Sunday, June 26, 2005

First Post!!!!111

It's Theme Week at the ISW. For the next seven days you'll be treated to "A Week of Firsts" - posts about new and exciting (and dangerous) introductions across the globe.

First up: From the NAPPO Phytosanitary Alert System, news that the coconut borer (Pachymerus nucleorum) has made its first appearance in the U.S., found earlier this spring in a trap in Palm Beach, Florida. This South American beetle, as you might suspect from its common name, enjoys feeding on several different palm genera. I don't think any of the palm species are native, but many are popular ornamentals in Florida. There is very little information about the coconut borer available on the internet - the only photo I could find is about half way down this page.

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