dorsal surface of the thorax (see photos at http://cisr.ucr.acsitefactory.com/invasive-species/red-palm-weevil).

It is likely that more than one palm in the immediate vicinity of theinfested palm that was examined today may have died from RPW attack. This possibility has not been officially confirmed, but there is circumstantial evidence to support this.

The RPW "mash" scooped out from inside the trunk of the infested palm.

It is anticipated that upcoming meetings between the CDFA and USDA-APHIS this week will result in the development of an outreach plan that will solicit input from the public to help with the detection on palms infested with RPW in and around the Laguna Beach site.

The CISR and CDFA RPW websites have contact details should readers of this blog suspect that they have a RPW infestation.

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INFORMATIONAL MEETING ON A NEW PEST IN ORANGE COUNTY – THE RED PALM WEEVIL

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 02:26:10 +0000

INFORMATIONAL MEETING ON A NEW PEST IN ORANGE COUNTY – THE RED PALM WEEVIL Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/19/2020 - 18:26 More Blog Posts CISR Team October 28, 2010

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE

~OFFICIAL INVITATION~

INFORMATIONAL MEETING ON A NEW PEST IN ORANGE COUNTY –
THE RED PALM WEEVIL (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus)

Meeting – Friday, November 05, 2010
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

City Council Chambers
505 Forest Avenue
Laguna Beach, CA

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the Orange County Agricultural Commissioner, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the University of California Cooperative Extension are hosting the first of several informational meetings. The goal of this meeting is to inform local government officials, arborists, public works, landscapers, and pest control advisors about the current RPW situation including properly identifying the pest and its feeding damage. Future meetings will target other industry members and the public.

Worldwide, the Red Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is considered the most destructive pest of palms. A red palm weevil (RPW) discovery on a residential plant in Laguna Beach is the first time this beetle has been detected in the United States. The presence of the red palm weevil in California represents a serious threat to landscape palms as well as to the date palm industry.

Because you are an important member of California’s pest surveillance system, your participation in this meeting is needed to assist us in responding to this harmful, invasive pest before it becomes established. If you cannot attend this important meeting and require additional information, please contact our toll-free PEST HOTLINE at (800) 491-1899 or visit our red palm weevil website at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/rpw

(Note: Free Parking is available at the corner of Laguna Canyon Road and Forest Avenue, located one block away from the City Council Chambers)

Meeting Agenda:

Welcome – Rick LeFeuvre or designee (Orange County Agricultural Commissioner)
Red Palm Weevil Biology and Identification – Nick Nisson, Orange County Entomologist
Trapping and Surveillance – John Hooper or designee (CDFA)
Potential Regulatory Impacts – Nawal Sharma or designee (CDFA)
What you can do to Help – Dr. John Kabashima (UCCE)
Public Outreach Campaign – CDFA Public Information Officer
Question and Answer Session – CDFA will moderate

(Note: Special thanks to the City of Laguna Beach for providing free parking!)

For More Details Please Contact:
John Kabashima, M.B.A., Ph.D.
County Director/Environmental Horticulture Advisor
University of California Cooperative Extension, Orange County
1045 Arlington Dr.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Ph: 714-708-1611
Fax: 714-708-2754
Email: jnkabashima@ucdavis.edu

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UC Riverside

Red Palm Weevil Infested Palm at Laguna Beach Removed

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 02:25:13 +0000

Red Palm Weevil Infested Palm at Laguna Beach Removed Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/19/2020 - 18:25 More Blog Posts CISR Team November 12, 2010

The Crew - Nara Mnatsakanian (CDFA); Nick Nisson (OC Ag Comm); John Kabashima (UCCE); David Kellum (San Diego Co. Ag. Comm); Mohammed Alzubiady (CDFA); Jason Davlin (West Coast Arborists); Adrian Gonzales (CDFA); Jason Leathers (CDFA); Unknown (CDFA); Carol (USDA APHIS). Bottom two also from CDFA (names Unknown).

