These articles are written monthly for the Kiaʻi Moku Column for the Maui News as part of our effort to keep our community informed about the threats of invasive species.
2024
The plant with a spiky ball with orange flowers? That’s lion’s ear. What it is and how you can control it.
It's easy to see how lion’s ear got its name, the distinctive ...
For healthy reefs and productive watersheds, resource managers are turning to AI
The computer program identifies miconia in aerial photographs using visual cues such ...
When does a species become invasive? A 1920’s scientist showed us, partly by accident
Bingabing is an invasive plant found on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island. Documented ...
What’s keeping invasive species out of Hawaiʻi? Inspections, programs and plans and finally, you
Staff from Hawaiʻi receive training on how to handle snakes. It’s part ...
2023
From the ancient Kumulipo to a 1930s British ecologist to today, all agree that relationships in nature matter. What’s our role?
Relationships surround us – family members and friends, casual acquaintances and familiar ...
Fencing for frogs; the effort to build a barrier to slow down coqui in Ha‘ikū is underway
After the brush is cleared, contractors build the barrier fence. This section is ...
Coconut palms are woven into the culture of the islands; a beetle threatens that connection
Baskets woven from coconut leaves. Photo from Maui Nui Botanical Garden Would-be ...
Protecting ‘Ōhi‘a: Fencing for the Trees
Ungulate rubbings or browsing on Haleakalā sandalwood tree are seen in Polipoli ...
Is ant-watching really a thing?
By Monte Tudor-Long If you list the different birds in your yard, ...
The race to protect Hawaii’s native forest birds from extinction
The upland realm of wao akua captivates all senses. Freshwater percolates into ...
Prevention Is Key For Maui To Stay Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Free
A large, invasive beetle is spreading on Oʻahu. First detected in December ...
2022
Invasive species can cause native ecosystems to go up in smoke
In early November, a wildfire ripped through nearly 2,100 acres of parched ...
The Sweet History of ʻUala: A Staple Food to Give Thanks For
A year-round staple in our islands will soon take center stage on ...
Citizen Science Can Help Stop the Ant
Citizen scientists have been key to finding most of the little fire ...
New training helps nurseries be on the lookout for invasive species
Hawaiʻi is home to plant and animal species found nowhere else. For ...
The Hawaiian Crow May Soon Soar on Maui
One of the rarest birds in the world may soon fly through ...
New rabbit disease discovered on Maui
In June of 2022, the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA) alerted the ...
Dracula ants re-emerge on Maui
In March of 2022, the Maui Invasive Species Committee’s (MISC) little fire ...
Habits Are Key To Preventing the Spread of Rat Lungworm
In 2017, rat lungworm disease was making big headlines with an unprecedented ...
Plant Native, Cultivate A Connection
Lindsay and Kely Rodrigues clear out overgrown weeds on their family land ...
Gardening This Spring? Plant Pono
Knowing what to plant and where can be tricky. Planting guides from ...
Avocado Pest Now Widespread on Maui- But There is Hope
In early January, Richard Smith reached out to the Maui Invasive Species ...
Need a New Year’s resolution?
Here’s twelve ways to protect Maui from invasive species all year long
At the start of a new year, many of us are taking ...
2021
Don’t Let Hawaii Get Skunked: Preventing A Smelly Invader
Hawaiʻi is the only state in the U.S. that is rabies-free. State ...
Two-lined spittlebug: A threat to Hawaiʻi’s ranches, watersheds
In 2016, a rancher on Hawaiʻi Island saw a large swath of ...
643PEST simplifies reporting invasive species throughout Hawai’i
In the late 1990s, a Maui-based ecologist and scientist working with the ...
Celebrating Native Hawaiian Plant Month
Hawaiʻi is the most isolated landmass on the planet. Because of this, ...
Protecting Māmaki From Invasive Species
The Kamehameha butterfly, the state insect of Hawaiʻi, is found nowhere else ...
The Case of the Stinging Hitchhiker
In March of this year, a Lahaina couple reported a stinging but ...
Keep an eye out for invasive parakeet
In July 2021, a Kīhei resident reported a strange-looking bird near their ...
Be like Bob: The Importance of Reporting Something Out of Place
Retired state forester Bob Hobdy knows his trees. So, when he was ...
Not All Fire Ants Are The Same
It’s a familiar feeling many of us have experienced. You may have ...
Gobble Gobble! Maui’s Wild Turkeys
With Thanksgiving only 12 days away, the traditional centerpiece of this holiday ...
