Species Rhynchophorus cruentatus - Palmetto Weevil

Giant Palm Weevil

Rhynchophorus cruentatus (Fabricius 1775)

19-31 mm, our largest weevil(1)[Cite:185010]

from all-black to nearly all-red with a variable black pattern(1)(2)

The rostrum of males is covered with tiny bumps, in females it is smooth and shiny

Coastal se. US (SC-FL-TX)(1)

Adults found throughout the year in FL but usually more noticeable in the late spring and early summer(3)(2)

Hosts include many palms (Arecaceae), but larvae are esp. destructive to cabbage palm: they tunnel the trunk, may kill the growing point, and cause the top of the palm to fall off(3)(2)

Multiple generations can occur; life cycle takes ~3 months under optimal conditions (2).

Eggs are laid in the bases of leaves or in wounds in a dying host palm and hatch in ~3 days. Larvae have tend to feed primarily on the soft tissue surrounding the apical meristem. Mature grubs migrate to the periphery of the stem or petioles, build a cocoon from palm fibers and pupate. The adult emerges in a few weeks and may immediately break free of the cocoon or spend several days within the cocoon. The entire life cycle (egg to adult) takes ~84 days. Adults may live for several weeks (up to 26 weeks in captivity)(3)

Fact sheet (Weissling & Giblin-Davis 2015)(3)