Red Palm Mite

Background
Red Palm Mite (RPM), Raoiella indica, a leaf damaging mite, is a pest of coconut, areca palm, and date palms. The Red Palm Mite is a high risk invasive species with the potential to cause serious economic damage to the southern regions of the conterminous United States, Hawaii and its island territories.
Biology
Raoiella indica can reproduce without mating. Unfertilized eggs develop into males (arrhenotokous parthenogenesis), while fertilized eggs develop into females. The eggs are deposited on lower leaf surfaces, and they hatch in about seven days. The newly emerged mites are sexually active. The introduction of a single female, which lives about 27 days and mates multiple times during her life, could, therefore, establish a new colony.
Hosts
The primary hosts of Raoiella indica are found in tropical to subtropical areas as they are susceptible to cold temperatures and typically range from USDA hardiness zones 9-11. Raoiella indica is a foliage feeder and primarily infests palms and bananas but has been found infesting gingers, heliconias, and other ornamentals.
Distribution
Raoiella indica is believed to have originated from India and spread through the tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, Africa and most recently the Caribbean. Raoiella indica populations have been reported in: Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Guadeloupe, Iran, Israel, Martinique, Mauritius, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Réunion, Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Trinidad and Tabago, Grenada, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Venezuela, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the United Arab Emirates. Raoiella indica has spread rapidly in the Caribbean since the initial detection on Martinique and Saint Lucia in 2004, with subsequent detections on Dominica in 2005 and in Guadeloupe, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Puerto Rico in 2006. The first confirmed detection of this pest in the continental United States occurred on December 7, 2007, in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Symptoms
Red mites are usually found on the undersides of leaves and are often in groups of hundreds of individuals that are visible with the naked eye. Exuvial remains (cast skins) are white and are often more numerous than living mites in very productive populations. Feeding mites, especially at high mite densities, cause localized yellowing of the leaves followed by tissue necrosis.
Spread of the Red Palm Mite
While wind currents may move RPMs into new areas, the most efficient mode of introducing RPMs into new parts of the world is through the movement of infested plant material by humans. This includes live host plants, fruits, cut flowers or greenery, seed, and articles manufactured from fresh palm leaves.
Woven palm hats, tote bags, and handicrafts made from palm leaves are a proven carrier of the RPM into new ports-of-call. Travelers returning to the United States from the Caribbean with green palm-leaf hats and handicrafts risk transporting this menacing pest to the mainland. Do not bring your green palm-leaf handicrafts to the United States. Please enjoy them while onboard the ship and dispose of them properly before disembarking.
Current status
Since 2006, the Technical Working Group, has developed and implemented an action plan to respond to the threat posed by the red palm mite in Puerto Rico and in Florida, and continues researching and developing new techniques for controlling the red palm mite.APHIS and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) are conducting ongoing delimiting surveys. As of March 7, 2008, this mite has been detected only in sites within two counties in Florida (Palm Beach and Broward), but no detections have occurred in nurseries that ship interstate.