A Hawaiʻi Christmas Story
Nothing heralds the holiday season like the Christmas tree, but did you ...
2020
Evolutionary oddities: giant flightless ducks roamed Maui, grazing like buffalo and spreading seeds
As tall as a toddler, the flightless moa-nalo lived in Hawaiʻi for ...
Earthworms: an invasive species underfoot in Hawai’i
Invasive earthworms support other invasive species: As pigs dig for roots and ...
Protect Hawai’i’s reefs by keeping boats clean
Near-shore reefs contain species found no where else in the world. Photo: ...
Backyard efforts help protect Hawai’i
With stay-at-home orders in place, many of us are stretching our legs ...
Safe biological controls rely on specialized species
Living creatures can be grouped as specialists or generalists based on their ...
Stopping both global pandemics and biological invasions requires flattening curves.
In 2002, an unusually large and strange-looking chameleon turned up in a ...
Native plant firebreaks may be a tool to control wildfires
ʻAukuʻuʻAlae keʻokeʻoAeʻoKealia Pond National Wildlife refuge is home to endangered plants and ...
Rats triggered changes in the environment of Hawai’i prior to humans settlement
Lo'ulu palms, like these pictured in the Kahanu Garden in Hāna, Maui, ...
Quantifying miconia’s impacts; big leaves mean big water drops and high levels of erosion
Miconia escaped cultivation to spread throughout East Maui. Containment rather than eradication ...
Citizen scientists and concerned community find ants new to Hawaiʻi
The trap-jaw ant had never before been found in Hawaiʻi until a ...
Research informs the efforts to stop Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD)
ʻŌhiʻa are a keystone species in Hawai'i and are found nowhere else ...
Turn Off Lights at Night to Help Protect Seabirds From Invasive Predators
Like many seabirds in Hawai'i, wedge-tailed shearwaters, ʻuaʻu kani, nest on the ...
2019
ʻŌhiʻa’s genetic diversity may contribute to disease resistance
The natural genetic variation in ʻōhiʻa may translate to some resistance to Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death. To both preserve the genetic ...
Coqui frogs negatively affect the environment in more ways than one
Coqui have the perfect environment in Hawaiʻi, one that lacks the predators - lizards, tarantulas, and snakes- found in their ...
Measuring the impacts of invasive plants in Hawai’i’s watersheds
University of Hawai'i professor and researcher Tom Giambelluca is looking to better understand how invasive plants, like strawberry guava on ...
Just the act of observing can help us and our island home
The Hawaiian language reflects a close tie to the land. Connecting to nature can benefit both the health of the ...
The efforts to keep pests out of your Christmas tree
By December 3rd of this year (2019), near the end of the shipping season, 93,000 Christmas trees had arrived in ...
Perils of pampas on West Maui Mountains
Steve Perlman examining invasive pampas grass in Kauaʻula Valley. -- MISC file photo With plumes that bring to mind ostrich ...
Finding pests early helps to protect unique places like Lānaʻi
Crew from Pūlama Lānaʻi and MISC partner to find the few invasive fountain grass plants present on Lānaʻi before they ...
Hotels and resorts partner in effort to eradicate LFA
Elaine Malina works for SGS Hawaii and is the landscape manager at the Andaz in Kihei. The Andaz is one ...
Plan exists to enhance biosecurity among Hawaiian Islands
Inspector checking goods to protect Hawaii from invasive pests. -- Masako Cordray photo Hawaiʻi has been called the “invasive species ...
Damage to māmaki plant by moth highlights need for biosecurity
The caterpillar of the ramie moth can be identified by its coloration — black with orange dots and white hairs ...
Sap-sucking insect threatens native naio trees
While it may look healthy at first glance, this young naio plant is under attack from a tiny invasive sap-sucking ...
Invasive longhorned beetle bores into fruit trees, threatening crops
Large beetles have begun to spread across Puna but have not yet been detected on other islands. They pose a ...
2018
Community urged to help protect yellow-faced bees
Hawaiian yellow-faced bees rely heavily on an intact community of native plants to thrive in their communities. Often times they ...
Tiny golden butterfly could help halt miconia invasion
Caterpillars of the golden miconia butterfly can only survive on miconia and related plants. The caterpillars get together in clumps ...
Fountain grass threatens dryland ecosystems
Jared Clapper with Hāna Lima Land Management, working on behalf of Haleakalā Ranch, was part of a team responding to ...