On Wednesday, November 03, 2010, a team of scientists from CISR, CDFA, UCCE, USDA-APHIS, the Orange and San Diego County Agricultural Commissioner’s Offices and West Coast Arborists returned to the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) affected site in Laguna Beach California.Inspection of a unhealthy Canary Islands palm the previous week resulted in the discovery of a live adult RPW in the trunk. Discussions concluded that the infected tree should be removed to prevent the continued possible breeding and spread of the RPW from that palm to other areas in the immediate vicinity.

The two main goals of the CDFA-sponsored project were: (1) removal and destruction of the RPW infested palm, and (2) to dissect the palm and determine how deep the infestation had proceeded through the trunk of the infested palm. It was decided that dissection of the palm could provide useful information on the level of RPW infestation in the trunk, if any live stages were still present, and how severe the internal damage was.

The palm was removed at its base and the trunk was carefully wrapped in heavy plastic sheeting and sealed with tape to prevent accidental escapes by RPW adults during transportation to the dissection site. The wrapped trunk was loaded onto a truck and transported to the city of Irvine, a designated and pre-approved dissection area a few miles away. Here, more plastic tarps and sheeting were placed on the ground to contain and prevent the unwanted escape of any RPW larva, pupae, or adults in the palm trunk once the cutting of the palm started.

First, the remaining palm fronds were removed from the trunk. This revealed many telltale signs of RPW activity. RPW tunneling had completely scarred the base of the fronds. The location of this damage was below that which an arborist would trim, making early detection of RPW difficult. Empty RPW cocoons were found at the cut ends of fronds where they had been attached to the trunk. These cocoons were again below the cut line making detection difficult.

This chunk was cut from the center of the palm trunk and shows solid trunk mass as well as the disintegrated mash caused by the Red Palm Weevil.

Most of the visible RPW damage to the palm was towards the top of the trunk. Starting at the top of the trunk, 4 to 8 inch slices of palm trunk were cut in sequence towards the base. The slices allowed examination of the internal damage RPW had caused to the trunk. The first few cut slices showed extensive RPW damage. The center had been hollowed out by RPW feeding, leaving a large empty space the width of a basketball. The inside walls of the trunk had extensive grooves from tunneling RPW larvae, which likely further weakened the palm. Instead of the hard fiber-like center typical for healthy palms, RPW feeding had left a soft degenerated mash of wet, fiber like sawdust that was very smelly.

The trunk slices were continued for about 3 or 4 feet before the solid undamaged central trunk mass was encountered. Further cuts into this area produced no further evidence of the RPW infestation. The remaining uninfested and damaged trunk sections were cut into small blocks. These blocks together with the fronds, and all other clippings, and shavings from the palm were double bagged in thick plastic and then sealed. The bagged remains of the dissected palm where transported to a landfill waste refuse site for immediate deep burial.

During the dissection process NO live RPW adults or larvae were found. Several RPW cocoons were pulled from the palm. The majority of these cocoons were empty, but a few had dead pupae that had failed to reach adulthood, or the cocoons contained a few incomplete body pieces. Many partial bodies of RPW adults were also found during the dissection. With so much visible internal and external damage to this palm, it begs the question, where did the adults go?

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Red Palm Weevil Technical Working Group Field Trip to Laguna Beach

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 02:23:48 +0000

Red Palm Weevil Technical Working Group Field Trip to Laguna Beach Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/19/2020 - 18:23 More Blog Posts CISR Team December 08, 2010

Red Palm Weevil Technical Working Group Field Trip to Laguna Beach
29 November to 1 December 2010

The red palm weevil (RPW) technical working group (TWG) met for three days in Laguna Beach over the period 29 November to 1 December 2010. The TWG was comprised of experts working on RPW in Spain, Israel, and the Caribbean, and other types of palm weevil pests in Florida. This core of RPW experts was supplemented by research scientists from the University of California Riverside, CDFA, and USDA, University of California Cooperative Extension Personnel from San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties, and entomologists from the Orange and San Diego Counties Agricultural Commissioner’s Offices.

