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Yellow-faced bees defenseless and vulnerable to predatory ants

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Lissa Strohecker

Female bees lack the yellow faces that lead to the common name of the yellow-faced bees. Once common, many of these bees are now on the endangered species list. — JASON GRAHAM photo.

Somewhere between 400,000 and 700,000 thousand years ago–about the time Haleakalā was forming–a tiny bee arrived in the Hawaiian Islands.

This bee was about the size of a grain of rice and prepared for a life of self-sufficiency. Though we think of bees as living together, working together, and providing honey, approximately 75% of the bee species in the world lead a solitary life. Simply pollinating flowers – an essential ecosystem service— they are often overlooked by people.

Little is known about the first bee to reach Hawaiʻi, but in a remarkably short amount of time, her descendants evolved into 63 unique species found only in Hawaiʻi. They were successful, living from the coastline to the mountain top, pollinating everything from naupaka to silverswords. They were so common in 1913 that entomologist R.C.L. Perkins called them “almost the most ubiquitous of any Hawaiian insects.”

The last hundred years have brought dramatic changes to Hawaiʻi and seven species of Hawaiian yellow-faced bees have since landed on the federal endangered species list. According to Dr. Jason Graham, a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher, the other Hawaiian bees may not fare much better. “There is the potential that others are endangered or extinct,” he says, “there hasn’t been much work on them.” Habitat loss and invasive species are the unique bees’ primary threats.

With few exceptions, Hawaiian bees rely on native plants for food. They are not found in areas dominated by non-native plants. The decline in food sources has led to a decline in population.  Introduced bees and wasps compete with the native bees for food and nesting sites. Exotic ants also take a toll.

An endangered yellow-faced bee visits a native beach naupaka. Endemic yellow-faced bees rely mostly on native plants for food and nesting sites. — JASON GRAHAM photo.

Yellow-faced bees don’t sting, which often leads to the death of a bee. “If a honeybee worker dies, the hive continues,” explains Graham. But a solitary bee isn’t expendable – she wonʻt pass along her genetic material.  “She’s the single mom of the insect world,” says Graham.

It’s up to her to find a nest, typically a hollow stem or hole in a rock or coral. She builds a little apartment for each egg, stocking the cupboards with pollen, food for when the larvae emerge. She seals the opening with a waterproof coating to protect her young from the elements and off she goes – her caregiving role complete.

But the neighborhood has changed in 200 years; now her unattended young are vulnerable to multitudes of invasive ants that easily pierce the cellophane-like barrier to the nest. Years of evolution in isolation have left the yellow-faced bees defenseless and vulnerable to non-native predatory ants that crawl inside the nest and devour the young.

“Years of evolution in isolation have left the yellow-faced bees defenseless and vulnerable to non-native predatory ants that crawl inside the nest and devour the young.”

Some Hawaiian bees, such as the highly endangered Hylaeus anthracinus, are limited to small populations along the coastline. “Climate change and rising sea levels are a definite threat to the future survival of this species,” says Graham who is investigating artificial nesting sites for the bees. Since yellow-faced bees rely on existing holes for nests, Graham drills into blocks of wood and line them with plastic tubing so he can pull the nest out and monitor success. He can use an insect barrier to keep ants out.

Understanding Hawaiian bee biology is essential to protecting them. You can help:

  • Use native plants in your landscaping.
  •  Bring your own kindling: For some of the most endangered coastal species, nest sites can be destroyed when people collect wood for bonfires. What looks like a dried naupaka twig may actually contain a tiny bee’s nest.  
  • Entomologists are in the beginning stages of research but they will eventually need assistance – if you want to help monitor nests and find native bees, follow the Hawaiian Yellow-Faced Bees page on Facebook and check the discoverbees.com website.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on July 9th, 2017, as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles.

Filed Under: Home Slider, Kia'i Moku Column Tagged With: 2017, invasive species, Native hawaiian bees

Illegal dumping poses risk for the spread of invasive species

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Lissa Strohecker

Little fire ants are another invasive pest that is known to spread through the movement of green waste and debris. Green-waste facilities are monitored for these pests to reduce the risk of spread but illegal dumping can circumvent these safeguards. — Maui Invasive Species Committee photo.

The evening of July 24, 2018, a Maui resident living near the Five Corners area of Haʻikū heard something she did not recognize as a normal sound for her neighborhood: the 2-note call of invasive coqui frogs. “I was in shock,” she says. “All the sudden there were 5-10 coqui frogs near my house.” She reported the frogs to the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) and worked with neighbors to pinpoint the frogs’ location in a gulch adjacent to a nearby pasture.

