South American Palm Weevil and Palms it is confirmed to attack in Southern California

[Tracy]

33 minutes ago, Tracy said:

a progression from 2022 through October 2023.  I couldn't identify any holes, but there appeared to be some sawdust around the deformed emerging new spears.  Whatever is going on, it started at the growth point and has remained there.

To update what is happening to the palm, here it is today, a little shy of 2 years after the problem emerged and I began treating the palm.  I do have to qualify that something else may be going on, because I encountered a similar experience with another one I have in my backyard.  It took years to recuperate and still isn't 100% after treating it, but it is in the last photo again taken today. 
Anyone seen them go after Copernicia yet?

[mnorell]

For some additional research on this dreadful and depressing topic...

Here's a very informative webinar on YouTube posted a few months ago by Mark Hoddle, who is in charge of the SAPW control program at UCR. 

And here is the overview page on the weevil at UCR, and in it the Brasilian parisitic fly (Billaea rhynchophorae) is mentioned. He also mentions at the very end of the above webinar that this option is finally being investigated right now in Brasil by one of his grad student associates in the program.

Mark Hoddle's email is given and I'm sure he would like to know about all of these reports of individual palm attacks in SoCal.

[Frond-friend42]

20 hours ago, Tomas said:

Such bullshit is more difficult to eradicate than the palm weevil. Consider the huge economical damage that is the weevil for the coconut and date palm growers! And they do not use such simple solutions! 🤣 

Thank you for letting me know your opinion on this technique. I wish you might have said this in a more polite way. You apparently know about coconut and date palm growers' devastation and what methods they have tried. I am not privy to such information about what they have tried. I guess we can assume that some might have tried this but assuming people tried things...I don't knw...it doesn't convince me. If you tried it and it didn't work or you know someone who tried it and it didn't work...that's more convincing than broad making assumptions. 

[Tomas]

22 hours ago, Tracy said:

Makes me a bit suspicious about this Copernicia x Textilis (baileyana x hospita) which has gone through a slow progression that started at the center.  I've used both antifungals and imaldachorpid on it since it developed this.  The early photos date back to the Autumn of 2021, and show a progression from 2022 through October 2023.  I couldn't identify any holes, but there appeared to be some sawdust around the deformed emerging new spears.  Whatever is going on, it started at the growth point and has remained there.

I do not thing that any weevil is involved, looks like some rot near the meristem and the recovery after your treatment, with the new emerging leaves damaged by the fungus and showing some transient deficiencies.

Here is a picture of a CIDP leaves showing the signs of the weevil chewing on the newest leavs before emerging and maturing. The dry points of the truncated leaflets are due to being damaged at the very early stage of growth. Top left you can see the typical Z cut.

In general, it is very difficult to detect the presence of the weevil, the female will lay eggs in cracks near where the leaves emerge, the very small larvae will chew small holes and make their way to the central part of the crown. They will feed on the inner tissue of the petiole and there will be no sign of their activity otside. If you are lucky, they will chew the youngest leaves above the meristem, then the damage will show like in the picture. As the weight of the leaves is distributed on all the relatively soft petioles packed tightly together, when the galleries become too numerous, the whole structure of the crown will collaps. This will often happen after strong winds and can take a lot of time and numerous generations of the weevil have developed and flew away. At that point there will be also an extensive rot and the meristem may or may not be dead.

[Matt in SD]

Tracy,

I also don't think that is the weevil.  I lost a C baileyana the same way, it seemed to be rot, which at least included a lot of pink rot, and I tried all kinds of combinations of fungicides and it would seem like it was recovering and then go down again.  Finally just took it out - which means a full dissection, and it was definitely not beetles.

Michael, thanks for that Youtube video link, so much good info in that.

Matt 

[happypalms]

Iam certainly glad we don’t have the palm weevil here that’s devastating palms of that size being eaten like that 

[Cristóbal]

On 1/15/2024 at 7:21 PM, Billy said:

Can you get close to this palm to check for holes in the trunk and also for coccoons or dead weevils on the ground?  It would help researchers to confirm it is attacking syagrus.

[Harry’s Palms]

This is very sad to see . I will watch my area up here in Ventura County . I haven’t noticed anything .