Coconut rhinoceros beetle <i>Oryctes rhinoceros</i> (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) confirmed in the Americas

Abstract In 2022, a suspected incursion of Oryctes rhinoceros (coconut rhinoceros beetle, CRB) was reported in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, México, based on damage symptoms observed on coconut palms and photographs of beetles on a social media site. This prompted collaboration with local biologists and land managers, and a survey of the area with the suspected invasion was carried out in 2024. Adult beetles and larvae were collected, and morphological features were consistent with taxonomic characteristics of O. rhinoceros . Damage to coconut palms consistent with that caused by O. rhinoceros was observed and photographed in the locations where the beetles were captured. Molecular analysis confirmed the specimens' species identity as O. rhinoceros , belonging to the CRB‐G (clade I A ) haplotype grouping. The Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus, a biocontrol agent which is widespread in coconut rhinoceros beetle populations in some Pacific islands, was not detected. Reports of O. rhinoceros on iNaturalist, the results of this survey and DNA analysis confirm that O. rhinoceros has established for the first time in the Americas in Bahía de Banderas on the border between Nayarit and Jalisco. While the current infestation area is limited, a thorough delimiting survey should be carried out as soon as possible, and a response plan should be prepared to contain or eradicate the pest before it spreads.