When crews arrived a few days later, they indeed found coqui frogs spread across a quarter acre. They also found a rubbish pile with tires and plywood. “Given that there were no frogs, then suddenly ten—that’s too many to have jumped onto a car and been moved to the site,” explains Abe Vandenberg, MISC Coqui Coordinator. “The more likely scenario is that there was a clutch of eggs moved in the rubbish pile.”  Coqui frogs hatch out from their eggs as tiny froglets, unlike other frogs that go through a tadpole stage that requires standing water.

“They reach unnaturally high densities that are 2-3 times higher here in Hawaiʻi than in their native habitat.”

Coqui are an introduced species to the Hawaiian Islands. Without the predators like snakes that keep them in check in Puerto Rico, they reach unnaturally high densities that are 2-3 times higher here in Hawaiʻi than in their native habitat. In turn, they impact insect populations and nutrient cycling. But their mating call is what drives control efforts – males call “co-qui” from dawn until dusk in a piercing cacophony that disrupts sleep.

Unfortunately, the Five Corners situation is not unique. Even in the early days of coqui control efforts on Maui, roadside dumping factored into the amphibians’ spread. A vehicle abandoned in Māliko Gulch was the likely vector of frogs to a salvage yard in Haʻikū. As the coqui population increases on Maui, so do the instances of coqui moving in green waste and trash. In the last year, illegal dumping has been the vector for at least five introductions of coqui that MISC is aware of.  More often than not, the frog-infested trash is dumped in gulches – a difficult and dangerous place for crews to access and remove the noisy invaders.

Coqui frogs, like this male guarding his eggs, take advantage of man-made materials for shelter. Illegally dumping rubbish can spread pests like coqui and make removing them more difficult. — Maui Invasive Species Committee photo

It’s not just coqui frogs hitchhiking in trash and yard waste. On Hawaiʻi Island and in Tahiti and Guam, little fire ants have been spread through green waste. On Maui, MISC has worked with the owners of properties infested by little fire ants to address this threat, but undetected populations of pest ants most likely still exist. On Oʻahu, the larvae and eggs of the palm-killing coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) develop in coconut mulch, so preventing the spread of green waste is the most important task for crews working on the CRB Response Team. Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles are killing coconuts and other palms on Oʻahu and have not yet been reported from other islands.

Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles lay eggs in mulch so stopping the movement of infested debris is a priority for the CRB teams on Oahu. — U.S. Army Garrison Hawaiʻi photo

When yard clippings and mulch are properly handled, green waste is less of a threat. The temperature of a managed compost pile reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit, enough to kill weed seeds and many invasive pests and eggs. Additionally, bringing green waste to a central location allows for monitoring. Green waste sites on Maui are regularly surveyed for the presence of little fire ants.

People who are tempted to dump their rubbish illegally may not realize that the impacts of their actions can be catastrophic.  Often, illegal dumping attracts more dumping. The tangle of trash provides ample sites for pests to hide out and avoid treatment. You can help. Properly dispose of waste at the landfill, green waste facility, or compost it on site. Report illegal dumping to the Maui Police Department, at (808) 244-6400, and to the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health at (808) 984-8230.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on August 12th, 2018, as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles.

Filed Under: Home Slider, Kia'i Moku Column Tagged With: 2018, coqui frogs, invasive species, lfa

Mullein and Milk Thistle-Some Medicinal Plants are a Bad Prescription for the Environment

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Lissa Strohecker Leave a Comment

Humans have always relied on plants for medicine and many modern remedies are still derived from plants.

Blessed milk thistle, or Silybum marianum, isn't so holy when it forms prickly, invasive thickets.

Blessed milk thistle, or Silybum marianum, isn’t so holy when it forms prickly, invasive thickets. Conservationists quick to eradicate it from Maui pastures. Photo courtesy of Maui Invasive Species Committee

The active ingredient in aspirin, salicylic acid, is now synthesized in a lab but used to be obtained from the bark of willows, or plants in the genus Salix. Digitalis, a drug for heart conditions, is one of a group of medicines extracted from the foxglove plant, Digitalis purpurea. An Alzheimer’s treatment, galantamine, is either produced in the lab or extracted from daffodils. Present-day herbalists harvest or grow plants to treat everything from acne to weight loss.

But while they may have health benefits for people, some medicinal plants may sicken our environment. Mullein, notable for its use as a respiratory aid and a remedy for skin problems, is one example. Common mullein, or Verbascum thapsus, thrives on bare soil at mid to high elevations—think the painted landscape of Haleakalā crater. It can monopolize the habitat of native plants, such as the iconic silversword. Mullein is not established on Maui, but the cinder slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on Hawai‘i Island are now covered with this highly invasive plant.

