CNAS Research & Extension

Invasive Species Killing Guam’s Forests

On Friday, February 22,  Dr. Aubrey Moore, CNAS entomologist and  Dr. Adrian Ares, CNAS WPTRC associate director were present for a proclamation signed by acting governor Josh Tenorio declaring the following week as Guam Invasive Species Awareness Week. They also attended the Guam Invasive Species Council Meeting which followed. On February 24, the Pacific Daily […]

CNAS Meets with Congressional Delegation

On Sunday, November 4 2018 UOG faculty and staff (Moore, Miller, Grasela and Quitugua) met with a congressional delegation, officials from the Department of Interior-Office of Island Affairs, and staff from the US Park Service to discuss what is being done to control coconut rhinoceros beetle, little fire ant, and other invasive species.

Butterfly Mother’s Food Choice for Offspring Changes with Experience

Plants communicate with animals using a blend of signals that influence animal behavior. The balance of plant attractants and deterrents partly determine the ultimate level of damage that an animal herbivore imposes on a plant. These intricate communications between the herbivore and the plant support sustainable relationships in their mutual native homelands. However, the ease […]

The Greater Banded Hornet Has Found Its Way To Guam

A new species of wasp was recently found on Guam and identified by entomologists at the College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS), University of Guam as Vespa tropica, also known as the greater banded hornet. These wasps are large and aggressive which make them a possible health hazard to individuals with allergies to bees […]

The Dirt on Packaged Rhino Beetles

Seeds, insects, earthworms, parasitic worms, mushrooms and more can be found in soil. It is for this very reason that Guam law prohibits the importation of soil into the territory, in order to keep out unwanted invasive plants and animals. The College of Natural and Applied Sciences Extension and Outreach personnel at the University of […]

GovGuam, UOG and USDA Cooperate to Prevent Arrival of Invasive Species Hitch-hiking on FestPac Materials

Several invasive species have been intercepted in materials imported in support of the Pacific Festival of the Arts currently being held on Guam. In the latest incidence, on May 21, officers of the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency intercepted live insects on coconut leaves shipped from Rota Island. A small leaf sample, with insects attached, […]

Radio rhinos: CNAS scientist and colleagues tag coconut rhinoceros beetles

Coconut rhinoceros beetles were first discovered on Guam in 2007. Adults kill palms when they bore into crowns to feed on sap. Rhino beetle larvae feed only on dead plant material at breeding sites and they do no damage. In order to eradicate rhino beetles, all breeding sites must be found and destroyed. Four dogs […]