Identificazione, biologia e diffusione del curculionide delle palme, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier)

The Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), is a dangerous pest that feeds on the soft tissues of a broad range of palms. The weevil is native to southern Asia, where it is known to cause damage to coconut and oil palms. From here the pest has rapidly colonized the Arabian peninsula, Egypt and Spain. This work focuses on the presence of the weevil in Italy on Phoenix canariensis (Hortorum ex Chabaud) infested in plant nurseries in Pistoia (Central Italy) and Naples (South Italy). The possibility that the pest might acclimatize in Italy and enlarge its dispersal range in the next few years is discussed. Due to the risks connected with the introduction of this species, in March 2005 the EPPO recommended that R. ferrugineus should be subjected to phytosanitary regulation. This paper includes a description of the different stages of development of the weevil and a simplified key for identifying the two palm weevils R. ferrugineus and R. palmarum, both of which are included in the EPPO Alert List. There is also a review of the techniques used in the last 10 years to control and manage the pest.