Fiji Still Pursues
pp. 36-37 · Read in the full issue
Rhino Beetles But New Guinea Waits on the Zanzibar Wasps
1N contrast with some Pacific terri tories, where the prevalence of rhinoceros beetles is regarded as an Act of God, about which little can be done, Fiji is still showing a lively concern in the matter.
The presence in Fiji of this coco nut-destroying pest was discovered about a year ago, in Suva. Since then, the hunt has been kept up and discoveries recorded beetle by beetle, grub by grub, pupa by pupa and egg by egg.
It is quite obvious that the pest had established itself at least a couple of years before it was dis covered, and recently a live beetle was found on the Tailevu coast, 35 miles from Suva and close to Lodoni, which is the sailing point for the daily launch service to Levuka.
This has caused some consterna tion because, although the main island of Fiji—Viti Levu—grows plenty of coconuts, there are no commercial coconut plantations— most copra production coming from Taveuni, Vanua Levu and the Lau Islands.
So far the beetle has been (apparently) confined to the area of Viti Levu around Suva, and the authorities are naturally anxious that it should not be allowed to get to the copra-producing islands.
Special precautions are now be ing taken at Lodoni and along the Tailevu coast to see that small-ships and boats plying between the in
fected areas and the islands are in
spected.
Because of the close tally kept on the pest, those in charge of the anti-beetle campaign were able to report in mid-March that the total to date was; 283 beetles, 1680 grubs, 92 pupae and nearly 300 eggs. Of the beetles discovered, 131 have been feeding in palms, 41 have been
found in compost, 39 in dead logs, 23 in sawdust, 18 near lights or in lighted houses, 18 on the ground, 11 in dead palms or sago palms, and 2 aboard ships.
This information should be of in terest to planters in the Gazelle Peninsula area of New Britain, where there are certainly plenty of dead logs and palms, sawdust piles and compost—and, as virtually nothing has been done to get after the pest, presumably thousands of rhino beetles.
P-NG still appears to be staking its faith on black wasps from Zan zibar which, it is hoped, will breed In sufficient numbers to take over the job of ridding the Territory of beetles.