The purpose of the meeting was to thoroughly inspect the current RPW infestation zone with RPW experts so that their opinions and expertise on indentifying palms potentially infested with RPW could be extended to California workers responsible for developing a management plan for RPW (Monday 29 November 2010). Scientists working on palm pests gave presentations on RPW biology, ecology, and management strategies being used in the Middle East (Dan Gerling), Spain (Josep Anton Jacas Miret), and Aruba and Curacao in the Caribbean (Amy Roda), and for other types of palm weevil pests in Florida (Robin Michael Giblin-Davis) (Tuesday 30 November 2010). These presentations, along with others on RPW biology and management, and video of RPW in the Canary Islands (in Spanish) are available on the CISR RPW website. The presentations were highly informative and generated a lot of extremely valuable discussion on RPW management strategies and control options for California.

Josep Jacas (from Spain) presented information from the Canary Islands (the area where highly vulnerable Canary Islands Palms, Phoenix canariensis, are native) where recent data from aggressive control and trapping programs, implementation of total bans on palm importations and interisland movement of palms, together with intensive follow up surveys suggest that the Canary Islands RPW managers may be on the verge of eradicating this pest from three infested islands. This newly emerging result, if it can be sustained for three consecutive years, will result in the islands being officially declared RPW free. The potential success of this program is extremely encouraging for California as it may be indicative that with sufficient resources and commitment over a sufficient time period, the highly localized RPW infestation in Laguna Beach could be contained and perhaps permanently eliminated.

Dead and dying palm fronds were removed and examined by the TWG for Red Palm Weevil.

From the walking inspection that was conducted on Monday 29 November, one Canary Islands palm was identified on the Pacific Coast Highway as having a high probability of being infested with RPW. Don Hodel (an environmental horticulturist for the University of California Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles County with expertise in palms) arranged for a bucket truck with West Coast Arborists to be available for the morning of Wednesday 1 Dec 2010 so the suspect palm could be inspected. Josep Jacas (RPW expert from Spain) helped to remove damaged palm fronds from the palm of interest. He also examined the crown of the palm for RPW feeding damage, and for evidence of live RPW life stages (e.g., fresh cocoons or adults) on the trunk of the palm and in the foliage.

Inspection of this palm confirmed that RPW had attacked it. Dead or dying fronds showed evidence of weevil attack, empty cocoons were also found. NO live life stages of RPW were found. However, this does not necessarily mean that the palm is free of RPW. It is possible that the RPW population in the palm is too low to be easily detected. Management options for this palm are under discussion now between experts at the CDFA and USDA.

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Mark Hoddle

Observations of Red Palm Weevil Management in France

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 02:22:49 +0000

Observations of Red Palm Weevil Management in France Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/19/2020 - 18:22 More Blog Posts Christina Hoddle December 16, 2010

On a recent trip to southern France, I discovered firsthand how destructive red palm weevil (RPW) could be for California if we don’t act fast to eradicate and control this pest.

Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, the French didn’t have the ability to stop this pest before it exploded into the massive problem they currently face. To comprehend the gravity of their situation, today, the area in France that had the initial outbreak of this pest (La Croix Valmer) has an estimated loss of 80% of their Phoenix palm species; but it doesn’t stop there. This insect has since spread to 5 departments within France with a total estimated loss of 1 million euros per year (~$1.4 million US) with no end in sight. The departments affected by this insect include some famous top-end tourist destinations like St Tropez, Cannes, Monaco, Nice, and Marseille where palm trees are used as symbolic imagery for these areas (think of the Cannes Film Festival-Palm D’or). I believe most of the areas in France with large scale palm production or plantings have been affected by two serious palm pests, the RPW and a day flying moth, Paysandisia (affecting at least 8 departments in France). Hopefully we can learn from the French experience to keep California from realizing the same catastrophic fate.