Blessed milk thistle, or Silybum marianum, is renowned to herbalists for protecting the liver from poisons. This thorny thistle is equally famous for its invasiveness. Darwin commented on the impacts of this European native as he rode through the pastures of Argentina: “When the thistles are full-grown, the great beds are impenetrable…” He continued to describe the murderous robbers who hid amongst the thistles. Blessed milk thistle has been found in a Makawao pasture, and is on track for removal. At one time this plant was in cultivation on Maui for its medicinal properties. Fortunately that is no longer the case.

Mullein, or Verbascum thapsus, invades on the open slopes of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. This medicinal plant is not a good prescription for the environment. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr.

Mullein, or Verbascum thapsus, invades on the open slopes of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. This medicinal plant is not a good prescription for the environment. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr.

There is much to be learned from studying plants. The practices of herbalism in naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, or lā‘au lapa‘au, Hawaiian plant medicine, all stem from living close to nature. Knowing when to harvest plants and what parts to use is an impressive skill. So too is knowing which plants to grow and where.

Hawai‘i is home to a diversity of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, some with healing properties. When non-native, invasive species become established, they disrupt the interdependent relationships that characterize healthy, intact native ecosystems. Growing medicinal plants can be a way to revive and retain ancient types of knowledge. It can be an avenue to connect with your natural surroundings. And, with a little forethought, it can be done in balance with the environment.

If you are going to grow your own medicinal plants, choose species that are not invasive or otherwise harmful. The common artichoke, for example, has the same liver-supporting compounds as blessed milk thistle, without the invasive characteristics.

How can you determine whether a plant is problematic? The Hawai‘i Pacific Weed Risk Assessment is a screening tool that evaluates plant species’ biological characteristics and their potential for becoming invasive. Check it out at www.plantpono.org.

By Lissa Fox Strohecker. Originally published in the Maui News, May 12th, 2013 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Filed Under: Invasive Plants, Kia'i Moku Column Tagged With: 2013, invasive medicinals, invasive species, medicinal plants, milk thistle, mullein

Help Hawai‘i–harvest a Christmas tree

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Lissa Strohecker Leave a Comment

‘Tis the season, and tradition calls for pine trees to decorate Maui residents’ homes, although there are many palms decorated in Christmas lights as well. Most Christmas trees are shipped in, but there’s a history of growing pines in Hawai‘i. Ralph Hosmer, Hawai‘i’s first forester, came on the job in 1904. At the time, forests throughout Hawai‘i were in a sorry state. Since Polynesian times, people have greatly altered lowland forests, initially for settlement and taro cultivation, then for sugar cane and pastureland. Feral pigs, goats and cattle escaped into intact forests, trampling shallow-rooted plants and browsing slow-growing plants. Honolulu, prospering from the sugar boom, was exceeding existing water supplies by the 1870s. Recognizing the need to protect and restore vital watersheds, everyone from sugar cane barons to King Kalākaua began fencing out animals and planting trees, some of which were pines.

Mexican weeping pine (Pinus patula) creeps into the native forest of the Waikamoi preserve. Forrest and Kim Starr photo

Mexican weeping pine (Pinus patula) creeps into the native forest of the Waikamoi preserve. Forrest and Kim Starr photo

Hosmer helped turn sentiments about forest protection into cohesive action. He established the first forest reserves in Hawai‘i, beginning in 1906 when Alexander & Baldwin ceded management of acreage on Maui to the territorial government. With newly acquired land, Hosmer accelerated efforts to fence out cattle and goats and planted fast-growing hardy trees. The goals were three-fold: to stop erosion, restore the watershed and provide for Hawai‘i’s timber needs. Hosmer’s experimental plantation high on the slopes of Haleakalā now bears his name, “Hosmer’s Grove.” He planted species familiar from his Mainland forestry background: redwood, ash and pines. For years to come, foresters continued planting non-native species. These trees did prevent erosion on overgrazed lands, but some escaped cultivation to invade nearby ecosystems and crowd out native species.

Three species – Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), Mexican weeping pine (Pinus patula) and maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) – are particularly invasive. They persistently threaten Haleakalā National Park and The Nature Conservancy’s Waikamoi Preserve, transforming native stands into pine forests. Pines grow fast, up to one foot per year and reach maturity quickly, producing seeds within six to eight years. A massive amount of tiny seeds spread easily on the wind, help these pines colonize new areas. Removing pines has proven essential to maintaining the shrub-land and alpine habitat of Haleakalā.

