Murphy, S. (2016, October 26). Invasive Insect Threatens San Diego County’s Palm Trees. Retrieved November 20, 2016, from http:// www.kpbs.org/news/2016/oct/26/invasive-insect-threatens-san-diego- countys-palm-t/

The South American palm weevil has been terrorizing palm trees throughout San Diego, killing several hundred native palm trees since 2015. The palm weevil is originates in Central America, but has spread to North America, appearing frequently in Southern California. The weevil kills palm trees by burying their larvae in the fronds of the tree, and when the larvae hatch they eat the

fronds until the tree is dead. These insects have been destroying Southern California’s palm trees, and scientists have recently realized that they have little to no grasp on containing the situation, because the weevils have the potential to fly tens of miles each day. The weevils are beginning to threaten the $70 million ornamental palm industry in California, and while little can be done to prevent the spread of these insects, traps have been set up in Southern California and across the country to track their migration and scarcity.

This article shows another negative impact that invasive species have on the environment in general, specifically California’s environment. Palm trees are both native and a distinguishing part of California’s native coastal culture, and these insects are destroying hundreds of these trees at a time. What’s worse is that it takes months for the larvae to completely destroy the tree, so it is hard to tell if there are weevils in any one tree. This article relates to environmental science because it shows how difficult it is to maintain a healthy environment with the presence of an invasive species such as the palm weevil.