Field Identification
North America's largest weevil; larvae bore the crowns of stressed sabal and other palms, producing fermenting odor and collapsing spear leaves. Transplanted palms are sitting ducks.
Adults are glossy black with red markings on wing covers; larvae are large creamy grubs in meristem tissue. Attracted to volatiles from damaged or dying palm tissue.
How to Deal With It
Organic Control Methods
Beauveria bassiana or Metarhizium sprays into crown where labeled for palm borers; repeat during flight periods—coverage deep in crown is everything.
Woodpeckers extract larvae in natural settings; entomopathogenic fungi the main intentional biocontrol.
Avoid wounding trunks during lift; brace transplants properly; do not spike declining palms for 'support'; remove and destroy severely infested specimens to reduce aggregation cues.
Probe and extract larvae where crowns are accessible; chipping infested material on-site versus hauling.
Monitor stressed transplants weekly; systemic stress reduction (water, nutrients) lowers attraction.
Let Nature Handle It
Natural Enemies
- Woodpeckers
- Beauveria bassiana
- Metarhizium anisopliae
Threat Map