Map of French Departments with known infestations of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (RPW) (Colored Red) and Paysandisia archon (Colored Yellow). Most areas with RPW also have Paysandisia.

RPW, or Charançon Rouge du Palmier in French, was first detected in France in La Croix Valmer (near St Tropez) around 2004. This was the first detection of RPW by palm growers, but the enormity of the find was not realized, and it was dismissed as a non-event by the French Plant Protection Services. Consequently, RPW wasn’t officially reported as established in France until 2006, 2 years after the initial find. Then, through a European directive, RPW was deemed a quarantine pest in May 2007 and the only approved treatment for RPW infested palms in France was complete tree removal and disposal. During this time, the French were already overwhelmed by another palm pest; Paysandisia archon, a day flying moth from South America whose larvae tunnel into palm fronds and trunks. The damage caused by RPW and Paysandisia are difficult to tell apart because the larvae of both species cause very similar feeding damage and palm mortality. From my brief experience in France, it appeared that the areas where Paysandisia were initially detected have been taken over by the even more ravenous RPW. We should be looking out for Paysandisia in California as well because it will be extremely destructive should it invade and successfully establish. Additionally, perhaps Paysandisia will make it even easier for subsequent RPW populations to flourish by weakening palms and making them more vulnerable to RPW attack.

In Le Var (Department 83 on map), a group of concerned citizens made up of local growers, nursery owners, researchers (INRA/Phoenix Research Station), and city workers decided to band together to form a non-profit organization to give some weight to their fight against RPW and to obtain support from the French government agencies for managing this pest. This non-profit group, FDGDON (Fédération Départementale des Groupments de Défense contre les Organismes Nuisible) du Var, formed in June of 2007 with 135 members and continues to fight the RPW problem today. However, FDGDON du Var has minimal support from the French Government which has been very slow in responding to the obvious need to develop RPW management programs.

I had the opportunity to spend a day with this dynamic group in Hyères, France to see up close the daily challenges they face with RPW. Hyères is a typical, small picturesque French seaside town about 10 miles east of Toulon. Palms trees of all varieties are quite abundant in the landscape. You really can’t go more than a block without seeing one…or now for that matter, one that has had to be removed leaving an ugly stump in the ground.

Local park in Hyères France that has been affected by RPW.

All of these concerned individuals have other full time jobs but spend a lot of time dedicated to FDGDON du Var because the RPW invasion has affected their livelihoods and degraded the aesthetic appeal of local neighborhoods, so collectively they want something done about managing this pest. RPW has been problematic in the area where FDGDON du Var has been active for the past ~4 years yet the group is still struggling with the French Government to enact basic protocols and procedures to help them solve the RPW problem. I attended their annual board meeting (17 November 2010 in Hyères) and was amazed at how much red tape FDGDON du Var has to push through when dealing with RPW management which is overseen by federal and local government agencies. It was very obvious from the extremely heated discussions the high levels of frustration with this bureaucracy while RPW slowly eats away at the palms in their backyards and along their road sides. One of the biggest surprises for me was that they are still trying after ~4 years to get their training program, to train individuals to detect and treat for RPW and to remove and dispose of infested palm trees, officially recognized by the French government (~150 individuals have been trained, but the certificates are not valid, thus essentially not recognized as trained for all practical purposes). Without established and effective management protocols in place, many people take it upon themselves to do what they think is best to manage RPW and dispose of dead and infested palms. For example, some people do nothing, which exacerbates the RPW problem for others. Unscrupulous folks claim to know what they are doing and improperly remove palms and dump them into landfills untreated and unchipped, leaving live RPW in exposed palm carcasses ready to emerge and exploit new areas. These fly-by-night palm removers charge less for these budget services which undercuts the responsible landscaping companies who are doing the right thing by chipping and disposing of RPW-infested palms properly.