Over the years, crews at Haleakalā National Park have stopped a veritable woodland of pines. Bill Haus and the crew he works with have removed 87,920 pines from the park and surrounding areas since 1982. According to Natural Resource Program Manager Steve Anderson, “Without control, the slopes of the subalpine shrub land would be a pine forest.” Subalpine shrub land is critical habitat for a native plants and animals; conversion to a pine forest would turn this rare Hawaiian ecosystem into a biological desert – no native plants like māmane, pūkiawe, ‘ōhelo or ‘a‘ali‘i; no native birds like the ‘i‘iwi and ‘amakihi.

Monteray pine (Pinus radiata) growing inside Haleakalā crater alongside silverswords. There have been a flush of pine seedlings inside the crater in the last few years. Forrest and Kim Starr photo.

Monteray pine (Pinus radiata) growing inside Haleakalā crater alongside silverswords. There have been a flush of pine seedlings inside the crater in the last few years. Forrest and Kim Starr photo.

Pines threaten the crater as well. Haus and his crew have removed more than 1,500 pines from inside the crater, with a peak of 778 in 2010.

Anderson said: “I wouldn’t have thought it was possible (for the crater to become a pine forest) several years ago, but it’s clear that potential exists now.”

The recent flush of pine could be the result of the 2007 Polipoli fire. Pines, including those invading Haleakalā Crater, are serotinous, meaning certain pine cones are coated with a waxy substance. These cones stay closed until the heat of a fire melts the coating to release seeds. As an ecological adaptation, it helps pines take advantage of the ash-fertile conditions following a fire. But in Hawai‘i, this adaptation may offer a unique seed-scattering advantage. The Polipoli fire possibly spurred a huge seed release and associated winds carried the seeds into the crater. Pine seedlings are even growing alongside silverswords.

You can help protect the crater from pines, and take home a pine tree! Several organizations will be working with volunteers to remove pines in time for the holidays. Friends of Haleakalā National Park leads efforts to remove pine trees from the crater. Check out their website at fhnp.org for more information.

The Nature Conservancy will be working below Hosmer’s Grove on Dec. 17. Call or email Pat Bily at 856-7665 or pbily@tnc.org for details and to confirm attendance. Both trips are free and open to the public. Dress for wintery weather and bring rain gear, water, tools and rope to bring home your tree or wreath making supplies. Participants also may bring food. Eggnog is optional.

By Lissa Fox Strohecker
Originally published in the Maui News, December 11, 2011 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column. Check out all of the MISC articles in the Kia`i Moku series at: www.hear.org/misc/mauinews/

Filed Under: Get Involved!, Invasive Plants, Watershed impacts Tagged With: haleakala national park, harvest pines, invasive pine trees, invasive species, Mexican weeping pine in hawaii, Monteray pine in Hawaii, the nature conservancy, volunteer opportunity, watershed threats

Pampas Gone Wild-Haipua‘ena Part 2

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Lissa Strohecker Leave a Comment

Here’s a young, but mature, pampas grass in a mostly native rainforest…pulling this guy up will leave a big hole in the groundcover, a hole means a foothold for another invasive species, in many ways doing more harm than good.

young, but mature, pampas grass in a mostly native rainforest
But if we leave the plant alone we’ll continue to loose our watershed and native species to this high-threat invasive plant.  How can we remove it?  Keep reading…

p10501421. Remove the seed-heads.

tie it in a knot2. Tie the pampas in a knot. this is what we refer to as the “ponytail” method; bringing all the pampas leaves together makes it easier to treat and marks the plant as one we’ve treated.

bury the seed-heads3. Bury the seed-heads deep within the plant. This keeps the seeds from dispersing on the wind, likely how this plant arrived here in the first place.

spray plant4. With the seed-heads tucked away and the plant tied together crews can apply a low-concentration herbicide directly to the plant (another benefit of the ponytail method-no over-spray). Within a month the plant will be dead and beginning to decompose and native vegetation will be intact and poised to reclaim this patch of invaded rainforest. The location of each plant we control is recorded with a GPS so it can be monitored in the future to ensure no seedlings have germinated.

There you have it-how to control invasive pampas grass a native rainforest on Maui.

Stay posted to learn how to spot a pampas grass.

Sunset in Haipuena

The sun sets on another day of field work in the remote rainforest of East Maui

Filed Under: In the field, Invasive Plants, MISC Target Species, Watershed impacts Tagged With: Cortaderia jubata, invasive species, maui, pampas grass, rainforest, watershed

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