Zanzibar Assassin to Help

Fiji's Rhino Beetle

Another bug from Zanzibar might accomplish what no other predator has yet managed to do in the fight against the coconut’s number-one enemy, Rhinoceros beetle.

rIS bug—the Assassin bug— attacks the adult beetle; which is the one that does the dam age. Other predators have worked at the other end of the life cycle, destroying eggs or pupa.

The Colony of Fiji, which has waged vigorous war on the Rhino beetle since it was discovered there less than two years ago, will im port some of the bugs. Some will be released immediately; others held for laboratory control ex periments.

The success of a shipment of carabid beetles from New Zealand is doubtful. Some of these were imported by the Colony some time ago and released around Suva in the hope that they would eat Rhinoceros beetle grubs. It was thought that they would live about three months in Fiji, but it is doubtful if they have bred as no signs of the Carabids have been found.

Fiji will probably be called upon to contribute about £2,200 to the South Pacific Commission’s anti- Rhinq beetle campaign in 1955.

Certain funds were guaranteed the Commission when it began its campaign but so far all the work has been done in Western Samoa and S-E Asia. The SPC experts have been experimenting with chemicals which are believed to attract the beetles so that they can be trapped.

In Fiji there has been some ex perimenting with BHC compound m the crowns of palms and this has been found effective enough against adult beetles. However, the use of Insecticides or chemicals in large plantations or native groves would be a laborious business.

The easiest method is a predator —if an efficient one can be found.