Coconut rhinoceros beetle incursion

Names and classification

Record type

threat

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Recorded state

Detected on Kauaʻi; active response

Threats and conservation

Pressure source

Oryctes rhinoceros

Exposure pathway

Adults damage palm growing tissue; spread strongly assisted by movement of infested green waste/host material

Consequences

Palm injury/death and potential cultural/agricultural/ecological losses

Affected requirements

Palm survival, cultural/agricultural plants and coastal vegetation

Susceptibility

Coconut/palm systems, agriculture, landscaping and coastal areas

Reversibility

Most reversible while incursion remains localized and rapid response succeeds

Early warning indicators

Trap captures; characteristic palm damage; larval breeding sites; geographic spread

Conservation interventions

Implementation limits

Magnitude, exposure and trend are not assumed uniform across Kauaʻi; local evidence governs.

Sources and further reading

• https://www.kauaiisc.org/pests/coconut-rhinoceros-beetle/
• https://www.kauaiisc.org/what-we-do/early-detection/
• https://www.kauaiisc.org/what-we-do/rapid-response/

Connected Atlas records

• Coastal dry shrubland & grassland · Ecosystems
• Agricultural & pasture mosaic ecosystem · Ecosystems
• Island biosecurity prevention & pathway sanitation · Threats & Conservation
• Islandwide early-detection surveillance · Threats & Conservation
• Rapid response, containment & eradication · Threats & Conservation