The coconut rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros, is a major pest of cultivated palm trees. It primarily attacks coconut and African oil palms, but it is also a threat to sugarcane, papaya, and pineapple crops. Economic losses occur due to feeding of the adult beetles. Adults bore into palm trees through the crown, where they feed on the juices in the host tree tissues and drastically decrease fruit production. While it is not currently present in the mainland USA, it is present in Guam, Hawaii, American Samoa, and Mexico. Several of its primary hosts and secondary hosts are present in Florida.
![](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pestalert/files/2018/04/5488585-PPT-e1524928517930-300x205.jpg)
![](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pestalert/files/2018/04/Oryctes_rhinoceros04-300x180.jpg)
You can find more information in this Featured Creatures article, the USDA-APHIS information page, and the Hawaii Invasive Species Council website.