It’s been some days since I have been for a walk. Today morning though I ventured on one and I met this quite interesting character in rusty red, patterned all over with stripes and dots. Out came my cell phone to take a picture. Not only did Mr.Insect not mind, it even paused in its tracks so I could get a better shot.

I learnt (from Google) that it is a species of snout beetle and is called red palm weevil, Asian palm weevil, and also sago palm weevil. Hmm… Too many aliases if you ask me. I am not sure it can be trusted. Why does it need so many names anyway? And on top of everything it has an official sounding alias too, Rhynchophorus ferruginous. Ha!

“Kind of unfair considering it is humans who named me!”

Eh? Who said that? I could have sworn it was the beetle. But apparently beetles, with snouts or without, cannot speak, not in so many words. Hence I had to reluctantly conclude that it had been my very rational mind which had put forward the very valid point. I had to concede the unfairness of my accusation of untrustworthiness of an innocent member of the insect world.

Good thing too that I did too for it then struck me, what if word got around and the whole clan of red palm weevils, or Asian palm weevils, or sago palm weevils if you will, rose up in arms against me for the aspersions cast against the sterling character of the weevil community as a whole?!

True it is that the community is persona non grata as far as palm trees are concerned. In the palm-circles they, the weevils, are referred to as ‘bally pests!’ Why, you might well ask. These wily thingamabobs weaken and eventually kill their hosts, yes, the very palms whose name they carry. Diabolical, what?

If we went about acting like weevils we’d be thrown in jail. Hanged even. Are weevils though? Have you ever heard of weevils being sentenced? Have you heard of weevil prisons? No, right? Yup, I knew it. There’s no justice in this world.

Okay, people. I better put a sock in it before the first stone is cast, at me, for writing such nonsense. Haha!

Shail Mohan 2023