NOTES ON TAXONOMY AND BIOLOGY: This nematode parasitizes only the aboveground portion (trunks) of palm trees, which exhibit a noticeable ring shaped redness in the vascular system of the trunks.  Palm weevil, Rhynchophorus palmarum, which is a weevil pest of palms in coconut producing areas of Latin America, vectors the nematode.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: The area of distribution of B. cocophilus includes Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, San Blas Islands, St. Vincent, Surinam, Tobago, Trinidad, and Venezuela. The nematode has not been reported in the continental US, Virgin Islands, or Hawaii.  CAB Inernational (2001) reports B. cocophilus in Puerto Rico, however, recent surveys for the red ring nematode in Puerto Rico negated this report (José Chavarria personal communication).

HOSTS: Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) under field conditions. Caribbee royal palm (Roystonea oleracea), gru-gru palm (Acrocomia aculeata), Moriche palms (Mauritia flexuosa), and cucurite palm (Maximiliana maripa) were infected artificially under greenhouse conditions.

CROP LOSSES: This nematode causes serious damage to coconut and oil palms, which are stunted and eventually killed by the nematode infection (Griffith 1987).

MEANS OF MOVEMENT AND DISPERSAL: The nematode can be introduced with infected weevils or nematode infected coconut palm parts including seeds.

RATING: (H) If introduced into the United States this pest may be vectored by native Rhynchophorus species with devastating effect to palms. R. palmarum which is the principal vector of this nematode, does not occur in the US.  Reports of detection of R. palmarum in Texas and California have not been substantiated by recent survey results (M. Thomas, personal communication). This nematode was given a high priority rating for a PRA because it poses a great risk to the palm industry in the US.

REFERENCES:
    Brathwaite, C.W. D., and M. R. Siddiqi. 1975. Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus. CIH descriptions of plant parasitic nematodes, Set 5, No. 72. St. Albans, UK: Commonwealth Institute of Helminthology.
    CAB International, 2001. Bursaphelenchus cocophilus. in: Crop protection compendium, global module, 3rd edition. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
    Esser, R. P., and J. A. Meredith. 1987. Red ring nematode. Nematology Circular No.141, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, Gainesville, FL, USA.
    Gibling-Davis, R. M. 1990. The red ring nematode and its vectors. Nematology Circular No. 181. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, Gainesville, FL, USA.
    Griffith, R. 1987. Red ring disease of coconut palm. Plant Disease 71:193-196.