{"id":228593,"date":"2026-01-23T09:03:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=228593"},"modified":"2026-01-23T09:42:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:42:14","slug":"uh-manoa-battle-coconut-rhinoceros-beetles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/23\/uh-manoa-battle-coconut-rhinoceros-beetles\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa leading virus research to battle coconut rhinoceros beetles"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Coconut
Coconut rhinoceros beetle larva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For more than a decade, the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa has been on the front lines of the battle against the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB<\/abbr>). Now, researchers at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience<\/a> (CTAHR<\/abbr>) are seeing progress in a promising weapon: viruses.<\/p>\n

“Pathogens are being used, but viruses are being underutilized as far as I\u2019m concerned,” said Mike Melzer, researcher and virologist at CTAHR<\/abbr>\u2019s Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences. “I know we can find viruses that will have a really good impact on important target species that are pests in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>.”<\/p>\n

Unlike chemical pesticides, the virus infects CRB<\/abbr>s from the inside, weakening and killing them before they reach adulthood. By targeting larvae, the virus can suppress beetle populations over time while minimizing harm to non-target species. Researchers believe the virus should also infect adults, making them lethargic and less likely to damage palms.<\/p>\n

Rigorous safety standards<\/h2>\n

For 10 years, federal regulators told UH<\/abbr> researchers that the CRB<\/abbr> virus could not be brought into Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> due to a lack of adequate containment facilities. A breakthrough finally came in early 2025 through a collaboration with the U.S.<\/abbr> Department of Agriculture\u2019s permit unit.<\/p>\n

\"coconut
Fully grown coconut rhinoceros beetles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Current permits specifically restrict research to the larval stage because larvae cannot fly, significantly reducing the risk of an accidental environmental release. “We rear CRB<\/abbr> for research purposes and we’ve never lost an adult out of there,” he said.<\/p>\n

Protecting the Kauaʻi<\/span> stag beetle<\/h2>\n

A primary goal of the current lab testing is to ensure the virus is host-specific and will not harm Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>‘s native ecosystem. While the virus has been used effectively in other Pacific nations, Melzer emphasized that Hawai\u02bbi has unique native species to protect, such as the Kauaʻi<\/span> stag beetle.<\/p>\n

“Nobody really gives too much of a thought about CRB<\/abbr> where the virus has been released” Melzer noted, explaining that while some damage remains, the virus keeps it at a manageable “two out of 10” rather than the devastating levels seen in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>.<\/p>\n

A good night\u2019s sleep<\/h2>\n

In August 2025, Melzer and a former student, Nelson Masang Jr.<\/abbr>, traveled to Palau, a region where the virus has successfully managed the beetle for decades, to collect genetic variants of the virus. The research trip was part of a close partnership with Professor Chris Kitalong and Jacques Idechong of Palau Community College.<\/p>\n

The research, led by doctoral student Kristen Gaines, involves infecting CRB<\/abbr> larvae to observe how the virus spreads. Early results have been encouraging, showing that the virus can kill larvae within 12 to 30 days. “I sleep a little better at night because Kristen said she\u2019s starting to see larvae getting lethargic and dying after just being exposed to the virus,” Melzer said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa researchers are advancing virus-based research to control the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle while safeguarding Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s native species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":228592,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[222,212,915,1363,1314,359,1579,73,9],"class_list":["post-228593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-agriculture","tag-college-of-tropical-agriculture-and-human-resilience","tag-invasive-species","tag-manoa-research","tag-manoa-sustainability","tag-plant-and-environmental-protection-sciences","tag-research","tag-sustainability","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t