First RPW in UK
mardi 15 novembre 2016 -
15 November 2016, by Matthew Appleby, Be the first to comment
Red palm weevil has been intercepted at a garden plant retailer in Essex after being imported in a consignment from an EU country.
APHA is looking for other weevils within the retailer from the same consignment and is looking further afield for more but has yet to find any further examples of the pest.
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier is the most important pest of date palm in the world. The pest attacks several ornamental palms imported into the UK, such as chusan palm. The EU has introduced emergency measures to prevent further spread.
The weevil causes a total loss of foliage and rotting of the trunk, which eventually results in the death of the tree.
Each adult female lays 200-330 eggs in holes in the tree. Larvae bore into the tree feeding on soft, succulent tissues and reach 50mm long.
Availability of insecticides in the UK is limited so destruction is likely to be the only successful eradication measure.
A spokesperson for the Animal and Plant Health Agency said : "Red palm weevil adults and larvae were identified in a palm purchased from a retailer in Essex. APHA established an Incident Action Plan and is carrying out tracing, surveillance and awareness raising to determine whether the pest is present elsewhere and to eradicate it. No further findings have been made at this time. The weevil only affects palm plants and presents no risk to human health."
This the first finding of an infested palm in the UK. The affected palm was one of an imported consignment, the origin of which is being investigated.
The red palm weevil is already established in Europe including in France, Greece, Italy and Spain. Its effects include loss of foliage and trunk rotting, which in some cases this can lead to the death of the tree. The weevil has a lifecycle of around four months.
Further information is at https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/phiw/riskRegister/plant-health/documents/notifiable_pests/redPalmWeevil.pdf and any sightings of the weevil should be reported to APHA.
