Visual Identification and Characterization of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus and Paysandisia archon Infestation

The invasion of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (red palm weevil, RPW) and Paysandisia archon (palm borer moth, PBM) in the Mediterranean Basin is a major problem for date palm growers and landscape managers, agriculturists, and gardeners, who need to manage these pests. Accurate detection of early infestations is important for the survival of the infested palms but it is a very challenging task, as often there are no apparent symptoms at the initial stages of the infestation by these borers. Visual inspection is still the most common method of infestation analysis. Infestation by the PBM is usually recorded more peripherally in the stipe than that by the RPW, particularly at the end of the moth's development, at the prepupal stage. In this chapter, visual symptoms observed in the most economically important palms in the Mediterranean Basin (the date palm Phoenix dactylifera L. and the Canary palm Phoenix canariensis L.), and protocols for ascertaining the presence of these pests and the severity of the infestations are presented. Finally, visual symptoms of RPW and PBM in other palm species and relative to other palm pests are discussed.