State officials are urging residents on all islands to check compost and green waste for signs of coconut rhinoceros beetle larvae as it works to prevent the spread of the invasive beetle across the state. Photos courtesy Department of Agriculture
Two coconut rhinoceros beetles have been found on Kauai, the first such discovery of the invasive insect on a Neighbor Island, the state Department of Agriculture said Monday.
A survey crew from the Kauai Invasive Species Committee found a live beetle on May 31 in one of the traps near the green waste transfer station close to the Lihue Airport. On Friday, survey crews found a dead beetle in another trap nearby.
The beetle was first detected on Oahu in 2013, and surveillance has been ongoing on all Neighbor Islands since then in hopes of preventing the spread of the insect, which is a serious pest of palm trees, primarily coconut palms, according to the department. The adult beetles bore into the crowns of the palms to feed on the tree’s sap, which damages new, unopened fronds that may break and fall unexpectedly when fully opened. If the coconut rhinoceros beetle kills or damages the growing point of the palm, the tree may die. Secondary fungal or bacterial pathogens may also attack the wounds caused by the beetle, which can kill the tree as well.
Tree mortality after a coconut rhinoceros beetle attack has been reported to be anywhere from 10 to 50 percent, the department said. Dead trees then become a safety hazard as they may fall unexpectedly after the tree rots and injury people or damage property.
The invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle can damage palm trees and make them more susceptible to disease.
“When CRB was first detected on Oahu about 10 years ago, early eradication efforts were hampered by the lack of funding and lack of information about the pest,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the state Board of Agriculture. “We want to make sure this does not happen on Kauai and we appreciate the assistance of partner agencies and all the research that has gone into CRB eradication and control.”
The department plans to expand the incident management system it started back in 2013 to Kauai, with additional staffing from the Kauai Invasive Species Committee. Four members of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response Team on Oahu will also be deployed to Kauai this week to assist.
Green waste provides an optimal breeding environment for the beetles, and residents on all islands are urged to check their compost bins and green waste for the beetle’s larvae. In an effort to stop the spread of the beetles to the Neighbor Islands, the Department of Agriculture issued an interim rule in July 2022 restricting the movement of coconut rhinoceros beetle host material within Oahu and from Oahu to Neighbor Islands. This includes, but is not limited to, entire trees, green waste, compost, mulch, trimmings, fruit and vegetative scraps and decaying stumps of palm and palm-related plants.
Possible infestations may be reported to the CRB Response Team at (808) 679-5244 or info@crbhawaii.org, or by calling the state’s toll-free pest hotline at (808) 643-PEST (7378).
For more information, visit crbhawaii.org.
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