Palm moth

Perhaps not as topical as Christmas trees, but I tackled the sad removal of a Trachycarpus today......due to the Palm moth, Paysandisia Archon
The above are just some of the larvae I found in the 5' high palm, and they aren't affected by low temperatures, so keep an eye on your palms next spring, if you grow them!

 

Blimey, they are getting closer.

 

Wear gloves, protect your palms

 

Seems like palms are being attacked on two fronts, Red Palm Weevil (beetle) and Palm Moth!!!!

 

They're a good size @noisette47, would the birds tackle those?

 

Not a very good texture, @ARMANDII....perhaps they'd firm up when simmered. @Sheal I'm sure they made a treat for something furred or feathered round here...they're gone from the track where I put them yesterday. @pete, I think they've already made it to the UK. They came into Europe on palms imported from South America. If I replace mine, I'm going to invest in the nematode treatment which sounds like the most effective way to get to the *******s. In fact, I've still got a Chamaerops and a baby Trachy so they'll have to be treated anyway. There's no way of seeing if they've been attacked without stripping all the protective fuzz off, in which case the cold would probably do for them anyway! Insects, eh, don't you just love them......

 

Any reports of them in the UK?
Remember, we are not Europe anymore

 

Just read that nine adult moths were found in West Malling in 2007, (a bit too close to home for me), apparently from palms imported from Spain, but it goes on to state that it has been eradicated in the UK, Denmark and the Czech Republic.

https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/assets/factsheets/paysandisia-archon-palm-borer-factsheet.pdf

Figure 6 is interesting, it quotes it as Phoenix dactylifera, strangest looking date palm I've seen.
And this is from DEFRA?

 

I saw that Armandii, I think that is a different moth.