Pest of the Month May 2010 – Pacific Beetle Roach

• Distribution: Asia, Pacific Islands, and Hawaii
• Hosts: Cypress and juniper
• Symptoms:  Dead areas in crowns (orange/brown).  Roaches girdle branches by eating the bark.
• Management:  Remove leaf litter from crown and below tree (nesting area for roaches).

Sources:

1. Pacific beetle mimic Diploptera punctata
2. Norfolk Island Pine Culture, University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service Circular 453, March 1972, p. 14.

Pacific beetle roach damage on Italian cypress. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr, Image# 050711-2668.