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South American palm weevils, the button-size beetles, have breached the Southern California border, and they’re hungry.
That spells trouble for their favorite meal, the Canary Island date palms that have been one of the region’s most enduring symbols. The weevil larvae feast on a tree’s crown, crippling its growth and, within months, killing it.
“I think it will change Southern California’s landscape,” said Mark S. Hoddle, an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside, who has been studying the insects for about six years.
Traditionally found in South and Central America, the weevil is believed to have showed up in Tijuana, Mexico, at least six years ago after hitching a ride north of the border. There, its population exploded and percolated into southern San Diego County.
The weevils, which can fly for miles, were detected in San Ysidro in 2011. Since then, the infestation has spread as far north as Chula Vista.
No comprehensive survey has been done, but Dr. Hoddle estimates that hundreds of trees have been killed. (Infested palms can be reported on this online survey.)
Officials have begun to escalate their response. Last week in Bonita, college scientists, members of the date palm industry, and San Diego County’s agricultural department held a symposium to talk about the threat.
Ha Dang, the agricultural commissioner, said the first step would be to assess the extent of the infestation. An eradication strategy would likely include insecticides and bucket traps.
“It’s a major concern for us,” she said.
Researchers have looked to the devastation in Tijuana as a harbinger for Southern California.
Dr. Hoddle said he and a friend spent a day in Mexico in May. If there were 15 Canary Island palms lining a beach, nine or 10 would be dead, he said.
“It was like, ‘My God.’ I couldn’t believe how many dead palms there were all over the place,” he said. “So if that’s happening in Tijuana, there’s no reason to think that it’s not going to happen here in Southern California.”