They say that there are distressing professions and, without a doubt, that of the farmer is one of them, because rural people know well what it is like to face situations that keep them awake at night and how the work of months or even a lifetime, can go to waste at the most unexpected moment. As delicate as the flutter of a butterfly's wings, there are many vicissitudes that crops face and that affect not only the farmer, but the entire society that feeds or is nourished by the countryside, although obviously, in a more direct and immediately to the first. For example, pests of Red weevil and Paysandisia Archon and their distribution in Spain, which we are going to talk to you about in this article.
Both names are terrifying, especially for those who grow palm trees, although it also affects other ornamental trees. The beetle and the moth are causing real nightmares due to their voracity and rapid expansion, mainly in the Mediterranean area.
Below, we explain what they are and how they affect the vegetation, so that you know everything about them.
The red weevil
El Red weevil It is a beetle of just 2 centimeters (or 5 for the largest). However, this small animal from the weevil family is small but tough. Because in such a small size it is capable of housing the annihilator of an entire palm tree crop. It has a ferruginous reddish color and black spots or spots that make it easily recognizable.
It comes from Asia, although as we are explaining, and unfortunately for our fields, it has managed to reach and distribute to other areas of the world, especially the Mediterranean areas of Spain.
In Spain, the distribution of the red weevil is mainly centered on the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Alicante and Murcia, although it is also present in Catalonia and Andalusia. These are their favorite areas because they provide the ideal environmental conditions for their survival.
This weevil needs a warm climate for its proliferation. When it appears, it feeds on the plant causing its death.
If you like dates, you may have noticed that they are becoming more scarce and expensive. This is due to the pests that attack the date palms, among them, those caused by red weevils.
Paysandisia Archon
La Paysandisia Archon o Palmaceous Moth It comes from South America and has quickly adapted perfectly to the warm Mediterranean climate. It is found mainly in coastal territories and also attacks palm trees, without prejudice to the fact that it may affect other plants.
These animals feed on the connective tissue of the plant, causing death to occur. We can find the larvae in different ornamental plants, not just the palm tree.
The seriousness of these pests in Spain
There are species that are dangerously threatened by these pests. In the case of Red weevil, they worry different plants, but perhaps more emphatically they tend to attack the Phoenix dactylifera and Phoenix canariensis.
White palm crops in nurseries are also at serious risk of disappearance due to these threats.
It should be noted that it has been detected that the importation of species has caused an increase in these pests in Spain. A clear example is the palm trees of Saudi Arabia, specifically in the Hofuf region, which, when attacked by the red weevil, have caused the loss of more than 300.000 specimens and continue to kill today.
To avoid risks of this type, the Government went so far as to promote a ban on importing this type of foreign species that weevils can bring hidden.
How to combat red weevil and Paysandisia Archon pests
Prevention is avoiding the extinction of endangered species. It is essential to periodically and constantly review the specimens of any crop, to verify that they do not contain signs of infestation by red weevils nor by moths that prey on these plant species.
In the event of the slightest suspicion, it is also essential to adopt phytosanitary measures. They prefer biological control methods before resorting to chemical solutions that are more polluting.
Often there will be no choice but to eliminate severely affected specimens. It is a very drastic measure, although necessary to save the rest of the specimens.
Presence of the Red Weevil and Paysandisia Archon in the different Spanish regions
We have explained before why it is most common to encounter these harmful beings. But let's see in more detail how both plagues spread.
The damage caused by these pests in the Elche area stands out notably. Also in the Canary Islands, farmers have had to request help from the Government to help them control the invasion and deal with the costly damage they have caused.
Further south, also in Andalusia, they have found themselves surpassed by the coast of Malaga and Granada. Although the threat is by no means new, they have been fighting with it since 1996. It has rained since then but, despite efforts, the plague has not been kept at bay.
Tourism and Agriculture affected
To speak of pests is to speak not only of the death or deterioration of a few species of plants, but also has important repercussions at an economic, food and also tourism level.
A space with its deteriorated plant species has a very negative visual impact that can affect tourism. Imagine that you go on vacation and, instead of an idyllic landscape, you find a desolate one, with rotten plants and full of bugs. What image would you take away from the place? To be honest, we will not think about the misfortune of that farmer, but about the bad image, of carelessness that a desolate scenario like this inspires.
If we take into account that both plagues affect areas with a lot of tourism such as the Canary Islands, Valencia, Andalusia or Catalonia, one can imagine the consequences that the Red weevil and the Paysandisia Archon and their distribution in Spain can have, beyond agriculture. They are a nightmare and difficult to solve at the moment.