Hawaii races to stop spread of tree-killing rhinoceros beetles, invasive species that can fly 2 miles and lay 140 eggs

Hawaii is ramping up its efforts to stop the spread of coconut rhinoceros beetles, an invasive species that has expanded its presence drastically since first being detected in the state a decade ago.

According to the state’s Invasive Species Council, the beetles — which are native to Africa, China and Southeast Asia — are about two inches long with a C-shaped body. They are nocturnal and can fly up to two miles when looking for a food source, and female beetles lay 50-140 eggs in their lifetime, which is typically four to nine months.

First found in Hawaii in 2013 at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the invasive species spread across the state last year and has been detected multiple times in recent months, officials say. Coconut rhinoceros beetles do not bite but may carry disease since they live in dirt and mulch, experts say.

According to the Hawaii Invasive Species Council, the beetles can kill coconut trees, palms and other tropical crops like kalo and banana, once they bore into them, which ultimately “jeopardizes the economy, entire ecosystem, agriculture and food security.”

Earlier this month, Honolulu removed an infested coconut tree at Kaiaka Bay Beach Park in an effort to control the invasive species, Hawaii News Now reported.

“It’s another sad day for us. We don’t like removing trees, especially trees like the coconut. Not only is it the ‘Tree of Life,’ culturally very, very important to the Hawaiian people, so today is another sad day, and there’ll be more sad days,” said Roxanne Adams, the administrator of the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation Division of Urban Forestry.

On the North Shore, about 80 trees are slated for removal because of the beetle, the station reported.

“The unfortunate truth of this situation right now is it’s going to get worse before it gets better,” said Nate Serota of the Department of Parks and Recreation. “We’re going to have to start removing more and more of these palms, really out of concern for public safety.”

More than 100 traps have been set up around the state and regularly monitored, and earlier this month, the state designated Oahu as infested by the beetles. Under a new rule, landscaping materials such as compost, wood chips, mulch, and palms taller than four feet are not allowed to be shipped from Oahu.

Hawaii board bolsters pest control powers

The Hawaii Board of Agriculture has approved rule changes to help control the spread of invasive species following about a 20-month delay.

The holdup caused a public outcry because the rule changes are intended to help the Agriculture Department stem the movement of commodities infested by pests, including coconut rhinoceros beetles.

Once finalized, the rules will prohibit the movement of infested materials like soils and compost between islands and increase inspection requirements. They also will include specific examples of invasive species to help guide the department and industry.

Neither proponents nor opponents of the rule changes seemed fully satisfied following a Tuesday board meeting. Agriculture industry representatives called them confusing, while some proponents said they don’t go far enough.

The board members, who approved the changes unanimously, agreed that invasive species need to be better addressed, and quickly.

“This is about an all-hands-on-deck approach to managing, preventing — and hopefully eradicating — the ongoing cycle of invasive species,” Big Island board member Dianne Ley said.

That sentiment echoed messages from federal invasive species experts touring Oahu this week to research the effects of invasive species on island communities. They will produce a report to advise the U.S. government how it can help Hawaii and island territories, as well as associated Micronesian nations.

Local advocates of taking action against invasive species addressed the federal advisers Monday, pointing out the gaps in Hawaii’s response and regulations addressing the problem.

The agriculture board’s action on Tuesday was a significant step following 20 months of waiting since board chairperson Sharon Hurd pulled the proposed rule changes in the face of industry concerns.

Coconut rhinoceros beetles were detected for the first time on islands statewide in subsequent months, while little fire ants caused serious concern on Oahu’s windward coast.

Compost, soil and green waste, as well as the nursery trade, have been blamed for the movement of those pests.

The board had approved interim rules in the meantime aimed at restricting the movement of host material for the beetles and ants.

On Tuesday, Hurd voted in favor of the permanent changes.

The newly approved rules have buoyed the hopes of environmental advocates, including Joseph Watt of the KEY Project, a Kualoa-Heeia community organization.

“I’m in strong support of these amendments; we need much stronger regulatory oversight of the movement of these materials,” Watt said.

Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association President Eric Tanouye on Tuesday said his membership would be more open to the rule changes as long as the agriculture department provides better guidance on how to comply. About 11 months ago, Tanouye said the revised rules would “kill agriculture.”

The rule changes, while welcome, should be the benchmark for further work to increase the department’s regulatory powers, said Stephanie Easley of the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, which is affiliated with the University of Hawaii.

Additional rule changes are needed to prohibit the sale of infested plant materials, Easley told the board on Tuesday.

“Islands are a bellwether for invasive species impacts”

Questions were raised about how the department would implement the rules, considering its history of struggling to find staff and funding. The signing of Act 231 this year put about $10 million aside for the department to bolster its invasive species work and biosecurity, after lawmakers pressured the DOA to do a better job.

Ten pest control positions were created with that funding, and Plant Quarantine Branch Manager Jonathan Ho said they are in the process of being filled.

On Tuesday, board members requested that staff give monthly updates on progress in pest control, particularly as the agency works through finalizing the rules and implementing the programs under Act 231.

The rule changes will go before the Small Business Regulatory Review Board before reaching the governor’s office for a final sign-off.

Federal government officials and invasive species experts, meanwhile, are finalizing a report that will be delivered to the National Invasive Species Council, which oversees the expansion of pest management efforts nationwide and across several national agencies.

The three-day meeting in Honolulu of the federally appointed Invasive Species Advisory Committee, which includes two members from Hawaii, concludes Wednesday.

On Monday, Hawaii officials and invasive species workers and academics shared their views on Hawaii’s invasive species problems.

“We need resources, we need people and we need capacity,” said Chelsea Arnott, Hawaii Invasive Species Council program supervisor.

Representatives of the U.S. departments of Agriculture, Interior, Defense, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services were among the attendees.

The committee’s draft recommendations cover seven major areas, such as expanding federal support for island-based invasive species efforts, increasing island-specific research and infrastructure needs and addressing shortcomings in rapid response to species detections.

“Ultimately, islands are a bellwether for invasive species impacts, both nationally and globally, and are indicative of what continental communities and ecosystems may experience in the future,” the draft report states. “Accordingly, science, systems, and solutions developed to address invasive species on islands may be widely applicable across the United States.”