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