Illegal dumping risks spreading invasive species
Coqui frogs, like this male guarding his eggs, take advantage of man-made materials for shelter. Illegally dumping rubbish can spread ...
Introduced songbirds can be invasive in Hawai’i
There are other birds not known to be on Maui that should be reported immediately if seen. The red-vented bulbul ...
Native species recovering at Mokio Preserve on Moloka’i
Jay Penniman of the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project sets up an acoustic monitor near the Laysan albatross decoys at ...
The native dragonflies and damselflies of Hawaiʻi
Twenty million years ago the Hawaiian Island chain was very different from what we see today. Laysan and Gardner Pinnacles ...
Natural enemies could tame invasive Himalayan ginger
Though not invasive in India where it is native, Himalayan ginger can completely transform a Hawaiian rainforest as it has ...
A possible solution for the weedy tibouchina
Tucked away in the rain and fog of the West Maui mountains are uniquely Hawaiian treasures: high-elevation bogs carpeted by ...
2017
Invasive jellyfish removed from Kaunakakai harbor
Crews from the Molokai/Maui Invasive Species Committee and the Division of Aquatic Resources remove invasive upside-down jellyfish from the swimming ...
Māmalu Poepoe Project traps and monitors invasive pests
Crews from island-based invasive species committees from across the state receive training on signs of a coconut rhinoceros beetle. The ...
Yellow-faced bees defenseless and vulnerable to predatory ants
Female bees lack the yellow faces that lead to the common name of the yellow-faced bees. Once common, many of ...
Why can’t you keep rabbits on the ground? “Rabbit fever” affects people
Laws require rabbit owners in Hawaii to keep their pets caged and off the ground. This keeps pets from escaping ...
Help protect the fragile and amazing anchialine pools of Hawaii
Anchialine pools are not tide pools — they have no direct connection to the ocean. Each pool is unique, both ...
African Tulip Tree
An African tulip tree in bloom is a remarkable burst of color. Consequently, the tree has earned many monikers: flame ...
Africanized honey bees could threaten Hawaiian honeybee populations
Africanized honeybees, like the one shown here from Florida, look nearly identical to a common honeybee — the main difference ...
Drones help field crews find invasive species
Your mission: find a few invasive silk oak trees scattered across a 35,000-acre ancient cinder cone that resembles a bundt ...
Parasite spread by cats threatens rare native animals
As populations of invasive feral cats skyrocket in Hawaiʻi, so does the risk to native animal species. The ʻalalā, or ...
Why All the Talk About Eradication?
Life in paradise inevitably means dealing with invasive species in some form. From termites to rats, centipedes to garden weeds, ...
A little love for all the non-invasive species in Hawaiʻi
The vast majority of introduced plants stay in the gardens where they are planted. Without their native pollinators or preferred ...
2016
Spiders in Hawaii, native and introduced
Spotted orb weavers, like this one found in a remote rainforest on East Maui, are naturalized throughout the State. Their ...
Sunscreen, coral reef bleaching, and invasive algae
Maui’s coral reefs are in trouble. Many of the hazards are complex and global – climate change and ocean acidification, ...
Leafless on Maui: eucalyptus branches bare thanks to insect pests
In 2004, University of Hawaii (UH) entomologist Will Haines was visiting his parents in upper Haʻikū when he saw an ...
Koloa – the Hawaiian Duck
About 1.5 million years ago a handful of stray mallard ducks made their way to the Hawaiian Islands. They came ...
Uggh, slugs! Protect your garden and your health in light of rat lungworm disease
Rat lungworm disease: It may be rare but it’s memorable--like a horror movie come to life. Nightmarish tales of muscle ...
Gold dust day geckos are only the latest moʻo to make Maui home
https://www.643pest.org/ Geckos are ubiquitous throughout the Hawaiian Islands today, but that was not always the case. Though lizards can colonize ...
What if there were no mosquitoes in Hawaiʻi?
The news is abuzz with mosquitoes these days; outbreaks of dengue fever on Hawaiʻi Island have us all a little ...
2015
Deck your hall with boughs of locally harvested plants
Deck the halls with boughs of….holly? ‘Tis the season to decorate your hale with holiday wreaths, sprigs, and boughs. Fresh ...
Iguanas on Maui may be more prevalent than we know
Chuck Chimera only caught a glimpse of the 3-foot long lizard dining on his neighbor’s nasturtiums, but it was enough ...
Pigs and Pampas
At about 4000’ elevation, just east of Koʻolau Gap above Keʻanae on the island of Maui, a four foot tall ...
