Oryctes Rhinoceros Invasive Species to Pacific Islands

Isa Whalen

School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences

Box 355020

University of Washington

Seattle 98195, USA

[email protected]
ABSTRACT

The Dynastinae, Oryctes Rhinoceros, bores into the crowns of palm trees and feed on the

tree’s sap. The Coconut Palm Tree is then killed by the rhinoceros beetle when the insect bores

through the growing tip, known as the meristem, of the plant. In locations where the Rhinoceros

Beetle is not native to and has infested in, the Oryctes Nudivirus, a natural baculovirus, was

organically recreated and released to stop the reproduction systems of the rhinoceros beetles.

Throughout Pacific Islands, the implementation of the virus was released in hopes of removing

the rhinoceros beetle species to save other native organisms, like the Coconut Palm Tree. If the

Oryctes Nudivirus effectively stops the reproductive systems of the Rhinoceros Beetle species,

then the Rhinoceros Beetle counts will decrease, and the Coconut Palm Tree population will

repopulate and increase over time. Tonga became infested in 1970, and released the baculovirus

across the island in 1971. In 1978, rhinoceros beetles were sampled and put under DAC Indirect

ELISA standardized tests to detect the presence of the virus. Microscopic observations of the

larvae’s abdominal also determined if the insect was infected with the virus. When returning to

the original release sites, scientists recounted the damaged coconut palm trees. Seven years after

the Oryctes Nudivirus was put into place, the Rhinoceros Beetles at larval stages in Tonga

decreased 5.47%, and the number of damaged palm trees decreased 5.3%. Over the following

thirty years, emergency environmental reports of Rhinoceros Beetles were no longer produced

because of the unalarming, declining numbers. The virus has proven to be effective to the

rhinoceros beetle’s reproductive system. The overall number of damaged coconut palm trees has

decreased with the release of the virus for the rhinoceros beetle. The study of the effectiveness of

the virus has and is currently helping environmental scientists decide whether to release the

baculovirus in other rhinoceros beetle infested Pacific Islands.

The invasive Oryctes Rhinoceros species, native to Southeast Asia, are outnumbering and

outliving the native plants on Pacific Islands. By air cargo, these insects have found their way

across the sea into the Marianas Archipelago. For the rhinoceros beetle, it takes ten months for

one to mature into an adult, and only twelve days to reproduce eggs. The female rhinoceros

beetle can lay up to 100 eggs in her lifetime. Rhinoceros beetles can live up to three years. On

the other hand, coconut palm trees take ten years to produce flowers that could then be used to

reproduce new coconut palm trees by the planting of those seeds. Coconut palm trees can live up

to at least eighty years without disturbances. Within one coconut palm tree lifetime of eighty

years, there are 26.7 rhinoceros beetle lifetimes. A single coconut tree is outnumbered to at least

2,666.7 rhinoceros beetles, assuming that there was only one female rhinoceros beetle who had

produced offspring per three years. At this reproduction rate, the coconut palm tree population is

nowhere near close to balancing the number of rhinoceros beetles. This problem of invasive

species has began to alert environmental associations and corporations to protect and develop

solutions for the safety of a native potential, rising endangered species.

The Oryctes Rhinoceros Beetle species penetrate and bore into Coconut Palm

Trees. And after digging into coconut palm trees and eating its sap, the beetles are then in search

for decaying vegetation fit for their breeding sites. When the insects have gone through the

meristem of the plant, the tree will begin to die and serve as shelter to the rhinoceros beetles.

The feeding and nesting of the rhinoceros beetle in coconut palm trees has severely impacted and

declined the population of the coconut palm trees. Especially in locations where the rhinoceros

beetle is an invasive species, scientists and community members are fighting to save the coconut

palm trees from extinction.

rhinoceros beetle infestation which was recognized in 1970. E.C Young from the Department of

Zoology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and J.F Longworth from the Entomology

Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in Mt Albert, Auckland, New

Zealand published the scientific article “The Epizootiology of the Baculovirus of the Coconut

Palm Rhinoceros Beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) in Tonga” on September 29, 1980, under the

scientific Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. In this article, they address and discuss the

rhinoceros beetle and coconut palm tree situation with the implementation of the baculovirus.

