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South American Palm Weevil

Pest

The South American palm weevil is a large beetle that bores into the crown of palm trees to lay its eggs. The resulting larvae feed on the internal tissue, which often leads to the rapid decline and death of the host plant.

South American Palm Weevil on a plant
Photo: Javier, CC BY

Symptoms by part

Stems

You might see a collapsed or drooping crown, holes bored into the trunk near the top, or a foul odor coming from the decaying internal tissue.

Causes

  • The presence of stressed or wounded palm trees that release chemical signals attracting adult weevils.
  • Warm temperatures that allow for rapid reproduction and movement of adult weevils between host plants.

Could be confused with

  • Palm bud rot · Bud rot is a fungal disease that causes tissue decay without the presence of large boreholes or beetle larvae.
  • Nutrient deficiency · Deficiencies typically cause yellowing or stunted growth across the whole plant rather than the localized structural collapse seen with weevil damage.

Treatment

  1. Remove and destroy any heavily infested palm trees immediately to prevent the spread of adult weevils to nearby healthy palms.
  2. Apply a protective spray to the crown of surrounding healthy palms to deter adult weevils from landing and laying eggs.
  3. Ensure that any necessary pruning of palm fronds is done cleanly and during the cooler parts of the day to minimize the release of attractive scents.

Without chemicals

  • Sanitize all pruning tools between every cut to avoid cross contamination.
  • Avoid unnecessary wounding of the palm trunk, as fresh cuts release odors that attract weevils.
  • Remove and chip infested plant material to destroy larvae before they can emerge as adults.

Chemical options

  • Lambda-cyhalothrin, apply as a drench or spray to the crown of the palm, follow the label.
  • Deltamethrin, apply as a targeted spray to the crown area, follow the label.

Preventing it

  • Keep your palm trees healthy and free from unnecessary wounds or heavy pruning.
  • Avoid planting susceptible palm species in areas where the weevil is known to be active.
  • Inspect the crown of your palms regularly for signs of boring or unusual drooping.

Season

The warm growing season.

Spread risk

High

Severity

High

When to act

Act immediately upon seeing signs of crown collapse or boreholes. If the crown has already fallen or the tree is severely leaning, contact a tree surgeon for safe removal as the tree is likely unstable.

Think it's South American Palm Weevil?

This guide covers the general picture. Pocket Botanist looks at your actual plant from a photo and tells you what's really going on, how serious it is, and what to try first. Identification and a health check are free.

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Questions people ask

Can a palm tree recover from a South American palm weevil infestation?
If the infestation is caught very early, it may be possible to save the tree with chemical treatments, but once the larvae have caused significant internal damage, the tree usually cannot be saved.
How do these weevils find my palm trees?
They are attracted to the specific chemical odors released by stressed, wounded, or decaying palm tissue.

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This guide was generated with AI and is general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.