Invasive Insect Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle First Sighting Outside of Oahu Reported, Officials Wary of Larvae in Green Waste

After the coconut rhinoceros beetle was discovered outside of Oahu for the first time, authorities warned locals about the risks of having larvae in green waste bins at home.

Invasive Insect Sighting Reported

The first time that these insects have been spotted on another island other than Oahu, two coconut rhinoceros beetles (CRBs) have recently been found on Kauai in traps beside a green waste transfer facility close to the Lihue Airport.

On May 31 and June 2, the two beetles were discovered by survey teams from the Kauai Invasive Species Committee (KISC); one bug was still alive at the time it was caught and the other was already dead.

Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle

Since the adult beetles bore into the tops of the palms to feed on the sap, coconut rhinoceros beetles have been identified to be pests of palm plants, particularly coconut palms. This also damages fresh, unopened palm fronds, which, once completely opened, are vulnerable to breaking and falling.

The palm tree may perish if CRBs destroy or harm the growth point. Dead trees then turn into a safety risk since they could suddenly fall and cause harm to people or property.

CRBs in Hawaii

At Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, the first CRBs were found in December 2013.

Since then, the insect species have also been spotted on West Oahu, from Maili to Kunia and Pearl City. On the North Shore, CRB infestations have been seen in places including Kahuku, Mokuleia, and Waimanalo.

Countries listed to have the highest rates of CRBs include India, the Philippines, Palau, and Nukunonu, as well as Fiji, Wallis, American Western Samoa, and Guam. As a result, it is still unknown with certainty how the beetles got to Hawaii.

Eradicating CRBs

According to the Oahu Invasive Species Committee, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) has created an Incident Command Structure since it was first discovered in 2013 that will be expanded to address the problem on Kauai with assistance from KISC employees.

In order to help with the control and eradication of the invasive pest, four members of the CRB Response Team of Oahu will also be dispatched to Kauai this week.

Additionally, CRB pheromone traps have been employed in places like Nawiliwili Harbor and Lihue Airport on all islands for more than five years. The traps are utilized to find CRB infestations early on.

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Green Waste

Hawaii homeowners are also asked to examine their compost bins for any indications of the beetle or even its larvae because green waste makes an ideal breeding habitat for CRB.

Early eradication attempts were impeded by a lack of finance and a lack of knowledge about the insect when CRB was first discovered on Oahu around ten years ago, according to Sharon Hurd, chairman of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture.

Hurd claims that the board is concerned about preventing this from occurring on Kauai and that they value the cooperation of their partner organizations as well as the extensive study that has gone into CRB elimination and management, the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture reports.

Currently, the USDA gives the HDOA roughly $2 million a year for CRB response activities and about $350,000 annually for canine support for CRB detection.

The University of Hawaii has received tissue samples from the two beetles discovered on Kauai for additional examination, Hawaii News Now reports.