Previous Story
UOG experts help Hawaii eradicate invasive rhino beetles
|
Posted on Feb 03 2014
A rhino beetle infestation has been found on the island of Oahu on a golf course next to the runway on the Hickham Air Force Base. University of Guam researchers Dr. Aubrey Moore and Roland Quitugua were invited to Hawaii as experts and were able to offer valuable information on how to identify and eradicate coconut rhinoceros beetle breeding sites.
Hawaii is benefiting from technology developed on Guam by Moore and Quitugua in collaboration with Dr. Matt Siderhurst and Dr. Eric Jang at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo, Hawaii.
These collaborative efforts have resulted in two new rhino beetle trap designs. New panel traps equipped with a solar powered ultraviolet light emitting diodes catch more than three times as many beetles as standard pheromone traps. In addition, recently developed barrel traps, which simulate rhino beetle breeding sites, catch more than 10 times as many beetles as standard pheromone traps.
Moore and Quitugua spent a week on Oahu at the request of the USDA to assist in planning an attempt to eradicate the rhino beetle population before it can spread from Hickam Air Force Base to other parts of the island. They trained Hawaii Department of Agriculture, USDA personnel, and 30 stakeholders from the public and private sectors on how to identify rhino beetle damage on palms trees and how to find breeding sites. They also helped to develop protocol procedures for rhino beetle eradication.
Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Plant Industry, Quarantine Branch officer Wilfred Leon Guerrero, whose father is a past president of UOG, discovered the first rhino beetle breeding site found in Hawaii. He learned about the rhino beetle on a recent visit to Guam and recognized signs of infestation.
To report invasive species sightings on Guam, call 475-PEST (7378). [I](UOG)[/I]
