Red Palm Weevil spreading rapidly - 2025 update

[UK_Palms]

I have just seen the reports of mature Phoenix Canariensis being killed by Rhynchophous Ferrugineus in the Brittany region of northwest France. They had been attacking palms in and around the towns of Plouhinec and Riantec since the autumn/fall, but two CIDP in Locmiquelic have also been badly affected and subsequently killed now. The beetle is definitely present in these areas of Brittany at 47.4N latitude as of 2025.

 

The location of Locmiquelic in northwest France...

 

This is the new area that has been compromised. It is extremely likely that the beetle is also in nearby Lorient now, especially since the town's council have already began treatment programmes for CIDP's to try and prevent any infestations. They have already sprayed some of the palms as the arrival of the beetle is imminent, if it isn't already there. I would say this whole area in the image below is infected now and represents the northern end of the beetle's range currently.

 

I remember hearing about palms being killed by RPW in La Rochelle in western France around the year 2020. So in the space of 4-5 years, the beetle has spread a further 150 miles northwest along the coastline into the territory of Brittany now. I would assume it probably has the ability to travel another 100-150 miles by the year 2030 and potentially as far as the channel islands of Jersey and Guernsey by then. At that point it is only the English channel separating the beetle from France and England.

 

RPW is killing mature CIDP's 150+ miles further north than it was in 2020... that is quite a rapid expansion...

 

Quite a bit of concern about a possible infection of two old Jubaea's in Lorient in Brittany, after 3 neighbouring towns have been hit down by the pest. It is going to keep spreading all around the coastal area of northwest France and if it gets to southern England it will colonise there as well. It won't get anywhere near cold enough to kill it off nowadays in those places as the beetle survives inland parts of the Med that get down to -8C / 17F and lower during winter. It also appears to be adapting to cooler conditions further north and spreading far more aggressively than anticipated.

[gyuseppe]

to me, they devoured phoenix canariensis, washingtonia filifera and robusta, trachycarpus fortunei and latisectus, brahea armata and nitida

[UK_Palms]

  On 2/23/2025 at 5:01 AM, gyuseppe said:

to me, they devoured phoenix canariensis, washingtonia filifera and robusta, trachycarpus fortunei and latisectus, brahea armata and nitida

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Apparently they attack Jubaea quite a lot as well. It seems their preferred meals are Phoenix Canariensis, but after that it is Jubaea and Butia. There was some misconceptions that Washingtonia Filifera was resistant to the beetle, but I have seen quite a few cases of them being devoured, as you mention too. The only common palm that I haven't really seen attacked is Chamaerops Humilis and Cerifera, although I believe they are still susceptible too, just much less so.

Hopfully that beetle doesn't get over here as there is a goldmine of Phoenix Canariensis for them in southern England nowadays...

 

[gyuseppe]

at the botanical garden of Naples there were 2 very tall old jubaea, they were eaten by the weevil

[UK_Palms]

  On 2/27/2025 at 10:43 PM, gyuseppe said:

at the botanical garden of Naples there were 2 very tall old jubaea, they were eaten by the weevil

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Worrying, especially given how slow Jubaea is to grow and how difficult it is to replace them. There aren't many here in the UK though, unlike Phoenix Canariensis, which probably number half a million today.

That beetle is going to travel up the entire west and northern coastline of France. Thankfully the English channel should stop it's advance. It won't be able to fly across 30+ miles of sea, although the gap between Dover and Calais is 20 miles. No idea how far they are capable of flying? Maybe 2-3 miles at a time?

[idontknowhatnametuse]

No signs of it in Monterrey, Mexico yet. All Phoenix's are thriving.