The impact of invasive exotic pests is increasingly recognised as a global issue. A global strategy to
address the exotic pest problem is beginning to evolve, albeit slowly. The International Plant Protection
Convention (FAO) has begun the process of harmonizing standards for pest risk analysis to minimise
the spread of exotic pests without adversely impacting global trade. However if the impacts of insect
invasive species on human health and on agriculture have attracted worldwide attention, researchers
and policymakers address directly the connection between invasive species and damage to natural and
cultural heritages. The cost of these losses is generally neglected or underestimated. Various attempts
have been made to treat the plants or the wood that affected by invasive species. But studies of the links
between these pests and their effects on natural biodiversity and heritage, in botanical and historical
gardens, are largely lacking in the literature. This paper examines categories of pest risk threatening
the Mediterranean, with special emphasis on the author’s homeland. We report the case of the invasive
species Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Red Palm Weevil, RPW) recently introduced into Europe. With an
interdisciplinary approach, and by focusing on the situation in Sicily, we analyse how the RPW could be
considered not only a pest impacting palm trees, but also natural and cultural assets and heritage