Current measures, synthetic or natural, to control this prime palm threat are far from perfect. The insect appears to be attracted to hosts entirely by smell - specifically its own aggregation pheromones and the host's kairomones. Could olfactory blockers be used to disguise potential victims or even starve the predator?

N.B. I am no advocate of extinguishing this resourceful, beautiful beetle. It has its place and until we destroyed much of what remains of its habitat to create monocultures it would almost certainly have remained there.