New observation of red palm mite damaging various host plants in Costa Rica, indicating potential spread and impact.
The red palm mite (RPM), Raoiella indica Hirst, is found for the first time from Costa Rica, in the western coastal province of Puntarenas. RPM was collected causing damage to four different host plants: Cocos nucifera, Pritchardia pacifica, Phoenix robellini (Arecaceae), and Musa sp. Damage was observed on all plants; higher mite populations were found on Cocos nucifera. Further sampling across the country is necessary to determine how far this invasive pest has spread, along with its host plant use.
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Murillo et al. (2025) studied this question.
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