State agriculture officials are asking the public to be on alert after a dead coconut rhinoceros beetle was found Monday among compost bags at a big box store on Maui.

The invasive beetle is a serious pest of palm trees, primarily coconut palms, officials said, and can easily damage and kill them by boring into their crowns to feed on the trees’ sap. The dead trees in turn pose a safety hazard as they may fall unexpectedly after their trunks rot.

The Hawaii Department of Agriculture said staff were conducting a routine survey at the store when they saw a hole in one of the compost bags, and upon further inspection, the dead beetle.

Officials said 15 pallets of bagged compost were voluntarily placed in quarantine and will be shipped back to Oahu, where the product came from.

To date, no live beetles have yet been detected on Maui.

Anyone who has recently purchased locally produced compost from a big box retailer on Maui may return the product to the store.

The coconut rhinoceros beetle was first detected in Dec. 2013 on Oahu, and has gradually spread from Central and West Oahu to the North Shore and windward side.

Officials said green waste provides an optimal breeding environment for the beetles, and urges all residents statewide to check their compost bins and green waste for larvae.

Report possible beetle infestations to the CRB Response Team at 808-679-5244 or info@crbhawaii.org or the state’s toll-free pest hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).