COCONUT PLANTER'S MANUAL. 41 



THE RED WEEVIL OR PALM WEEVIL. 



( Rhynchophorus ferrug ineus) . 

 In the opinion of the writer the Red Weevil is the most impor- 

 tant pest of the three in Ceylon, since it is prevalent in all coconut areas, 

 and is capable, in the larval stage, of killing young palms and seriously 

 hijuring older palms. Much of the damage done to the crowns of 

 palms by the Red Weevil larvae is attributed to the Black Beetle, 

 which often seems to be regarded as the more serious pest of the two beet- 

 les. It is true that the larva? of both the Black Beetle and Red Weevi] 

 may sometimes be found in the crowns of dying palms, but in such 

 cases it is the Weevil grubs which are usually responsible for the dying 

 Condition of the palms; while the Beetle grubs have only come in after 

 the palm has begun to decay. The differences between the various 

 stages of the two beetles and their close association with each other 

 will be explained elsewhere in this leaflet. 



Nature of Damage. 

 The Red Weevil, as indicated above, is probably the most serious 

 pest of coconuts in Ceylon, since it breeds actually in living palms, 

 which are in many cases killed or seriously injured. This pest does 

 practically no damage to palms in the weevil or adult stage, beyond 

 making small holes or punctures with its snout or proboscis in any 

 wound or soft spot. These punctures may be made partly for feeding 

 and partly for the laying of eggs, ' The damage is done by the larva? 

 which hatch from these eggs and tunnel about inside the palm, even- 

 tually eating out a fairly large cavity inside the crown or the trunk. 

 Since the larva? work entirely inside a palm, the injury is often not 

 detected until it is too late to save the palm. Quite young palms, four 

 or five years old, are quickly riddled and killed oft' by an attack of 

 weevil grubs, while the injury to palms a few years older is often fatal, 

 since they may be attacked anywhere from the crown to the base. 

 Injury to the crown is almost invariably fatal unless detected early, 

 and results in the withering and collapse of the young central leaves. 

 In cases where the trunk or the base is attacked, the injury may 

 sometimes be detected by the oozing of a brownish liquid, or small 

 pieces of chewed fibre, from a small hole in the trunk or at the base. 

 If the infestation is noticed in the early stages, the palm can sometimes 

 be saved by prompt removal of the larvae and treatment of the wound. 



Old palms may sometimes be attacked in the crown, usually after 

 injury by Black Beetle, and in such cases the results may be fatal. 



