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The nomenclature of the Canary Island endemic palm with red-bluish fruits is reviewed. Phoenix senegalensis is neotypified; P. canariensis var. porphyrococca is lectotypified. “Fulchironia senegalensis” is a nomen nudum; P. menieri is a nomen superfluum This research received support from the INIA projects RF2007- 00010-C03 and RF2010-00006-C02 (European Regional Development Fund 2007–2013), Prospección y recogida de recursos fitogenéticos autóctonos de palmera datilera y especies silvestres emparentadas, RFP2017-00004-00-00, INIA/Agencia Estatal de Investigación within Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013–2016 and from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain project CGL 2009-10215 The authors gratefully acknowledge the help of Ana Isabel Vasconcelos Dias Correia (Botanical Garden Museu Nacional de História Natural e de Ciência, Lisbon), Dalila Espirito Santo (Herbario Joao de Carvalho e Vasconcellos, Lisbon), Bruno Vila (Herbiers, Aix-Marseille Université) and Unidad de Parques y Jardines. Excmo. Ayto. de San Cristóbal de La Laguna

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the most important pest of palms worldwide. A serious management problem is the difficulty of detecting early infestation stages, which is critical for successful control. Our main objective has been to characterize the metabolic response of Phoenix canariensis hort. ex Chabaud to R. ferrugineus injury to identify candidate biomarkers for early detection. Mechanical wounding and R. ferrugineus infestation resulted in different patterns of plant hormone and secondary metabolite production: SA and caffeic acid concentrations increased by several orders of magnitude following R. ferrugineus development within the palm 7 days after infestation. These compounds did not change in mechanically wounded palms. Therefore, these substances could be further exploited as early warning signs of infestation.

The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a palm borer native to South Asia which has spread mainly due to the unintended movement of infested planting material. As a result, this species has become the most destructive palm pest in the world. The difficulty of detecting the early stages of infestation due to its cryptic life cycle has led many countries to implement, strict pre- and post-entry quarantine regulations to prevent further spread. However, there are no quarantine protocols to ensure that palm material for planting is free of R. ferrugineus. The aim of this study has been to determine the efficacy of aluminium phosphide as a safe quarantine treatment against different stages of R. ferrugineus and the possible phytotoxic effects on live Phoenix canariensis palms. Our results confirm that a dose of 1.14 g/m3 for 2 days is enough to kill all stages of R. ferrugineus in live palms with no phytotoxic effects on treated palms for up to one year after the treatment. This procedure, which could be easily applied in sealed containers used for palm trade, could drastically reduce risks associated to palm movement worldwide.

[EN] Trapping systems for the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, rely on the use of natural plant odor sources to boost the attractiveness of the aggregation pheromone. The identification of the key odorants involved in attraction is essential in the development of a synthetic pheromone synergist to replace the nonstandardized use of plant material in traps. Canary Islands date palms (Phoenix canariensis) have become preferred hosts for R. ferrugineus in Europe; thus, the volatile profile of different P. canariensis plant materials, including healthy and infested tissues, is investigated in the present work by means of solid phase microextraction (SPME-GC-MS), aimed to identify pheromone synergists. The electroantennography (EAG) response of the compounds identified was recorded, as well as the preliminary field response of several EAG-active compounds. The so-called palm esters (ethyl acetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl butyrate, and propyl butyrate) elicit the strongest EAG responses but performed poorly in the field. Mixtures of esters and alcohols give evidence of better performance, but release rates need further optimization., The research leading to these results has received funding from the 7th European Union Framework Programme under Grant Agreement FP7 KBBE 2011-5-289566 (PALM PROTECT).