DOA News release on Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle grubs found on Hawaii Island

Posted on Oct 20, 2023 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    

     

 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

ʻOIHANA MAHIʻAI

 

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

KIAʻĀINA
                                                                       

SHARON HURD
CHAIRPERSON

HAWAI`I BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                       

NR23-24

Oct. 20, 2023

 

COCONUT RHINOCEROS BEETLE GRUBS FOUND ON HAWAI‘I ISLAND

 

HONOLULU – Coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) grubs have been found at a residence in Waikoloa Village on Hawai‘i Island. This is the first discovery of the invasive beetle on the island.

 

On Oct. 11, 2023, the resident found five large grubs (larvae) in a decaying palm tree stump on the property and reported it to the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response Project. Staff from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) responded to the site and collected the specimens which were sent to a University of Hawai‘i laboratory in Honolulu where a DNA-based test was used to identify the grubs as CRB. On Wednesday of this week, the resident reported finding one more grub on the property. No other grubs or adult CRB have been detected so far on Hawai‘i Island.

 

HDOA crews on Hawai‘i Island and CRB response staff from O‘ahu have surveyed the immediate area and have not found additional CRB damage. A multi-agency team will continue to survey the area. Additional pheromone traps, used for early detection of infestations, are being deployed from Waikoloa Beach to Waimea, as well as other areas around the island. Surveillance for CRB has been ongoing on all islands, including traps at airports, harbors and other strategic locations. HDOA staff are also trying to trace the origin and the pathway of the grubs found in Waikoloa.

 

Residents are encouraged to go to the CRB Response website at:  https://www.crbhawaii.org/ to learn more about how to detect the signs of CRB damage, how to identify CRB life stages, and how to report any suspected signs of damage or beetles/grubs via the CRB reporting feature. Reports of possible CRB infestation may also be addressed to the CRB Response team at (808) 679-5244, email [email protected] or the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at (808) 643-PEST (7378).

 

CRB grubs live in decomposing plant and animal waste and may have been inadvertently transported across O‘ahu and to neighbor islands in bags of compost or mulch. Adult CRB prefer to feed on coconut and other larger palms, and are a major threat to the health of these plants.

 

Residents on all islands are asked to be vigilant when purchasing mulch, compost, and soil products, and to inspect bags for evidence of entry holes. Adult beetles are about 2-inches long, all black and have a single horn on their head.

 

The CRB is a large scarab beetle that was first detected on O‘ahu in 2013. The beetle has since been detected in many neighborhoods on O‘ahu, and was detected on Kaua‘i in May 2023 where collaborative eradication efforts continue. Last week, several agencies were involved in the pesticide treatment of palm trees via drones at a Kaua‘i golf course. More than 90 palm trees were treated and 40 adult CRBs were killed. Additional treatment efforts will continue on Kaua‘i. Last month, a dead adult CRB was found in a compost bag at a Maui big-box store. No other CRB have been detected on Maui.

 

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. If CRB kill or damage the growing point of the palm, the tree may die. Secondary fungal or bacterial pathogens may also attack the wounds caused by CRB, thereby killing the tree as well. Tree mortality after CRB attack has been reported to be anywhere from 10 percent to 50 percent. Dead trees then become a safety hazard as they may fall unexpectedly after the trunk rots, potentially resulting in bodily injury or property damage. 

 

CRB is a major pest of palms in India, the Philippines, Palau, Fiji, Wallis, Nukunono, American and Western Samoa and Guam. It is still not known exactly how the beetles arrived in Hawai‘i.

 

# # #

Attachments:

  • Photo of grubs found in Waikoloa
  • Photo of adult CRB
  • Photo of damage to palm leaves
  • Photo of boring damage on palm trees
  • Photo of damage to compost bag

 

Media Contact:
Janelle Saneishi, Public Information Officer
Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture
(808) 973-9560
[email protected]
http://hdoa.hawaii.gov

 

 

HDOA is committed to maintaining an environment free from discrimination, retaliation, or harassment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability, or any other class as protected under federal or state law, with respect to any program or activity.

 

For more information, including language accessibility and filing a complaint, please contact HDOA Non-Discrimination Coordinator at (808) 973-9560, or visit HDOA’s website at http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/.

 

To request translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, or other auxiliary aids or services for this document, contact the HDOA at (808) 973-9560 or email [email protected]

 

 

 

Paʻa ka manaʻo o ka HDOA ma hope o ka pāpā loa ʻana i ka hoʻokae, ʻimi mākaia, a hoʻopilikia ʻana no kō ke kanaka lāhui, ʻili, keka, ʻāina, kūlana makahiki, kīnānā, a mea ʻokoʻa aʻe i kaʻa ma lalo o nā kānāwai pekelala a mokuʻāina, ma kona mau papahana a hanana.

 

No kekahi ʻike hou aku, e laʻa nā lawelawe unuhi ʻōlelo a me ka waiho ʻana i palapala hoʻopiʻi, e hoʻohui ʻoe me HDOA ma (808) 973-9560, a i ʻole e kipa aku i kō ka HDOA kaha pūnaewele ma http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/.

 

No ke noi ʻana i kōkua māhele a unuhi ʻōlelo, a me nā lawelawe a kōkua keu o kēlā ʻano kēia ʻano e pili ana i kēia palapala, e kelepona aku i ke keʻena o ka Luna Hoʻokele o ka HDOA ma (808) 973-9560 a i ʻole e leka uila aku iā [email protected] .