The French seem to still be struggling to keep up with the RPW invasion in the absence of official recognized training protocols and with a general resistance to review the pesticide list, application rates and methodologies more efficiently. In comparison, other countries in Europe (e.g., Spain and Italy) have had established RPW protocols and preventative treatments in place for awhile (which were also implemented in already advanced stages of pest numbers so consequently they are still struggling with control) while France is still bogged down in prolonged administrative processes; issues that after ~4 years were only recently partially addressed in July 2010 due to the insistance of FDGDON. The French should have learned from the other European countries examples but it doesn’t appear to be the case. It will be tragic if these coastal French towns lose this battle with RPW when something can be done if the right resources are made available. FDGDON du Var is pushing forward with its battle against RPW and Government bureaucracy, albeit slowly.

The lesson from France for California RPW managers is obvious; fast and decisive actions against RPW are needed. California doesn’t have to face the same fate as Hyères and other French coastal towns. It may seem expensive to remove and destroy infested palms or to bring in RPW experts from overseas to help implement major control and research programs; but the alternative of “wait and see” will be exponentially worse and vastly more expensive. Can you imagine California’s urban, and desert oases without palm trees?? How about the date plantations in the Coachella Valley? Date shakes anyone?

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Christina Hoddle

France

Red Palm Weevil Outreach Meeting in Coachella Valley

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 02:21:46 +0000

Red Palm Weevil Outreach Meeting in Coachella Valley Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/19/2020 - 18:21 More Blog Posts Christina Hoddle January 14, 2011

Albert Keck of Hadley Farms discussing Date Palm Production with RPW meeting attendees

While the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) infestation seems to be in a quiescent phase in Southern California, the community of researchers, public officials, arborists, nursery owners, and palm growers are getting ready for the imminent counter attack. This problem is being addressed aggressively and a series of RPW Outreach meetings sponsored by California Department of Food and Agriculture are being scheduled across Southern California over the next month. The purpose of these meetings is education and outreach to those individuals and groups that are on the frontline dealing with this ravenous pest. The more aware individuals are, especially those who may come across these insects in their daily lives (during work in the landscape, or gardening around the home), the better chance of detecting and containing the spread of this pest.

The first meeting in this RPW outreach series was held at the Coachella Valley Water District Forbes Auditorium on January 6, 2011. This well attended gathering was led by John Snyder, the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner and supported by CDFA and USDA officials. The dynamic schedule included a talk by Nick Nisson (Orange County Ag Commission Entomologist) who discussed the basic biology of RPW, detection methods, and presented preserved RPW specimens (adults, larvae, and cocoons) for inspection by audience members. The meeting continued with a talk by Laura Petro (CDFA, Senior Agricultural Biologist) who discussed the current trapping and surveillance activities around find sites in Laguna Beach. Nawal Sharma (CDFA Pest Exclusion Branch) furthered the discussion with the potential regulatory impacts this pest will have on local industries. John Kabashima (University of CA Extension County Environmental Director) detailed how everyone could do their part in detecting, monitoring and reporting this pest. The meeting was concluded by David Pegos (CDFA, Special Assistant) discussing other outreach opportunities followed by a question and answer period.

Hadley Farm worker getting ready to dethorn Date Palm Tree

Posters and flyers, in English and Spanish, describing this insect and how to detect and report it were distributed. There was talk about having this meeting in Spanish and/or a Spanish video presentation made so that native Spanish speakers who work directly in or with palm trees have a better understanding of this problem and will be well aware of this pest and in a position to report finds.

Once the meeting concluded, Albert Keck, from Hadley Farms, generously gave an informational tour to local officials and researchers who attended the meeting of local date palm plantations including the demonstration by one of his highly skilled workers on how to dethorn a palm tree- an amazing site to see! This added bonus gave us an appreciation for how much work is involved in maintaining a date palm plantation and how devastating RPW could be to so many people’s livelihoods in the Coachella Valley.

Overall the meeting was a success for everyone involved. Information dissemination in this manner is potentially very powerful, and with additional meetings scheduled it is anticipated that the momentum from these outreach efforts can help control the RPW invasion in Southern California.

