Another coconut rhinoceros beetle found in East Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity alerts the public that a live male coconut rhinoceros beetle was discovered in a trap in the Kurtistown area of East Hawaiʻi.

The department notified partner agencies and biosecurity officers will set up a 1-mile perimeter to search for any more of the extremely invasive insects possibly in the area as well as any possible breeding grounds.

More traps also will be placed in the area where the beetle was found.

Coconut rhinoceros beetle has been discovered around Hawaiʻi Island, with the first detection in October 2023 in the Waikōloa area. The invasive species was first discovered in 2013 in Hawaiʻi.

Much of the beetle’s activity on the Big Island has remained in areas of West Hawaiʻi since the first Waikōloa discovery. However, the beetle was found at least two other times in East Hawaiʻi:

• October 2025: A dead adult coconut rhinoceros beetle was found at a retail/garden store in Hilo near a mulch display.
• July 2026: A dead female adult coconut rhinoceros beetle was collected by Big Island Invasive Species Committee from a detection trap at Hilo International Airport, prompting expanded traps and dog surveys throughout the Hilo area.

Coconut rhinoceros beetle is a serious pest of palm trees, primarily coconut palms, as the adult beetles bore into palm crowns to feed on the tree’s sap.

New unopened fronds are damaged in this way and when fully opened, could break and fall unexpectedly. The tree could die if the invasive beetle kills or damages the growing point of the palm.

Secondary fungal or bacterial pathogens also can attack the wounds caused by the beetle, thereby also killing the tree.

Coconut rhinoceros beetle is a major pest in Guam, India and the Philippines, as well as many other areas throughout the South Pacific.

Natural enemies of the beetle include pigs, rats, ants and some other beetles, which can attack the insect’s eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. They also can be killed by two diseases, a fungus and a virus; however, both are not known to occur in Hawaiʻi.

Residents are encouraged to visit the CRB Response website to learn more about how to detect the signs of coconut rhinoceros beetle damage, how to identify the invasive insect’s life stages and how to report any suspected signs of damage or beetles/grubs.

Possible detections of the beetle also can be reported via the Pest Hotline at 643-PEST (3787).