Four Types Of Rhino

Beetles

Asian Kind is the Menace

P. Moresby, July 25.

rERE was an interesting dis cussion among Legislative Councillors here this week about the incidence of the Rhino ceros beetle, now threatening the coconut plantations of Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and New Guinea.

District Commissioner Niall said that the distribution of the beetle was considered in Noumea, when he attended a conference there recently. The beetle was not re garded seriously in New Guinea, because it appeared to have been there for a very long time.

Others took the view that there is more than one kind of Rhino ceros beetle in the Islands. There is one kind, apparently indigenous, which is not a serious pest; and another kind, newly arrived, which is a menace.

Finally, Mr. Don Barrett, of Rabaul, brought to the argument a new book, in French, Les Insectes des Palmiers, by P. Lepesme, pub lished in 1947. This compilation, well illustrated and documented, made it clear that, in the Pacific Islands, there are four distinct types of Rhinoceros beetle; and that a comparative newcomer, called the Asiatic beetle, is the real pest. The author shows that the Asiatic type is now distributed fairly generally over East Africa, Southeast Asia and Indonesia, and is spreading eastwards.

From this data, it was apparent that the beetle established long ago in New Guinea is a harmless type; That the Asiatic type has spread from Samoa to Fiji; and that the Asiatic type has become established in comparatively recent times (probably during the Japanese in vasion) in certain areas of New Guinea.

Tongan Anti-Beetle Measures

THE Tongan Government an nounced in July that, as a precaution against the rhino ceros beetle, which at present infests only Vavau, the importation of plants of any kind, cooked or un cooked, from other Pacific terri tories is totally prohibited.

Coronation Bridge Opened

The biggest bridge in Western Samoa was formally opened on Coronation Day by the wife of the High Commissioner, and named “Coronation Bridge.” At the opening were, left to right: Hon. G. F.

Betham. Judge Marsack. Hon. Malietoa, The High Commissioner (Mr. G. R.

Powles), Mrs. Powles, Judge Marrow and Hon. Tualaulelei. (Photo by Rankin).