''Rhynchophorus bilineatus'', common name Black Palm Weevil, is a species of beetles belonging to the family

Curculionidae The Curculionidae are a family of weevils, commonly called snout beetles or true weevils. They are one of the largest animal families, with 6,800 genera and 83,000 species described worldwide. They are the sister group to the family Brentidae. ...

Description

''Rhynchophorus bilineatus'' can reach a body length of about 40mm. These large beetles are considered a major pest in palm plantations, mainly in ''

Cocos nucifera The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the f ...

'', ''

Metroxylon sagu ''Metroxylon sagu'', the true sago palm, is a species of palm in the genus '' Metroxylon'', native to tropical southeastern Asia. The tree is a major source of sago starch. Description True sago palm is a suckering (multiple-stemmed) palm, ...

'' and '' Metroxylon solomonense''. In fact the adults lay eggs in wounds in the stems of palms. After hatching, the weevil larvae excavate tunnels in the trunk and feed on the tissues, frequently leading to the death the host plants.

Distribution

This species can be found in the

Moluccas The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

and

Solomon islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...

. Reports of '' Rhynchophorus ferrugineus'' from these areas are likely to be misidentified specimens of ''bilineatus''.

Culinary uses

Sago grub Rhynchophorus ferrugineus larva

The larval grub is considered a delicacy in West Papua, as well in

. The Asmat, Korowai and Kombai peoples of southern

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torres ...

also hold the larva in high regard as a food source. Sago worms are roasted on a spit to celebrate special occasions in New Guinea.

References

Biolib

Global species
* G. 0. Bedfor
PARASITISM OF THE PALM WEEVIL RHYNCHOPHORUS BILINEATUS IN NEW BRITAIN
Dryophthorinae Beetles of Oceania Beetles described in 1857 {{Dryophthorinae-stub