How did that get here? Strange plants atop Haleakalā
High atop Haleakalā winds whip across the summit, frost crystals sparkle in the morning sun – melting as the day ...
Clearing the weeds for albatross
Midway Atoll has gone to the birds. Every year 3 million seabirds flock to 1,500 acres of land 1200 miles ...
From the Forest to the Faucet – Every Drop Counts
Big Bog, high above Hāna on the windward slopes of East Maui, and Puʻu Kukui, on West Maui are some ...
A Haʻiku gulch full of suprises
“Anything that bristly has got to be invasive,” said the Haʻiku resident who reported a vine that she found in ...
Mapping the Kamehameha butterfly with your help
Brilliant orange and fluttering through the forest, the Kamehameha butterfly, or pulelehua, is our state insect. It’s one of only ...
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death – a new threat to our watersheds
Five years ago, people living in the Puna district on Hawaiʻi Island started seeing native ʻōhiʻatrees in their yards dying ...
Invasive species can sting aloha
Aunty Penny Martin is a lei-maker on Molokaʻi. She was talking story one day with a friend visiting from Hawaiʻi ...
Got Guano?
When horticulturalists at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens want to give an extra boost to their most sensitive and critically endangered ...
Look closely—the endemic insects of Haleakalā
The flightless moth of Haleakalā is one of the more dramatic examples of evolution in Hawaiian insects. Known to science ...
2014
Christmas berry’s unwelcome presence
Covered in glossy green leaves and bedecked with red berries, the invasive shrub, Schinus terebinthifolius, is commonly known by the ...
Pueo or barn owl: here’s the difference
In Hawai‘i , owls are creatures of myth. Owls are said to rescue lost souls from the underworld and guide ...
Hawaiian Hoary Bat-Our Only Native Land Mammal
Under the cover of night a skilled hunter twists and turns in the Hawaiian sky, darting and dodging trees with ...
Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit: the fingers on the keyboards that get the boots on the ground
On any given day, there are hundreds of people at work throughout Hawai‘i to protect the ‘āina. Fence crews pound ...
Coqui calls on the rise
The call of the lone coqui may not be increasing in volume, but calls reporting coquis on Maui are on ...
The Haleakalā silversword—the greatest threat is now climate change
The Haleakalā silversword is one of Maui’s most spectacular native plants. Known as ‘āhinahina to Hawaiians and Argyroxiphium sandwicense subsp ...
LFA – Insidious invaders that you can stop
Ginger Johnson bought a hapu‘u fern late in 2013 to plant alongside others in her yard. But when she heard ...
CRB spells trouble for Hawaii’s palms
At two and a half inches long and sporting large horns on the front of its head, the coconut rhinoceros ...
What’s that new black caterpillar?
A new fuzzy black caterpillar is starting to show up across Maui—a promising omen for cattlemen and conservationists alike. The ...
Moving? Leave the pests behind
Ask anyone who has moved lately - it’s a daunting task. Every move, whether across town, across the state, or ...
Protecting the Northwest Hawaiian Islands from Invasive Species
Stretching 1,200 miles across the Pacific, past Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, lies a sting of tiny islands and obscure atolls ringed ...
Aliens and Space Travel-Preventing Invasive Species from Reaching the Final Frontier
When the Polynesians set out to find Hawai‘i, like all explorers, they did not know what they would find so ...
2013
Roomba on the Reef–Native collector urchins on the prowl for invasive algae
Let’s say you are trying to remove tiny piece of invasive plant material from an area 8 miles long and ...
Tiny beetle bores down on Hawaii coffee industry
The tiny coffee berry borer beetle is seen here entering the coffee fruit. Coffee berry borer eats the coffee bean, ...
And then the pollinator wasp arrived…
Lori Buchanan, manager of Moloka‘i/Maui Invasive Species Committee (MoMISC), was in downtown Kaunakakai recently when she saw something strange sprouting ...
“Devil weed” sneaks into Hawaii
They saw the pitchfork leaf pattern and knew something was amiss. The unmistakable smell of turpentine in a crushed leaf only ...
The public health threat of invasive species-mosquitoes and dengue
Back in 2001, several East Maui residents started reporting fever, body aches, and rashes. One of the people sickened had ...
Hawaiian land snails– a tale of evolution worthy of protection
The tale of Hawaiian land snails began millions of years ago as the first plants and animals began to colonize ...
