Exotic insect pests: The impact of the Red Palm Weevil on natural and cultural heritage in Palermo (Italy)

The impact of invasive exotic pests is increasingly recognised as a global issue. A global strategy to address the exotic pest problem is beginning to evolve, albeit slowly. The International Plant Protection Convention (FAO) has begun the process of harmonizing standards for pest risk analysis to minimise the spread of exotic pests without adversely impacting global trade. However if the impacts of insect invasive species on human health and on agriculture have attracted worldwide attention, researchers and policymakers address directly the connection between invasive species and damage to natural and cultural heritages. The cost of these losses is generally neglected or underestimated. Various attempts have been made to treat the plants or the wood that affected by invasive species. But studies of the links between these pests and their effects on natural biodiversity and heritage, in botanical and historical gardens, are largely lacking in the literature. This paper examines categories of pest risk threatening the Mediterranean, with special emphasis on the author's homeland. We report the case of the invasive species Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Red Palm Weevil, RPW) recently introduced into Europe. With an interdisciplinary approach, and by focusing on the situation in Sicily, we analyse how the RPW could be considered not only a pest impacting palm trees, but also natural and cultural assets and heritage.