DAY 94 (8 JULY) – Washingtonia palm (Washingtonia robusta) (Vejer, Spain)
These lovely tall thin palms are native to Mexico but naturalised in Spain and many other hot countries. But they are being wiped out by the largest weevil in Europe – the red palm weevil. The female adults lay up to 300 eggs in holes in the tree (see below), and the larvae munch their way through the inside of the palm. Once they reach the crown, the palm can’t produce any more fronds and dies within months…
365 DAYS OF NATURE 