Queensland Longhorn Beetle

[EightFingers]

Saw on the news today. Looks like at has an appetite for wood, any wood.
No known way to stop it.

Puna: Our roosters crow first

[glinda]

I saw that.. scary buggah.. big.. and bores a big hole into a tree. Here's the article..

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/06/20...rops-puna/

[Chunkster]

Is Puna cursed or something? It seems like just about every invasive pest (with the possible exception of the rhinoceros beetle) takes hold here first. Then the state government declares defeat and puts all their effort into keeping the vermin off the other islands. It's always, "Sorry, guys. Too late for you, but no expense will be spared to save Oahu and Maui."

[ElysianWort]

They are already widespread throughout Hawaiian Acres. They devastated my neighbors lime trees and have gotten to a few of my older tangelo trees. Seems they like citrus a lot.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Is Puna cursed... It seems like just about every invasive pest... takes hold here first.

Most of the plant nurseries and plant collectors from Hawaii are in Puna. They find exotic new varieties overseas, then bring them back here. A quarantine procedure with USDA is required, but I believe experienced and approved growers can do this in their own nursery. Unfortunately that’s how fire ants, coquis, and most other critters have arrived in Puna. They’re in the soil which isn’t properly treated, or as small eggs hidden in the folds of heliconia, ginger, etc.

A nursery owner might then trade some of the new plants with other growers or friends, spreading the pests.
Many disperse by vehicles - - and a large nursery has a parking lot full of cars. The workers put in their 8 hour day while the newly arrived invasives jump, crawl, or flutter onto their Hondas and Toyotas. They drive home and that’s how it begins.

[dan d]

Hotpe
Most of the recent invasive species came in the mega mart plant imports


HPP

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

mega mart plant imports

From where do you think Home Depot & Walmart get plants in their nursery departments? Plants ideally suited for Hawaii’s climate zones?
Puna.

[Chunkster]

Mass merchandisers do have a history of bringing in tropical plants from far away. Walmart in particular has been cited as a source of coqui frogs because they imported some plants from Puerto Rico.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Walmart in particular has been cited as a source of coqui frogs because they imported some plants from Puerto Rico.

In Hawaii? Or on the mainland?
Coquis arrived on Big Island in the 1990’s. I know the person who first identified them and reported the strange nighttime peeps to the USDA. Four times. USDA did nothing. The conquis didn’t show up at Hilo Walmart until the 2000’s as far as I know.

Many of the plants at Home Depot & Walmart have grower tags on them. Most are from Puna, some Kona, and north shore Oahu which has a number of large nurseries around the Waimanalo area.

Edited to add:
* The first coqui were brought in by a tropical plant nursery up Huina Road in Kurtistown. They were imported from Puerto Rico as you noted Chunkster.
* Fire ants were first reported in the middle section of HPP, on a lot growing foliage. The grower knew the local nursery from which she had recently purchased new plants, everything else was well established. She notified the grower, but too late, other Puna growers had already bought plants.

[microage97]

Yes they are big and scary!