The Oryctes Nudivirus, first naturally developed in Malaysia, was used as a virus to help the

depleting coconut palm tree populations. Instead of immediately killing off the rhinoceros beetle

species as a whole, the virus’ purpose was to stop the Ventriculus reproduction systems of the

rhinoceros beetles. After the initial implementation of the virus in Tongatapu, Tonga in 1970,

Young and Longworth’s study presents the abundance of rhinoceros beetles, the distribution of

the baculovirus, and the coconut palm tree counts in 1978. I will be using this work to investigate

and observe past events that could further evaluate current problems. I believe that if the OrNV

Virus stops the reproductive systems of the Rhinoceros Beetle species, then the Rhinoceros

Beetle counts will decrease, and the Coconut Palm Tree population will repopulate and increase

over time.

Specifically, this paper will report the accuracy of my tested hypothesis on the

effectiveness of the implemented virus on the rhinoceros beetle and coconut palm tree

populations. This will hopefully spread knowledge on how to stop the increasing population of

invasive rhino beetle species, and then to eventually save the depleting palm tree populations on

Micronesian and Polynesian islands.

Rhinoceros Beetle Collection

When the OrNV baculovirus was first introduced on the island of Tonga in 1971, it was

released over six zones from the Western end of the island to the East. In Young and

Longworth’s study, they collected Rhinoceros Beetles in two random areas per zone. Within

each chosen area, there were twenty sites of Rhinoceros Beetle production. Meaning, there were

approximately 240 samples taken from Tonga. From the 240 samples, the beetles that were

collected ranged in stages from larvae to a developed fully grown adult. This gave the scientists a

way to compare the characteristics of the Rhinoceros Beetle in 1970s to those collected in the

samples.

Coconut Palm Tree Collection

Similarly to how the Rhinoceros Beetles were collected, the coconut palm trees were

observed in zones. Specifically, the palm trees were observed in sixteen different zones along the

three main roads that navigate Tonga on the Western side (Hala Loto, Hala Liku, and Hala

Hihifo). Mirroring the palm tree damage observation procedure in Samoa, the spear and fronds

of the tree were used to describe the beetle population.

Transportation

In order to observe these insects, they were taken to Young and Longworth’s lab in New

Zealand. Each young Rhinoceros Beetle was cleaned and frozen, at -20 degrees Celsius, and

each adult Rhinoceros Beetle was cleaned and placed into singular tubes.
Virus Presence

Once the beetles were safely transported to New Zealand, the frozen larval midgut was

put under DAC-Indirect ELISA: a standardized test to detect the OrNV. The adult beetles in the

individual tubes were exposed to 2 ml of “buffer”. This buffer was a solution composed of 100

mm NaCl, 1 mm EDTA, and 50 mm tris HCL at pH8. Diagnoses of having the OrNV was made

through the chemical composition of the rhinoceros beetles’ feces. The adults’ deceased corpse

was also used to determine the presence of the OrNV. Lastly, larvae’s abdomen was observed by

physical appearance. Dark coloration meant the larva was healthy. Milky, white coloration with

swollen tissue meant the larva was infected with the virus.

Coconut Palm Tree Count

A set of surveys to count and observe the current health and living status of the coconut

palm tree population in Tonga were put into place. A total of 25 km on the Western side of

Tonga were looked over. Of the set 25 km the study took place, a total of sixteen zones were

sectioned off and grouped. Then, scientists counted which palm trees had been damaged and

compared the data to the total number of palm trees in the designated zone.

RESULTS

Beetle Count

Compare and contrast of collected data that represents the percent of rhinoceros beetles in

different life stages: Larval or Larval, Pupae, and Adult. Counts were taken before the OrNV

release in 1970, immediately after the virus was introduced in 1971, and time after the virus is in

action in 1978. In 1970, 11.67% of the rhinoceros beetles were in the larval stage, but in 1978,
only 6.2% of the rhinoceros beetles were in the larval stage. Rhinoceros beetles in the adult life

stages were at 12.11% in 1970, and 5.85% in 1978. This data suggests that the percent of

rhinoceros beetles in both larval and adult stages had decreased over seven years.

Coconut Palm Tree Damage

The observation and counts within the sixteen zones of damaged coconut palm tree

crowns in 1971 and 1978. The average amount of total palm trees damaged in 1971, was 9.5%.

However, in 1978, the total palm trees damaged was 4.2%. Therefore, the number of damaged

palm trees had decreased over time.

Oryctes Nudivirus Presence

Rhinoceros beetles sampled in 1978, to determine if the insect was infected by the virus

released in Tonga in 1971. The insects were categorized into three different possibilities of

contracting the virus: Uninfected, Lightly Infected, and Heavily Infected. Uninfected beetles

showed to be at 16.1%. Lightly infected beetles calculated to 30.1%. And heavily infected

beetles measured up to 53.8%. A total of 83.9% of Rhinoceros beetles in Tonga were infected

with the virus in 1978.

