![]() ![]() (Courtesy: SPC/2023)Ĭlimate change’s direct impacts on humans are well accounted for in the Pacific but the residual effects of natural disasters create even more pathways for these invasive pests.Įro was in the country post-cyclone leading a project team dedicated to the beetle, an effort of an intergovernmental organization called the Pacific Community. Vanuatu government staff and SPC staff assess an artificial nesting site for coconut rhinoceros beetle, identified as a key ecological risk in the wake of two cyclones that hit the South Pacific nation in recent months. That detritus and fallen logs are ideal breeding habitat for the coconut rhinoceros beetle, a pest that already threatens the country’s coconut crops at the best of times. “It looked completely different, just like a bushfire may have gone through and burned up all the vegetation,” Ero said in an interview. ![]() When entomologist Mark Ero arrived days after the Category 4 cyclones, he was on the ground alongside humanitarian relief teams but his focus was on the dead vegetation carpeting Vanuatu’s main island. Vanuatu was trampled by twin cyclones in early March that tore roofs off buildings, severed communication lines, made running water undrinkable and cut electricity. Banning the outdoor storage of bags of potting soil would be one way to help curtail the spread of coconut rhinoceros beetles throughout the island.Ī scientific note on these observations has been published in the December 2016 issue of the Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society.Pacific neighbors are fighting back against the coconut rhinoceros beetle, and there are lessons for Hawaii. There is plenty of food to support development from egg to adult," warned extension agent Roland Quituqua. "Rhino beetle larvae are excellent decomposers, which is why dead standing coconut trees and fallen logs are a hotbed of rhino beetle breeding activity. When unsuspecting gardeners buy potting soil for use in their home gardens they are getting more than they paid for and are helping the invasive rhino beetles move around the island. With the alluring high organic matter content of packaged potting soil, coconut rhinoceros beetles make holes in the thin plastic bags and deposit their eggs. Coconut rhinoceros beetles seek out high-density organic material, as decaying organic matter is the preferred place to find a mate and lay their eggs. ![]() Garden centers very often keep bags of potting soil stacked outdoors making them easily accessible to customers and interested insects. Unfortunately for Guam's coconut trees, this is a really good way to spread rhino beetles around the island." After selecting one and opening it we discovered five large coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) grubs. "We noticed several unopened bags of potting soil with multiple holes in the plastic. Aubrey Moore, UOG extension entomologist. "These complaints prompted us to investigate by visiting the garden center of a local hardware store franchise that imports soil from the US mainland," said Dr. Extension and Outreach personnel at the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Guam had received numerous complaints from clients finding beetle grubs in bags of potting soil purchased at local stores. ![]()
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