![]() ![]() Downed trees and vegetative waste make ideal breeding sites for the beetle. The passing of Typhoon Dolphin over Guam in 2015 highlighted the dangers of an event like this triggering rapid growth in CRB populations. Smaller islands, where traditional, palm-dependent economies still operate, stand to suffer the most.įigure 1: “ The CRB-Guam biotype has invaded five Pacific Island countries and territories in only eight years compared to the CRB-Pacific biotype, which has not had geographical range expansion for 40 years“ There is now a real threat of a Pacific-wide outbreak of CRB. As well as Guam, the new biotype has now been logged in Papua New Guinea (2009), Palau (2014), Hawaii (2014) and the Solomon Islands (2015) (see figure 1). This resistance has proved paramount to the invasive ability of CRB. The Guam population was deemed a new biotype (CRB-Guam) and was found to be resistant to all available OrNV strains. Upon DNA analysis, the invading rhino beetles were found to be genetically distinct from CRB native to other Pacific regions. Early attempts at disseminating the virus in the new Guam population proved surprisingly ineffective. Up until Guam, 2007, it had been 40 years since an outbreak of CRB on an uninfested palm growing Pacific island, owing to the persistence of OrNV in beetle populations. As a biological control strategy, it has been highly effective at keeping CRB populations low and thus lessening palm damage by up to 90% ( Bedford, 2013). ![]() The principal method of rhinoceros beetle control is through the release of a virus specific to CRB known as Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus (OrNV). Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii.A coconut palm damaged by CRB © Aubrey Moore Kauai County has closed the Lihue green waste transfer station, where the two beetles were found, in order to allow for the area to be surveyed.Īnyone who finds coconut rhinoceros beetles should contact the CRB Response Team at 80 or email or the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378). “We need everyone’s eyes to look out for possible infestation sites and to report it.” “It’s critical that we catch any possible breeding areas immediately to try and stop the beetle’s spread on Kauai,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, in a news release. Green waste is a major concern because coconut rhinoceros beetles breed on trees, compost, mulch, trimmings, fruit and vegetation scraps, and decaying stumps of palms. (Photo courtesy of Hawaii Department of Agriculture) Kauai residents have been asked to look for coconut rhinoceros beetles and larvae. Fumigation equipment has been sent by barge to Kauai and will be used if other beetles are found. Members of HDOA’s Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response Team on Oahu have been deployed to Kauai to assist the Kauai Invasive Species Committee in surveying for other beetles. However, they have not been found on the other Hawaiian Islands - until now. ![]() In other parts of the Pacific, such as the Republic of Palau, the invasive beetles have eradicated coconut trees on some islands. First discovered on Oahu in 2013, the beetles are now widespread on the island. The coconut rhinoceros beetle bores into the crowns of palm trees, often killing them. Anyone who finds coconut rhinoceros beetles should contact the CRB Response Team at 80 or email or the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).Green waste is a major concern because coconut rhinoceros beetles breed on trees, compost, mulch, trimmings, fruit and vegetation scraps, and decaying stumps of palms.The two coconut rhinoceros beetles were found in traps near Lihue's green waste transfer station. ![]()
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