Second CRB detection on Molokaʻi

A second dead coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) was found in a detection trap on Wednesday afternoon, April 8, 2026, approximately 2 miles west of Molokaʻi Airport, by staff from the Molokaʻi/Maui Invasive Species Committee (MoMISC).

The specimen was sent to the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Plant Pest Control Branch on Oʻahu for official confirmation. On Friday morning, April 10, PPC confirmed the specimen to be a female CRB.

This is the second CRB detection on Molokaʻi. This follows the first Molokaʻi detection of a dead CRB on April 7. That specimen was confirmed to be a male CRB by PPC on Thursday afternoon, April 8.

The trap was last checked on April 1, 2026 and no CRB were found. No CRB were found in any other trap checked on April 8.

With this additional detection, MoMISC is deploying additional traps and surveying for CRB feeding damage or breeding sites surrounding Molokaʻi Airport. Response capacity continues to be supported by interagency partners from HDAB, the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council, CRB Response, the County of Maui and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Adult CRB damage palm fronds as they bore into a palm to feed; however, it can take months before damage to palm fronds appears. CRB pose a direct threat to local food security and with this second detection approximately 8 miles from the initial find on April 7, it is even more imperative to determine if there is an incipient population on Molokaʻi so eradication efforts can be initiated before possible spread to other areas on the island.

Residents, businesses and landowners in a two-mile radius from Molokaʻi Airport are asked to check coconut palms or other large palm species for possible signs of CRB feeding damage and to identify and report piles of green waste that could harbor CRB.  Residents should also be vigilant when purchasing or moving mulch, compost and soil products, as well as to avoid purchasing bags with damaged packaging or holes, as they could be infested with CRB.

CRB grubs breed in decomposing plant waste. An adult beetle is about 2 inches long, all black and has a single horn on its head. If a suspected larvae or beetle is found, it should be collected and stored in a hard-sided completely sealed container — such as a glass jar — and reported for identification. Do not dispose of the specimen until identification has occurred because there are other widespread species, such as the Oriental flower beetle, which have similar larvae.

The Molokaʻi community is encouraged to go to the CRB Response website at: https://www.crbhawaii.org/ to learn more about how to detect the signs of CRB damage and how to identify CRB life stages. Reports of possible CRB infestations on Molokaʻi can be referred to MoMISC at 808-480-8191. Reports can also be made by phone to the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378) or online to 643pest.org.