State officials are on high alert after an arborist found 17 live coconut rhinoceros beetle larvae Tuesday morning while cutting down coconut palms in Kihei.

The arborist — who was hired to remove 12 dead palms — found several large larvae in the crown of the first tree he cut down along Ala Hula Street.

He reported them to the Maui Invasive Species Committee, which shared photos with the state agriculture department’s plant pest control staff.

Staff immediately went to the site to investigate the infestation.

The finding comes just about two months after agriculture inspectors first found a dead coconut rhinoceros beetle in a compost bag at a big box store on Maui.

Officials said that was the first detection of the invasive beetle on the island, but is not believed to be related to the larvae in Kihei.

“The Department of Agriculture staff on Maui have been working in earnest to stop the spread of the coconut rhinoceros beetle and will continue to intensify efforts to detect and manage any infestations,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture, in a news release. “We’re up against a formidable enemy, as well as many other pests, and will do the best that we can with existing resources and through collaboration with our partners.”

The arborist and his crew collected 17 larvae from one of the coconut palms in Kihei. Seven were sent to Oahu and confirmed to be CRB by a state entomologist.

No larvae were found in the other 11 trees, according to officials. All coconut material from the 12 trees was chipped and placed in a 20-foot container and fumigated to kill any possibly remaining CRB larvae or eggs.

Staff will continue to conduct surveys in the area, and remove any suspect palms. More traps will also be deployed in the area.

The invasive beetle — first detected in Hawaii in December 2013 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam — is a serious pest of palm trees, and inflicts damage by boring into their crowns to feed on sap.

The dead palms in turn pose a safety hazard as they may fall unexpectedly after their trunks rot.

An interim rule restricting the movement of palm plants and host material such as compost, mulch and potting soil from Oahu to neighboring islands is currently in place to prevent the spread of the beetles.

To report a possible coconut rhinoceros beetle infestation, contact the CRB Response Team at 808-679-5244 or info@crbhawaii.org.

Report any invasive pests to the state’s toll-free pest hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).