Current status of red palm weevil in Turkey

The red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) is the most serious pest of palms in Turkey. Weevil infestation was first detected in Turkey in summer 2005 in parks and gardens of Mersin province, along the Mediterreanean coast of Turkey. Following the discovery of the pest, destruction of infested plant material, prophylactic insecticide chemical treatments, as well as adult weevil trapping were carried out on palm plantations. Traps containing a commercial aggregation pheromone were hung on palm trees at a high density, in order to monitor the pest infestation and reduce the weevil population by mass trapping. A significant decrease in the number of trapped beetles and destruction of infested plant material was observed in 2009 and continued in the following years in several cities in Turkey. Therefore, it has been observed that mass trapping and curative pesticide applications have played a significant role in the suppression of R. ferrugineus populations in palm plantations.