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Christina Hoddle

RPW_Meeting_El Centro_Flyer

Upcoming Informational Meeting on the Red Palm Weevil- El Centro, CA

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 02:20:48 +0000

Upcoming Informational Meeting on the Red Palm Weevil- El Centro, CA Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/19/2020 - 18:20 More Blog Posts Christina Hoddle January 20, 2011

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), together with the Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner and the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) are hosting a Red Palm Weevil Outreach Meeting.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Farm Bureau Building
1000 Broadway
El Centro, CA 92243

If you cannot attend this meeting but require additional information, please contact the toll-free PEST HOTLINE at (800) 491-1899 or visit the Red Palm Weevil website at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/rpw

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CBS News Interested in the RPW Invasion in California

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 02:17:16 +0000

CBS News Interested in the RPW Invasion in California Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/19/2020 - 18:17 More Blog Posts Christina Hoddle February 25, 2011

The Red Palm weevil (RPW) problem in southern California has picked up local news interest. Bill Whitaker and his news team from CBS evening news came to UCR on the 16th of February 2011 to interview Dr. Mark Hoddle about research that is being conducted at UCR on this pest. This interview was part of a series of interviews being conducted with those involved in the RPW technical working group, a team that has been put together to manage the incipient RPW invasion in Laguna Beach, Orange County California. Hoddle discussed the current RPW situation in Southern California, talked about what was currently being done to monitor this pest, and finally what future landscapes may look like if this pest establishes, and potential impacts on the Coachella Valley date industry and native palm oases in the desert. The Hoddle lab had on display the various Red Palm Weevil samples obtained from collaborators around the world. These RPW samples will be used in a DNA study in an attempt to determine the origins of the RPW population found in Laguna Beach. The final program is expected to air sometime in March/April 2011 once CBS has finished conducting interviews with other members of the technical working group, nursery growers, and date palm growers.

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Mark Hoddle

Looking for Red Palm Weevil in Indonesia

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 02:14:00 +0000

Looking for Red Palm Weevil in Indonesia Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 01/19/2020 - 18:14 More Blog Posts Mark Hoddle March 13, 2011

The discovery of red palm weevil (RPW) in Laguna Beach Orange County, California USA has generated considerable interest amongst University of California Riverside research scientists and County, State, and Federal regulatory agencies. There are two color forms of the red palm weevil, the orange form (known as Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) and the black form with the red stripe (formerly known as Rhynchophorus vulneratus). Both color forms are found in Southeast Asia (e.g., Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea). In 2004, a research team from Simon Fraser University in Canada, decided that the red and orange forms of RPW are probably the same species. This decision was based on several lines of supporting evidence: (1) Both forms of the weevil respond to the same aggregation pheromone, (2) There are no significant differences in mitochondrial DNA between the two color morphs, (3) Both color morphs are capable of interbreeding and producing offspring, and (4) Morphological differences used to separate the two color forms are not significantly different. The combined weight of this evidence led Hallet et al. (2004) to combine the red stripe form (R. vulneratus) and the orange form (R. ferrugineus) under one name, R. ferrugineus.

The orange form of RPW has been accidentally introduced to many countries (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Aruba, and Curacao) most likely via the movement of infested palm trees. Curiously, California appears to have been invaded by the red stripe form of RPW. This is very odd, because unlike the orange form of RPW, the red stripe form of RPW has not invaded any other areas of the world. It is only known to inhabit its native range in Southeast Asia. So two questions of great interest for California are: (1) Where did the red stripe form of RPW come from, and (2) How did it come to Laguna Beach?

In an attempt to answer this question, researchers from the Department of Entomology, University of California are collecting specimens of the red stripe form of RPW from various sites throughout the home range of this color morph. Extraction and analysis of DNA from these specimens may indicate where the California population of RPW originated. If this area can be identified within the very large native range of the red stripe form of RPW it may be provide insight into how this pest was introduced into California. Identification of this invasion pathway could be very important as it may allow additional pests to enter California if it is not monitored.

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Mark Hoddle