The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) declared the eradication of red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) from the Laguna Beach area of Orange County, California. The pest was first discovered in August 2010.

Red palm weevil is one of three giant palm weevils that are native to Southeast Asia and known to occur in Africa, Europe, North America and the Caribbean. Giant palm weevils are a major economic pest of palms, including coconut, date, oil, and sago palms, though their host range can also include Arecaceae, Poeceae, and Agavaceae.