Red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), an invasive pest recently found in the Caribbean that threatens the region |
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| Authors: | A Roda M Kairo T Damian F Franken K Heidweiller C Johanns R Mankin |
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| Institution: | 1. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspections Service, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, Miami, FL (USA);2. Center for Biological Control, College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture, Florida Mechanical and Agricultural University, Tallahassee, FL (USA);3. Department of Agriculture, Husbandry and Fisheries, Oranjestad (Aruba);4. Department of Agriculture, Husbandry and Fisheries, Willemstad (Curacao);5. United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Gainesville, FL (USA);6. e‐mail: amy.l.roda@aphis.usda.gov |
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| Abstract: | Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, an important palm pest, was accidentally introduced into the Caribbean. A monitoring programme was established to determine the population level and distribution of infestations on Aruba and Curacao through the use of commercially available pheromone traps. Due to the small size of the islands and limited distribution of palms, eradication may be feasible using a combination of trapping, timely disposal of infested palms and curative and prophylactic chemical treatments. These studies on the pest in the Caribbean were used to help design a USDA plant health emergency response through the development of Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine New Pest Response Guidelines and provide an effective emergency response programme for other Caribbean Islands and the Americas. |
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