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DLNR: Coconut rhino beetles on Rota are contained
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Posted on Jun 26 2019
The infestation of coconut rhinoceros beetles on Rota has been “well contained,” according to Department of Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Anthony Benavente, despite the destruction caused by Typhoon Mangkhut late last year on the island.
“The process of intervention and eradication is doing good,” Benavente said.
He is thankful that the rhino beetle population has not spread to the other parts of Rota and hopes it stays that way.
A small population of the beetles, also called CRB, was discovered near the former Paupau Hotel, which is above the Tweeksberry Beach Park on Rota.
The DLNR Rota CRB team has set up a total of 15 new traps around the island in order to contain the bettles. These traps are made of chopped coconut tree stumps with leaves surrounding it.
The DLNR Rota CRB team has also been looking for breeding and nesting grounds in order to eradicate the CRB population.
Rota is, however, not out of the woods just yet. “I can say that they are still present…but majority of the findings are not as much as it was before,” Benavente said.
Coconut rhinoceros beetles are nocturnal, or night living, creatures that fly onto coconuts and drink the coconut’s juices. They breed on the coconut’s soft upper cone, killing the tree. A female CRB can lay a maximum of 50 eggs.
Benavente said the DLNR Rota CRB team found over 30 larvae in one of the breeding sites. Last June 11 at 8pm, the team captured one adult female CRB in one of the traps.
Tweeksberry Beach Park is a considered a common site for CRB’s because of the large number of coconut trees in the area.
