Establishment and Potential Risks of a New Invasive Pest, Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus in China

The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a new important invasive pest to palm species in China. Potential distribution and risks posed by this pest in China were assessed using a developed pest risk analysis scheme in China. This paper dealt with the information concerning distribution, potential damage, economic value of hosts, possibility of transportation and spread and difficulties of risk management. Susceptible hosts grow across many areas of China. Through the use of the computer program CLIMEX and GIS,southern regions from Mt. Qinling, especially Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Fujian, Hainan, Taiwan and Hongkong of China, were identified as the areas where climate and hosts are most suitable for the establishment of the pest. There is a high risk that RPW could enter, establish and cause damage to several important palm species. This risk analysis contributed to the decision to add RPW to the list of quarantined pests whose introduction and spread in China is banned