Predator proof fences: Creating “islands” of protection in the Hawaiian Islands
Sometimes, fences bring freedom. In Hawai‘i, habitat loss and invasive species have left little room for native plants and animals ...
Mullein and Milk Thistle-Some Medicinal Plants are a Bad Prescription for the Environment
Humans have always relied on plants for medicine and many modern remedies are still derived from plants. The active ingredient ...
The “yellow dragon disease” is perched on Hawaii’s doorstep
Tangerines, oranges, lemons, limes, pummelo and grapefruit— sharing a box of citrus just picked from the backyard is part of ...
The crown-of-thorns starfish–despite the prickly reputation, this species is native to Hawai‘i, and beneficial to the reef
The crown-of-thorns starfish does munch on coral, but new research is showing that this species, native to Hawai‘i, benefits the ...
Conservation: Helping the Economy and the Environment
Darryl “Kanamu” Tau‘a was an East Maui tour bus driver who lost his job during the decline in tourism post ...
Traveling by boat? Swab Those Hulls and Propellers to Stop Invasive Stowaways
Each year over ships make over 1000 trips to Hawai‘i. Container ships and barges, fishing boats, cruise ships, and sailboats, ...
2012
The little fire ant-bad news for food crops
The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, is a pest with a deservedly nasty reputation. Alone, this wee ant is neither ...
Invasive plants=Less water
When rain falls from the sky by the bucket-load it can be tempting to take water for granted, but the ...
From Paper Maps To GPS Units, The Evolution of Technology in Conservation
If smart phones, tablets, and global positioning systems (GPS) are on your wish list, you are not alone. These gadgets ...
Plants Out of Place-Native to Hawaii but Invasive Somewhere Else
The native Hawaiian ecosystem is often described as fragile and prone to invasion, so it may come as a surprise ...
Ants and Hawaiian Seabirds – A Deadly Combination
The Hawaiian archipelago is crawling with ants and not a single one belongs here. Humans introduced over forty-five ant species ...
A hidden world in Maui’s streams
After 27 years of working with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, aquatic biologist Skippy Hau has become pretty ...
The ‘Ua‘u and the threat of invasive species
Hawai‘i is famous for rare birds: scarlet honeycreepers that dart through the rainforest and gold-flecked owls that hunt at twilight ...
The nose knows: dogs sniff out invasive species
This fall there will be some new faces at the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA)-- furry faces. The Hawai‘i Detector ...
A changing climate and the plight of the ‘i‘iwi
On just about any given day you can find ‘i‘iwi, among the more charismatic species of Hawaiian honeycreepers, flitting around ...
Moving on from the Mongoose: the Success of Biological Control in Hawai‘i
Achieving balance--in your workplace, at home, on your surfboard, or with your checkbook—makes life manageable. Natural environments depend upon balance ...
Make National Invasive Species Week Last All Year
National Invasive Species Week is February 26 to March 3 of 2012. While it's great to pay attention for the ...
Give your loved one the gift of local this Valentine’s Day
Flowers. When it comes to courting your Valentine, you gotta have 'em. Roses may be the standby for the holiday, ...
2011
Grow bananas? Guard against BBTV.
In the spring of 2009, Angela Kepler found a diseased banana plant on her neighbor’s property. “It really freaked us ...
Plans in the Pipeline to Protect ‘Ōhi‘a From ‘Rust’
It starts with a spot, a tiny dot of orange on a leaf bound for Hawai‘i. It could be on ...
Positive spin on invasive species by artists, chefs
One day I was pulling a weed and I realized there was a little grain of hostility there toward this ...
2010
Pampas Grass: All Species on Maui are Invasive
In the early 1870s an enterprising nurseryman in Southern California imported a tall, clumping grass with distinctive feathery plumes to ...
A most unwanted neighbor–coqui frogs
A recent trip to Hilo highlighted the impact coqui frogs can have on our quality of life. It was not ...
2009
2008
Fast-growing ivy gourd threatens rare dryland ecosystem on Maui
On Maui, we are lucky to have so many open spaces. Our island is relatively undeveloped, though you may beg ...
Poisonous Rubber Vine Needs to be Controlled
When the crew from the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) arrived on Moloka‘i in February of 2005, they soon realized ...
Biocontrol precision is weapon against invaders
Last month I began to present my point of view as a conservation scientist relevant to current “controversy” over biocontrol ...
Strawberry guava sows seeds of infestation
When I came to Maui 28 years ago to work as a research biologist at Haleakala National Park, one of ...