 

 

Ti HDOA ket nakatutok iti panangtaginayon iti aglawlaw a nawaya manipud iti panangidumduma, panagibales, wenno panagabuso a maibasar iti puli, kolor, seks, nasion a nagtaudan, edad, wenno disabilidad, wenno aniaman a dadduma pay a klase kas maprotektaran iti masakupan ti linteg ti pederal wenno estado, mainaig iti aniaman a programa wenno aktibidad.

 

Para iti ad-adu pay nga impormasion, kairamanan ti aksesibilidad ti lengguahe ken panagidatag iti reklamo, maidawat a kontaken ti HDOA iti (808) 973-9560, wenno bisitaen ti website ti HDOA iti http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/.

 

Tapno agkiddaw iti panagipatarus, interpretasion, modipikasion, akomodasion, wenno dadduma pay a pangtulong a tulong wenno serbisio para iti daytoy a dokumento, kontaken ti Opisina ti Mangidadaulo iti HDOA iti (808) 973-9560 wenno ag-email iti [email protected].

 

 

HDOA ມີຄວາມມຸ້ງໝັ້ນທີ່ຈະຮັກສາສະພາບແວດລ້ອມທີ່ບໍ່ມີການຈຳແນກ, ການໂຕ້ຕອບ ຫຼື ການລ່ວງລະເມີດດ້ານເຊື້ອຊາດ, ສີຜິວ, ເພດ, ຊາດກຳເນີດ, ອາຍຸ ຫຼື ຄວາມພິການ ຫຼື ປະເພດອື່ນໆ ທີ່ໄດ້ຮັບການຄຸ້ມຄອງພາຍໃຕ້ກົດໝາຍຂອງລັດຖະບານ ຫຼື ລັດ, ໃນສ່ວນທີ່ກ່ຽວຂ້ອງກັບໂຄງການໃດໆ ຫຼື ກິດຈະກຳ.

 

ສຳລັບຂໍ້ມູນເພີ່ມເຕີມ, ລວມທັງການເຂົ້າເຖິງພາສາ ແລະ ການຮ້ອງທຸກ, ກະລຸນາຕິດຕໍ່ຫາ HDOA ທີ່ (808) 973-9560 ຫຼື ເຂົ້າເບິ່ງເວັບໄຊທ໌ຂອງ HDOA ທີ່ http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/.

 

ເພື່ອຂໍການແປ, ການຕີຄວາມ, ການດັດແປງ, ການ ອຳ ນວຍຄວາມສະດວກ ຫຼື ເຄື່ອງຊ່ວຍ ຫຼື ການຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອບໍລິການເສີມອື່ນໆ ສຳລັບເອກະສານນີ້, ຕິດຕໍ່ຫ້ອງການ HDOA ຂອງປະທານ ທີ່ (808) 973-9560 ຫຼື ສົ່ງອີເມວຫາ[email protected].

 

 

就任何計劃或活動而言，HDOA致力於維護一個不因種族、膚色、性別、國籍、年齡或殘障或受聯邦或州法律保護的任何其他類別而受到歧視、報復或騷擾的環境如需更多資訊，包括語言無障礙和提交投訴，請致電 (808) 973-9560聯絡HDOA，或瀏覽HDOA網站http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/如需與本文檔相關的翻譯、口譯、修改、住宿或其他輔助設施與服務，請致電(808) 973-9560或發送電子郵件至  [email protected].

 

 

Nakatuon ang HDOA sa pagpapanatili ng kapaligiran na malaya sa diskriminasyon, paghihiganti, o panliligalig batay sa lahi, kulay, kasarian, bansang pinagmulan, edad, o kapansanan, o anumang iba pang klase na protektado sa ilalim ng batas ng pederal o estado, na patungkol sa anumang programa o aktibidad.

 

Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, kasama na ang kahandaang mai-access ng wika at pagsasampa ng reklamo, mangyaring makipag-ugnayan sa HDOA sa (808) 973-9560, o bisitahin ang website ng HDOA sa http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ .

 

Upang humiling ng pagsasalin, interpretasyon, pagbabago, akomodasyon, o iba pang mga pantulong na tulong o serbisyo para sa dokumentong ito, makipag-ugnayan sa Opisina ng Tagapangulo ng HDOA sa (808) 973-9560 o mag-email sa [email protected].

 

 

HDOA มุ่งมั่นที่จะรักษาสภาพแวดล้อมให้ปราศจากการเลือกปฏิบัติ การตอบโต้ หรือการล่วงละเมิดทาง เชื้อชาติ สีผิว เพศ ชาติกำเนิด อายุ หรือความทุพพลภาพ หรือประเภทอื่นใดที่ได้รับการคุ้มครองภายใต้กฎหมายของรัฐบาลกลางหรือของรัฐ ในส่วนที่เกี่ยวกับโครงการใดๆ หรือกิจกรรม

 

สำหรับข้อมูลเพิ่มเติม รวมถึงการเข้าถึงภาษาและการยื่นเรื่องร้องเรียน โปรดติดต่อ HDOA ที่ (808) 973-9560 หรือเยี่ยมชมเว็บไซต์ของ HDOA ที่ [email protected].

 

หากต้องการขอการแปล ล่ามภาษา การปรับเปลี่ยน ที่พัก หรือความช่วยเหลือหรือบริการสำหรับเอกสารนี้ โปรดติดต่อสำนักงาน HDOA ของประธานที่ (808) 973-9560 หรืออีเมล[email protected].

Aloha,

Janelle Saneishi

Public Information Officer

Hawai`i Department of Agriculture
ph: (808) 973-9560
email: [email protected]

Website: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/

 

 

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