Another adult coconut rhinoceros beetle has been located further west on Oahu at Campbell Industrial Park, according to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
The lone beetle was found Monday in a survey trap set in the industrial park and its identification was confirmed Wednesday, according to the department. This is the farthest west that the beetle has been found and because of its location, a second 2-mile buffer zone has been created in the industrial area.
On May 21, a male coconut rhinoceros beetle was found in a trap at Barbers Point on Oahu. The beetle was first found on Oahu in December 2013 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu. The majority of the CRB detections remain within the two-mile buffer zone of the base’s golf course.
Traps will be deployed in higher density in the new buffer zone, according to the state. Additional surveys for breeding sites and damage to coconut trees will also be conducted.
Since the beetle was first detected, eradication crews have set about 1,360 panel traps on Oahu and surveyed more than 66,300 palm trees and 166 mulch sites. About 540 adult beetles, 600 larvae and 16 pupae have been found on Oahu.
Suspected coconut rhinoceros beetle should be reported to the state’s toll-free PEST HOTLINE at 643-PEST (643-7378).