Forum Entomologi Italiani

Hello,

I would like help with identification of the species.
Thank you.

This is the palm weevil of the genus Rhynchophorus, with great probability invasive Rhynchophorus ferrugineus known as the red palm weevil, Asian palm weevil or sago palm weevil. The problem with identification is that the most recent genus-level revision in 1966 recognized two species of red palm weevils, ferrugineus and vulneratus, and for decades these were interpreted as separate taxa. A genetic study in 2004 concluded that vulneratus was not distinct from ferrugineus, and treated them as synonyms, a view that was accepted until 2013, when yet another genetic study came to the opposite conclusion, based on more comprehensive geographic sampling.

Many thanks Lech, I love your detailed comments.