Sound Meets Science in Tracking Pesky Coconut Beetle

In Hawaii, researchers at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu are using sound to track the movements and migration of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle. The beetles only move at night making them very hard to track. They have been destructive in Hawaii since 2013 as they eat the leaves of coconut palms leaving them totally bare. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Hawaii researchers are using acoustic recordings and data of the beetles in various stages of their life for both males and females to better understand their migration patterns and movements. Researchers hope someday to use this information to help stop the beetles from completely destroying the coconut palms in Hawaii.