![]() Quarantine restrictions have been enforced, legislating that inspection and/or treatment of green waste and plants is required before it can be transported from an infested to an uninfested part of the island. Many different techniques have been tried out in an attempt to rid the island of these beetles but, until last year, were largely unsuccessful in making a negative impact on the rhinoceros beetle population. This provides plenty of dead palms for the beetle larvae to feed on, allowing the life cycle to continue. The adults bore into the trees to breed as they bore through the growing points of the trees, new leaves can’t be produced so the trees die. The beetles, which are native to south and southeast Asia, have devastating effects on palm trees at each stage of their life cycle. It is now present in many parts of the island and, as coconuts are an important economic commodity for the US territory, is high priority for removal. ![]() Over the past five years it has caused severe damage to coconut palms, although its initial spread was slowed by the quick reactions of the government. The coconut rhinoceros beetle ( Oryctes rhinoceros) was first discovered in Guam on 11th September 2007. The Guam Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Eradication Project has finally found a technique that could bring them their own eradication success story. It takes a large combined effort to successfully eradicate a plant pest. The coconut rhinoceros beetle has damaged many palm trees in Guam © Peter Lillywhite, Museum Victoria, Pests and Diseases Image Library (CC BY 3.0 license)
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