We are detecting variations in the beetle virus in the Pacific,' Dr Etebari said. 'It's similar to how other scientists spot different strains of COVID-19. They also found there were variations to the beetle virus which was originally sourced from Malaysia. The researchers discovered that there have been several new waves of beetle invasions, not one as previously thought, as well as different types of beetles. 'The question is how do we stop it? And what's gone wrong with the control that's been effective for the past five decades?' Dr Etebari said. ( Supplied: Aubrey Moore) COVID-19 similaritiesĭr Etebari and his team at UQ are studying why the virus is no longer controlling the beetle and their findings would be critical to managing the pest if it got a foothold in Australia.

The team of scientists from the University of Queensland say it's imperative they help neighbouring countries in the Pacific tackle these pests. 'Our border security is the Torres Strait and it's only a matter of kilometres, just a stone's throw from Papua New Guinea into north Queensland.' 'The move through Papua New Guinea has been quite swift and we've seen large-scale coconut plantations and oil palm plantations being destroyed,' he said. Stone's throw awayĬentral Queensland horticulturalist Neil Fisher has been watching with growing concern the beetle's rapid march from the South Pacific across to Guam and Hawaii to Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Solomon Islands.

However, that biological control is now failing.

The coconut rhinoceros beetle, a native of South-East Asia, has been in Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga for a century, but was successfully controlled by a virus for the past 50 years. 'Last week it got into Tasmania,' he said. It has been a year since another invasive pest, the fall armyworm, was first detected at Bamaga at the tip of far north Queensland and has since devoured crops across most states and territories.ĭr Etebari said the fall armyworm came down the island chain from PNG. Dr Kayvan Etebari has been studying how the beetle has accelerated its invasion.

Rhinoceros beetles