Asiatic rhinoceros beetle [SEP] parent taxon
Asiatic rhinoceros beetle
The Asiatic rhinoceros beetle, coconut rhinoceros beetle or coconut palm rhinoceros beetle, ("Oryctes rhinoceros") is a species of rhinoceros beetle belonging to the Scarabaeidae family. "O. rhinoceros" attacks the developing fronds of Raffia, coconut, oil, and other palms in tropical Asia and a number of Pacific islands. Damaged fronds show typical triangular cuts. The beetle kills the palms (particularly newly planted ones) when the growing point is destroyed during feeding. The larvae do not damage crops, but instead
coffee berry borer. It has been known to destroy entire crops of coffee, but some farmers have been able to fight off these pests with pesticides and other measures, while others are finding that the borer is developing resistance to pesticides. It is not known at this time exactly how the pest was introduced to Hawaii but Hawaii's Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the University of Hawaii are investigating how the species arrived to Hawaii and how it can be eradicated.
The coconut rhinoceros beetle or Asiatic rhinoceros beetle was first detected