Department Press Release
12-05-2007
Denise Feiber, FDACS/DPI
(352) 372-3505 x 102
(352) 235-0036 cell
Nolan Lemon, USDA
(919) 855-7008
Red Palm Mite Infestation Identified in Palm Gardens
TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced today the detection of the red palm mite on a coconut palm at a medical facility in Palm Beach Gardens in Palm Beach County. This is the first confirmed report of this serious plant pest in the United States.
“While we are disappointed to find the red palm mite in Florida, we are not surprised,” said Commissioner Bronson. “We have been surveying for the pest for over a year because of its growing prevalence in the Caribbean over the last few years.”
Red palm mite is a pest of coconut, areca palm, and date palms in the Middle East and is probably widespread in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the Eastern Hemisphere. The red palm mite establishes colonies on the under sides of leaves.The adults, especially the females, are usually visible with the naked eye. When mites are feeding, especially at high mite densities, there is localized yellowing of the leaves followed by tissue death. In addition to palm trees, there have been mite infestations discovered on other plants including banana and plantain species, in other parts of the world.
The mite population was discovered in Florida this week during the inspection of a red palm mite sentinel site at the Palm Beach Gardens location by a member of the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Program. The program is a combined effort by state and federal agricultural agencies to conduct surveillance, detection, and monitoring of exotic plant pests of agricultural and natural plant resources and biological control agents.
A concentrated survey around the site is currently underway to determine if there are other red palm mite infestations in the area.
The red palm mite was first identified in the Western Hemisphere in 2004 on the eastern Caribbean island of Martinique. By 2006, the mite was reported as established in the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin and Trinidad-Tobago, St. Lucia and Dominica. In 2007 the US Virgin Islands, Granada, Haiti, Jamaica and Venezuela have been added to the list of islands and countries infested with the red palm mite. In all instances, this mite has established itself on various palms, with significant outbreaks on coconut palms. In addition, infestations have been observed on banana and plantain species on most islands with additional infestations observed on heliconias, gingers, bird of paradise and screw pine.
The red palm mite can be distinguished from most spider mites (Tetranychidae) by the red color (including legs), long flattened bodies, droplets on the back and absence of the webbing associated with many spider mites. (see attached photo below)
Transport of infested plants or plant material appears to be the major mode of spread for this mite. Before finding the mite in Florida, red palm mites have been found on seed coconuts destined for Florida. In addition, handicrafts (hats, bowls, etc.) fashioned from coconut leaves and sold to tourists on many Caribbean islands infested with the red palm mite have been found to harbor live mites and viable eggs. These materials are prohibited from entering the U.S. Under natural conditions, the red palm mite disperses on the wind along with most other plant feeding mites, so a strong tropical storm or hurricane could also distribute the red palm mite over a wide area.
There are pesticides that can control the red palm mite. Federal and state agriculture officials are working with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) to develop treatment protocols. Long term plans are to find biological control agents that will keep the red palm mite in check. Some of the possible biological control agents that have been useful in the Eastern Hemisphere include predatory mites (Phytoseiidae), predatory beetles (Chrysomelidae), lacewings (Chrysopidae) and other mite predators.
As more information on the scope of the infestation is gathered, state and federal agriculture officials will update county extension offices, nursery owners, lawn maintenance companies and other interested parties.
Citizens who believe they may have plants infested with red palm mite should visit the Department’s web site at www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi to get more information and view pictures of the red palm mite, call their county extension office, or call the state’s toll-free helpline at 888-397-1517.
Photos of red palm mite infestation on coconut palms
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