Bumunqar

"The Red Palm Weevil - il-Bumunqar Aħmar tal-Palm - is a relatively large species of beetle about 3cm long. Its common English name is derived from its rusty red colour. Scientifically known as Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, the Red Weevil originates from tropical Asia, but has now spread to Africa and Europe. It reached Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman in 1985. And by 2006 it was recorded in France and in Cyprus."

A very good article on the palm weevil from a Maltese newspaper. This beast really causes tremendous damage and there is no effective control except cutting and burning the affected trees and crossing your fingers. Most of the Arabian groves are affected, and I even saw infection in palm groves way up the wadi Hadramawt in south Yemen in June 2006. But I blogged this also because I love the Maltese language: a lot of it is colloquial Arabic written in latin script. The red palm weevil becomes: "il-Bumunqar Aħmar tal-Palm" or "the red beaked-one of the palm". Weevils have long snouts for those of you who are wondering.