DISCUSSION

This study was to observe if the Oryctes Nudivirus was effective to the reproduction of

Rhinoceros Beetles. The Oryctes Nudivirus was able to infect and stay effective over seven years

by changing the DNA composition of the Rhinoceros Beetle. The number of the Rhinoceros

Beetle larvae in Tonga had decreased over the span of seven years by a total of 5.47%; therefore,
suggesting the reproduction systems of the beetle was slowed and/or stopped. The Oryctes

Nudivirus proved to have the capability to travel across large areas of land- from the Western

side of Tonga to the whole island. Majority of the Rhinoceros Beetle population, 83.9%, that was

collected in Tonga contained the Oryctes Nudivirus. Because the virus was successful in

infecting the invasive rhinoceros beetle species and slowing their reproductive systems, there

were less numbers of adult beetles who were able to bore into the crowns of the coconut palm

trees. And with less numbers of attacking insects, the number of damaged palm trees improved.

The number of the damaged Coconut Palm Trees in Tonga had decreased by an average of 5.3%

over the span of seven years. The overall health and survival of the coconut palm tree had

slightly increased with protection from the rhinoceros beetle. Furthermore, the results of this

study are support the hypothesis: If the rhinoceros beetle populations in non-native lands are

terminated or die off, then the coconut palm trees would then begin to flourish once again.

As for Tonga, newly updated data and emergency environmental reports have not been

produced because of how unalarming the rhinoceros beetle species has came to be with the help

of the Oryctes Nudivirus. The virus was also used as a protective agent against Rhinoceros

Beetles in Korea, where 60% of the larvae died within six weeks of the initial virus release. In

Fiji, 64% of the total Rhinoceros Beetle population was infected within the first two years. The

importance of the results of this study has guided and is currently guiding scientists to aid

decisions in releasing the Oryctes Nudivirus in numerous other locations. More recent

implementations of the virus has taken place in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Palau,

Hawaii, and Guam. In all of these locations, the collected data on sampled rhinoceros beetles

display that the virus is a driving force to the decline in the rhinoceros beetle numbers. The
coconut palm trees that were once listed as a possible endangered species are becoming an

environmental campaign to fight for our islands, calling for advancements in science.

ADKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Professor Barbara Jacala, University of Guam, for guiding me with

ideas and Leon Bamba, University of Washington, for excel assistance.

REFERENCES

Bedford, G.O. “Biological Control Of The Rhinoceros Beetle (Oryctes Rhinoceros) In The South

Pacific By Baculovirus” Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment, Elsevier Science

Publishers, May 1985,

http://guaminsects.myspecies.info/sites/guaminsects.myspecies.info/files/Bedford%20-

%201986.pdf .

Bedford, G.O. “Biology, Ecology, and Control of Rhinoceros Beeltes” Agriculture, Ecosystems,

and Environment, Annual Reviews, 1980,

http://www.guaminsects.net/CRB/docs/Bedford%201980%20ecology%20control%20pal

m%20rhinocerous%20beetles.pdf .

Lee, Seokhyun, et al. “First Report of Oryctes Rhinoceros Nudivirus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Causing Severe Disease in Allomyrina Dichotoma in Korea.” Journal of Insect Science

(Online), Oxford University Press, 11 Mar. 2015,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4535134/.

Young, E.C, and J.F Longworth. “The Epizootiology of the Baculovirus of the Coconut Palm
 Rhinoceros Beetle (Oryctes Rhinoceros) in Tonga.” Journal of Invertebrate Pathology,

Academic Press, 15 Dec. 2004,

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022201181901026.

Young, E.C. “The Rhinoceros Beetle Project: History and Review of the Research

Programme.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, Academic Press, Mar. 1986, www-

sciencedirect-com.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/science/article/pii/0167880986900885.
Table 1. Percent of Life Stages found in 1970, 1971, and 1978.

Number of Life Cycles found in 1970 before the virus release, 1971 immediately after the
virus release, and 1978 seven years after the virus release.

Apr-70 Aug-71 Aug-78

Larval Stage 11.67 6.69 6.2

Larval, Pupae, Adult Stages 12.11 6.12 5.85

release, and 1978, seven years after the virus left in action.

Percent of Damaged Coconut Palm Trees in 1971 and 1978

16

14

12

10

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

1971 1978
Figure 2. Oryctes Nudivirus Presence in 1978.

Presence of OrNV in 4 groups

50

40

30

20

10

0
1 2 3 4 Overall

Uninfeted Lighty infected Heavily Infected