Originally from tropical Asia, the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) has spread to Africa and Europe. A particular menace to palm trees, the larva develops inside the trunk of palm trees, causing the palms to fall and then the trees to die after around two to five years. It became established in the south of France in the early 2000s, and is around 4cm long and 1cm wide, reddish-brown with black dots on the pectoral ring, and lives for about 3 months.
