What's eating my cuban royal palm?

Cuban Royal Palm faces the royal palm bug as its most characteristic pest in Florida and Caribbean landscapes, causing cosmetic frond damage in spring. Scale insects and palm aphids also occur. On large specimen trees, scale is managed by natural predators, but young palms benefit from horticultural oil sprays. Lethal bronzing disease is a serious threat beyond pest scope.

Yellow-brown stippling and streaking of new fronds in spring; fronds emerge discolored and distorted Damage is mostly cosmetic and self-limiting by summer; contact insecticide sprays are rarely needed and difficult on tall trees

Armored or soft scale on frond rachises; honeydew and sooty mold; yellowing in severe cases Apply horticultural oil or neem oil; natural enemies (parasitic wasps, ladybirds) provide good biological control in landscape settings

Colonies at petiole bases and new frond unfurling points; sticky honeydew promotes sooty mold on lower fronds Encourage natural predators; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil to affected areas; water-jet knock-down for accessible fronds