New World palm/Palmetto; Palm (coconut palm, oil palm, etc.)

Not known to transmit any human or animal pathogens.

Not known to vector any pathogens or other associated organisms but damage may lead to invasion by secondary pests.

When trapping for more than one species of moth, separate traps for different moth species by at least 20 meters (65 feet).

Adults are diurnal. To capture moths, visual surveys and collections should occur during the day.

There is currently no capacity for larval or pupal identification, so any life stages other than adults found in host plants should not be submitted.

Larvae bore through palm trunks, creating galleries. Infestations can be difficult to detect unless adults are present because these galleries are hidden.

Signs of infestation include any of the following: debris plugs or empty cocoons on the palm"s surface or on the ground, sawdust on the palm crown or trunk, abnormally developed axillary buds, thick brown liquid oozing from the plant.

Newly hatched larvae may tunnel into young, tightly packed palm fronds, resulting in visible damage as the fronds develop and expand. In Phoenix species and other pinnate-leaved palms, this causes often creates a pattern of holes in each leaflet of the frond. In Chamaerops humilis, Trachycarpus fortunei, Trithrinax campestris, and Washingtonia filifera, the perforations appear in a circular arc.
Other symptoms of infestation include trunk deformation, slow growth, and drying of the plant, particularly the core leaves.

See the CAPS datasheet for images of the symptoms.

For additional photographs, Kontodimas et al. (2017) in the References section below and the CAPS screening aid also describe visual signs and symptoms of typical South American palm borer infestations, including information to distinguish them from red palm weevil infestations.

Note: Palms may not show symptoms unless heavily infested or until they collapse.

In the Mediterranean, adults fly from mid-May to mid-October but typically peak in June and July. In the late summer and early autumn, all life stages may be present, and all larval stages can be found in palms during winter.

Note: Until larvae identification tools are available, larvae found during unsuitable times of year should not be submitted for identification. Surveyors can re-visit the infested tree when adults are more likely to be caught.

Surveys should consist of visual inspection of palms for flying adults or characteristic signs of larval damage and infestation followed by collection of adult moths for identification. Trapping is not available because there are no known lures and non-specific traps (such as light traps) are not effective.

Note: Because larvae and pupae and are not the target life stage and are not submissible for identification, surveyors will need to collect adults after finding any suspected infestations.

At low infestation levels, successfully finding characteristic signs or symptoms may be difficult. Frass and leaf damage produced by early instars are the most likely visual signs of the pest. Cutting an "inspection window" into the canopy leaves can help reveal larvae, cocoons, tunnels, or frass hidden in or around the fronds. See Kontodimas et al., 2017 for instructions and images (see the References section below).

Note: To avoid risk of falling or other injury, cutting inspection windows should only be used in palm canopies accessible from the ground. If necessary, obtain permission from landowners or managers before cutting hosts.

Surveys should target areas with high densities of palms such as nurseries, gardens, date palm plantations, and public areas landscaped with palms.

Captured adults should be submitted following the Domestic Sample Submission Instructions for Lepidoptera.

Currently there is no capacity to identify larvae or pupae collected from palms.

Morphological. The underside of the forewing is bright red; the hindwing is bright orange with a series of white spots on a dark background.

Because they fly during the day and have clubbed antennae, P. archon moths may be mistaken for butterflies. However, their large size and unique wing pattern and coloration distinguish them from other North American moths and butterflies.
Paysandisia archon infestations cause some of the same symptoms as other pests and environmental conditions; these include abnormal crown growth and damaged, discolored, or dry leaves. Red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) damage, in particular, resembles that caused by P. archon.
Leaf perforations can help distinguish which pest is causing the damage: Paysandisia archon perforates the fronds in an arc or circular shape (See Figure 4 in the CAPS Datasheet), while red palm weevil perforations appear in more of a ">" shape. When the species co-occur on the same plant, P. archon has been found around the base, in subterranean roots of small palms, and in the "peripheral zone" of the stipe of larger palms; red palm weevil has been found in the upper parts of small palms and the central section of the stipe of larger palms. Red palm weevil is not present in the United States, but the closely related South American palm weevil (Rhynchophorus palmarum) occurs in southern California where it causes similar damage.