The coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB), Oryctes rhinoceros, has been attacking coconut trees on Guam since it was first discovered on the island in 2007 and has proven to be voracious and tenacious. The coconut rhinoceros beetle, is a major pest of coconut palm, oil palm and other palm species. Palms are damaged when adult beetles bore into the crowns of palms to feed on sap. Tree mortality occurs when beetles destroy the growing tip (meristem). Immature beetles (grubs) do no damage. They feed on dead, decaying vegetation in breeding sites. Preferred breeding sites are dead, standing coconut stems, and piles of decaying vegetation such those left behind by typhoons or after replanting of oil palm plantations.

The links below provide more information regarding the CRB on Guam.

CRB Behavior & Biology	CRB Past Present Future	CRB White Paper	Guam Invasive Species Council Briefing 11/20/2015
CRB Life Cycle Poster	Library of CRB Scientific Literature	Island Images: CRB Video

Wasmania auropunctata, little fire ant (LFA), was first detected on Guam in 2011. This invasive little ant has a big sting. When they infest an area, they make it impossible for humans and animals to venture in. Treatments being used to control the ants around Guam are working. Dr. Ross Miller's lab is involved in the successful implementation of of LFA control techniques. Click on the links below to read about LFA facts and Dr. Miller's LFA work in the 2017 Impact Report.

 

Little Fire Ant    

Baiting with Peanut Butter

Guam honey bees got lucky when Dr. Ross Miller applied for and received funding for the island to be included in the USDA-APHIS National Honeybee Survey. Chris Rosario spent two years collecting bee samples from around the island to send to the US for testing. Their efforts resulted in the discovery of varroa mites on Guam and Saipan. Click on the link below for a brochure with information for new beekeepers.

Honey Bees on Guam 

A Beekeeping Guide for the Tropics and Subtropics

Published in 1997 by by Isle H. Schreiner and Donald M. Nafus, Butterflies of Micronesia is an excellent tool for identifying local butterflies.

This listing was originally compiled during the early 1990s by Dr. Don Nafus and Dr. Ilse Schreiner, former entomologists at the University of Guam. The list was converted to HTML by Dr. Aubrey Moore and Anthony Tudela at Northern Marianas College (NMC) in the late 1990s and made available online via the now defunct NMC CSREES web site. The list is in need of updating following recent arrival of new pests in Micronesia, geographical range expansions within the region and name changes. However, it still proves useful in its present form.

Click here for list

Make your own insect spray to control insects in you home garden using household ingredients.

Click here for recipe