![]() It is feared that if unchecked, the LFA will cause further disruptions to Guam’s ecosystem and spread to other islands in the Micronesia region. The LFA has caused ecological disruption in Guam’s forests and other areas on Guam. Other infestations of the LFA have been found in Hawaii and other islands of Polynesia further south, including Australia. An LFA infestation was first found at a green-waste site on the northern tip of Guam in 2011, and there are now over 20 widely dispersed infestation sites on the island. Funds will provide for equipment and supplies, personnel training, a new website dedicated to LFA control, and workshops to encourage and engage the public in the control and management of this pest. Guam’s Department of Agriculture will receive $74,516 to start up a training and outreach program for the prevention, control and management of the little fire ant (LFA), Wasmannia auropunctata, infestation on Guam. “All funding supports Governor Eddie Calvo’s efforts in protecting Guam’s natural resources now and for the future.” “We are especially pleased that Congress was able to provide some extra funding in FY 2017 to mitigate and control the coconut rhinoceros beetle and little fire ant on Guam,” said Pula. (July 21, 2017) – Interior Acting Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Nikolao Pula made available $409,885 to preserve natural and cultural resources and protect against invasive species on Guam. Palm trees that are manicured to remove dead fronds and other detritus are much less likely to harbor breeding coconut rhinoceros beetle populations.WASHINGTON, D.C. ![]() The discovery of how widespread the breeding of coconut rhinoceros beetles in treetops is on Guam has lead to new sanitation recommendations for the control of the beetles. ![]() ![]() On other islands, rats and birds feed on larvae found in the crowns of trees. The research team attributes this behavior to the loss of birds and rats through predation by the brown treesnake that was accidentally introduced to Guam after World War II. "Although arboreal breeding of CRB larvae has been reported in the literature, the occurrence of this phenomenon on Guam is much higher than elsewhere" stated CRB Eradication Project director Roland Quitugua. The results of their study showed that all life stages of the beetle from egg, larva, pupa, and adult were found in the crowns of 10 out of 26 coconut trees that were felled. ![]() Moore and the Guam Coconut Rhinoceros Eradication Project team decided to systematically investigate what was happening in the crowns of coconut trees in Tumon. "Although we had found CRB eggs and larvae in the crowns of coconut trees, we thought this rarely happened." said University of Guam extension entomologist Dr. Once sanitation was accomplished the team noticed there was no significant decrease in beetles found in traps around the area. In an attempt to eradicate the beetle, the CRB research team focused on sanitation to clean up possible breeding sites of decaying matter located in the many vacant lots in the area. The coconut rhinoceros beetle was first discovered on Guam in the tourist area of Tumon Bay in 2007, and since that time has spread throughout the entire island. ![]()
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