Experts enlist unlikely helpers in fight to protect Hawaiʻi's iconic coconut trees: 'These guys are so big'

The coconut rhinoceros beetle is wreaking havoc on Hawaiʻi's coconut trees.

Native to Southeast Asia, the insect has since spread across the Pacific. Hawaiʻi is its latest target. While no beetles have been detected on Maui or Molokai, they've spread throughout the rest of the archipelago, per The New York Times.

Mainly confined to Oahu, the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response team is the state's only line of defense. Its star players? Two dogs named Bravo and Penny.

Don't underestimate them. Through their combined efforts, they've managed to kill over 144,000 beetles.

So, how do they do it? Coconut rhinoceros beetles emit a nasty stench, especially when they die. Dr. Keith Weiser, deputy incident commander for CRB Response, told the Times: "Usually bugs dry out so quickly. But these guys are so big they actually rot."

According to the CRB Response website, Bravo and Penny detect the bugs' scent, helping the team locate breeding grounds before they spiral out of control.

When it comes to invasive species, that possibility is unfortunately very likely. While not all non-native species destroy local ecosystems, many quickly overtake habitats to native species' detriment. For example, spotted lanternflies, native to Asia, damage plants across the U.S., ruining forests and crop yields.

Cases like these are springing up across the globe. Where invasive species take root, there's a tangible cost to the surrounding communities. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services released a report in 2023, stating that the global cost of invasive species exceeded $423 billion. It also stated that invasive species transmit diseases and negatively impact people's food and water security.

In times like these, solutions need to be creative. Teaming up with sniffer dogs, such as Bravo and Penny, is an increasingly popular one. In British Columbia, Canada, German shepherds are employed to find small zebra mussels that humans might otherwise miss.

Unfortunately, the CRB Response team's time might be running out. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is responsible for most of its funding, and Dr. Weiser doesn't think it will last.

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"The unofficial writing on the wall is it's going to be much more difficult next year," he told the Times, adding: "I think we've just given people more good years with palms."

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