www.redpalmweevil.com

Date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L., is under threat from infestation by insect pests and infection due to plant diseases that adversely impact its production. The most serious threat to date palm comes from the red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, which invaded the Gulf countries of the Middle-East in the mid-1980's where it has been designated as a category-1 pest by the FAO of the United Nations. With the increasing host range of RPW which currently stands at 26 palm species, latest information on this pest is increasingly being sought after by several in different countries worldwide. The first worldwide website, www.redpalmweevil.com, established in 1998 helps provide all relevant information on RPW including its distribution globally. This website also includes the description of RPW, damage caused and its economic importance, in addition to RPW-integrated pest management (IPM). Moreover, latest references and photos on different aspects of RPW and its management are constantly updated on this website. The site provides for “RPW World Report" where in those interested in RPW can upload a country report on this pest which can be shared with others where RPW is a problem. A summary on date palm cultivation and a list of insect pests and plant diseases attacking date palm is also included. During 2008 the site hosted a section symposium on the “global threat of RPW to palm eco-systems” at the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America at Reno, Nevada, USA and during 2010 over 10,000 visited the web site.