How can China help Uruguay battle beetles threatening to invade South America?

A tiny but destructive invader is threatening South America, and Uruguay’s iconic palm trees are on the front line.

Since 2022, the National Emergency System in coordination with agricultural agencies and with operational support from the air force, has struggled to contain the red palm weevil outbreak, prompting them to call scientists to help.

Experts from the Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC) stepped in with an innovative detection strategy using drones and aerial imaging, but recognising the limits of domestic resources, they turned to a distant ally: China.

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is a small reddish beetle whose larvae emerge from eggs and feed on the soft tissues of the palm tree, digging tunnels to the parenchymal cells and causing severe damage. Brown leaves on the canopy can indicate the presence of the insects – and signal that the tree is close to death.

The pest is jeopardising the country’s native trees, which are a symbol of several places in Uruguay such as Montevideo’s iconic waterfront where they feature prominently along the Río de la Plata promenade.

Natalie Aubet, a senior professor of geology at UTEC who specialises in spatial research, said scientists were asked to develop an early detection strategy to combat the red palm weevil, which has been devastating eight jurisdictions across the country.

South China Morning Post