Pest beetle larvae found in Kihei
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Seventeen live coconut rhinoceros beetle larvae were found Tuesday by an arborist cutting down coconut palm trees in Kihei, the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday.
The coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) is a serious pest of palm trees, primarily coconut palms, as the adult beetles bore into the crowns of the palms to feed on the tree's sap. New unopened fronds are damaged in this way and when fully opened, may break and fall unexpectedly, according to a news release.
The arborist called the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) Tuesday morning and reported that he was contracted to remove 12 dead palm trees and found several large larvae in the crown of the first palm tree he cut down. The arborist sent photos of the larvae to MISC which shared the photos with the HDOA's Maui Plant Pest Control Branch. Staff from both HDOA and MISC went to the site near Lipoa Parkway, along Ala Hula Street.
The arborist and his crew cut down the remaining palms and the arborist and HDOA staff collected 17 larvae from one of the trees. Seven of the 17 larvae were shipped to Oahu for identification and have been confirmed as coconut rhinoceros beetles by a state entomologist. No larvae were found in the other 11 trees and, so far, there have been no detections of adult CRBs or indications of CRB feeding damage on any of the palms, the HDOA said.
All coconut material from the 12 trees were chipped and contained in a 20-foot container and fumigated to kill any larvae or possible CRB eggs. HDOA and MISC staff will continue to conduct surveys in the area and any suspect palms will be removed. HDOA staff are deploying additional CRB pheromone traps to detect adult CRB populations in the area.
In September, HDOA personnel found a dead adult CRB on Maui in a compost bag at a Maui big box store during a routine survey. This was a first detection on the island, but is not believed to be related to the larvae found this week in Kihei.
Since the discovery of the dead beetle on Maui, HDOA's Plant Quarantine Branch inspectors have increased inspections and surveillance on CRB host material, sifting through commercial compost piles and inspecting pallets of bagged compost arriving on Maui.
Green waste provides an optimal breeding environment for CRB and residents on all islands are urged to check their compost bins, mulch piles and green waste for CRB larvae. An interim rule restricting the movement of CRB host material from Oahu to neighbor islands is in place. CRB host material includes, but is not limited to: palm plants; decomposing plant material such as compost, wood or tree chips, and mulch; plant-growing media (potting soils, etc.); and other products containing organic plant material.
Reports of possible CRB infestation may be addressed to the CRB Response Team at (808) 679-5244 or email info@crbhawaii.org or the state's toll-free Pest Hotline at (808) 643-PEST (7378).