Since then, the team has instructed landscapers working at the installation to remove and treat their mulch piles. The team suspects that these CRB have flown to Fort Shafter from JBPHH and are not yet breeding on-site. In September, a few weeks later, a handful of CRB were found at Fort Shafter. The team thoroughly checked the company's vehicles and confirmed this was the case. Fortunately, the company explained that it does not move plant material between bases and that its trucks are cleaned and power-sprayed after each job. They warned about the risk of moving CRB onto Schofield. The community can help curb this pest by learning about the beetle and not tampering with the traps.Īfter compiling a list of plant suppliers and landscapers servicing Schofield and JBPHH, the team found only one overlap and contacted the company. The Oahu Army Natural Resource Program uses coconut rhinoceros beetle traps, like the one shown above, to trap the beetles and prevent them from spreading out. While it is possible for adults to disperse without human aid, the insects are bulky and poor fliers, making moving mulch one of the primary risks for accidentally transporting this pest elsewhere. Thus, CRB can be transported by landscapers moving mulch or dead palm material after tree trimming from one place to another. The CRB infestation originates at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH), where adult beetles live off the sap of coconut trees and lay their eggs in mulch piles. The first step in preventing introduction at Schofield was to identify pathways whereby CRB and LFA may be accidentally brought onto Schofield. Identifying pathways of possible invasion LFA came to O'ahu on infested potting material from Hawaii Island. LFA is a miniscule orange ant (just 0.06 inches long!) whose stings can cause blindness in cats and dogs. In addition to the impacts it has on coconut palms, CRB also threatens other palms like the endangered loulu (Pritchardia kaalae) and crops like banana, kalo, sugarcane and pineapple. With continued vigilance and help from the community, it can stay that way.ĬRB is a chunky black beetle, about 2 inches long that arrived from Guam. Thanks to the cooperation between the Oahu Army Natural Resource Program and Patrick Ching, an agronomist with the Directorate of Public Works, Schofield Barracks remains free of these incipient pests. SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii - Within the last year, two new insect pests, the coconut rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros, or CRB) and the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata, or LFA) have arrived and spread on O'ahu.īoth are major pests that can hurt our native ecosystems and agriculture, and affect our households. The community can help curb this pest by learning about the beetle and not tampering with. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – At the time this photo was taken, a mesh covering had been put over the mulch pile that they're breeding in, in o. Pictured is an adult coconut rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros, at Mamala Bay golf course, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.
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