Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Found in Kurtistown on Hawaii Island; State Sets One-Mile Search Perimeter
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) announced on November 13 that a live male coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) was discovered in a trap in the Kurtistown area of Hawaii Island, in Hawaii County, and alerted the public.
The department has notified partner agencies. Biosecurity officers will establish a one-mile perimeter around the detection site to search for additional beetles and possible breeding grounds, and more traps will be placed in the area. CRB was first detected in Hawaii in late 2013 and was first found on Hawaii Island in the Waikoloa area in October 2023; it has since been detected across the island.
Adult beetles bore into the crowns of palm trees to feed on sap, damaging new unopened fronds that may break and fall when fully opened, and damage to the growing point can kill the tree. CRB is a major pest of palms in Guam, India, the Philippines and much of the South Pacific. Residents are encouraged to learn the signs of CRB damage through the CRB Response website and to report suspected beetles or damage through the pest hotline at 643-PEST (3787).
(Source: Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity)
Source: Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Coconut rhinoceros beetle (24160223352)，作者 arian.suresh from Chennai, India，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 2.0；Photo: Coconut rhinoceros beetle (24160223352), by arian.suresh from Chennai, India, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
