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HISC News is a semi-monthly newsletter that provides 1) recurring updates from active response efforts, 2) announcements and programmatic updates from agencies and partners, and 3) upcoming events. This newsletter is sent to the full HISC email list, and readers can subscribe/unsubscribe at hisc.hawaii.gov.
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Active response updates
HISC agencies and partners address a large number of invasive species issues across the state. Below are brief status updates for a few priority response efforts. For information on other invasive species projects, visit hisc.hawaii.gov, hdoa.hawaii.gov, or dlnr.hawaii.gov.
- Little Fire Ant (LFA):
- LFA have recently been detected in American Samoa and the Hawaii Ant Lab is assisting in developing a response strategy.
 - If you find that you or your organization has an issue with invasive ants, please feel free to contact the Hawaii Ant Lab at (808) 315-5656. We are here to assist with best management plans for any situation.
- Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB):
- For more information or pictures, please contact the CRB Response at 679-5244 or BeetleBustersHI@gmail.com
- Rapid Ohia Death (ROD):
- In late 2018, Ceratocystis lukuohia, the more virulent of the two fungal pathogens causing Rapid ʻŌhi‘a Death (ROD), was confirmed in trees on Department of Hawaiian Home Lands property behind Kalalea Mountain on the east side of Kaua‘i. This first detection of C. lukuohia comes after the other pathogen resulting in ROD, Ceratocystis huliohia, had been detected on Kauai in three distinct locations since May 2018, including the north, south, and east sides.
- In an effort to get ahead of the potential spread of ROD to the three islands of Maui County and the island of Oʻahu, a Maui-based consulting company has been hired to create interagency response plans for those locations. Anders Lyons of Kapalaea Consultants LLC has over 20 years’ experience in environmental conservation work in Hawaiʻi. Lyons has worked very closely with the ROD working groups on each island to compile available resources and to draft a coordinated response plan under the Incident Command System structure (ICS). These plans will allow conservation agencies to respond quickly, and in an organized coordinated way, to any sign of the spread of ROD to Maui County or Oʻahu. On Kauaʻi, Lyons is working with conservation agencies to support the development of longer-term management plans to contain the two types of ROD which have been detected there.
- ROD Symposia:
- March 9, 2019 - Hilo
- March 30, 2019 - Kona
- Recommended Actions to Prevent the Spread of ROD:
- 1) Keep your eyes open. If you see ʻōhiʻa with a limb or crown turning brown, take a picture, and contact KISC via email (saveohia@hawaii.edu) or phone (808-821-1490). Samples of the wood must be taken by trained technicians and tested in a laboratory to confirm the presence of the ROD fungi.
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- 2) Avoid injuring ʻōhiʻa. Wounds serve as entry points for the fungus and increase the odds that the tree will become infected and die from ROD. Avoid pruning and contact with heavy equipment wherever possible.
- 3) Clean gear and tools, including shoes and clothes, before and after entering the forest and areas where ʻōhiʻa may be present. Brush all soil off tools and gear, then spray with 70% rubbing alcohol. Wash clothes with hot water and soap.
- 4) Wash your vehicle with a high-pressure hose or washer if you’ve been off-roading or have picked up mud from driving. Clean all soil off tires--including mountain bikes and motorcycles--and vehicle undercarriage.
- 5) Don’t move ʻōhiʻa wood or ʻōhiʻa parts, including adjacent soil. The disease can be spread to new areas by moving plants, plant parts, and wood from infected areas to non-infected areas.
- MEDIA RESOURCES
(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)
- ROD Newsletter: To view the current issue of the newsletter click the link as follows: http://mailchi.mp/e1ed2686c31b/rapid-hia-death-newsletter
- ROD Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RapidOhiaDeath/
- Research Update:
- Learn more about the ROD Seed Banking Initiative and sign up for future workshops at ohialove.com.
- The Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Strategic Response Plan is available at www.rapidohiadeath.org
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Program & Project Updates
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Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR)
Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA)
- Please visit the link above for general information.
- Rapid Ohia Death (ROD)
- ROD Reminder: Anyone on ROD-free islands with suspect trees should call their local Invasive Species Committee (see links below under University of Hawaii's Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit) so that any samples go through HDOA's Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB) and not through the regular post – More information can be found at www.rapidohiadeath.org.
Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) - Please visit the link at left for general information.
Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT)
- Mamalu Poepoe (Sphere of Protection) Project - Mamalu Poepoe is a project funded by the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) for a period of 5 years. The program is being coordinated through the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC) and aims at increasing surveillance of invasive species at six airport facilities on the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii. The program targets Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB), Africanized honeybees (AHB), ants and mosquitoes.
- The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is the lead agency for the work on ants, CRB and AHB and the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) is the lead agency for the work on mosquitoes. Mamalu Poepoe is partnering with the Invasive Species Committees (ISC’s) and the Hawaii Ant Lab (HAL) to conduct the monitoring activities.
University of Hawaii (UH) - Please visit the link at left and the links below for general information.
- College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR)
- Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU)
- Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC)
- Please visit the link above for general information.
- Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS)
- Please visit the link above for general information.
- Hawaii Alien Plant Informatics (HAPI) Project
- This project is compiling and analyzing all available alien plant data in Hawai‘i to help inform management decisions. Since February 2018 we’ve been working closely with the Bishop Museum to gain a finer understanding of where hundreds of introduced species fall on the naturalization spectrum. We are still seeking input from anyone who uses or collects information on alien plants within the state, and are reaching out to anyone who is willing to give feedback. Please follow this link to participate. Mahalo to those who have agreed to share their data – we’ll be following up shortly!
- Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (HPWRA)
- New Assessments: The HPWRA promotes responsible and informed planting choices by providing an objective, science-based and accurate method of assessing the invasive potential of plants being imported into and/or planted within the Hawaiian Islands. In the past two months, 12 new assessments have been completed bringing the latest total of screened plant species to 2001. Of note were five assessments provided to a Maui ranch interested in planting cover/refuge crops within silvicultural Acacia koa groves. The ranch’s intentions are to attract beneficial insects that may help control psyllids, without introducing new invasive plant species to the island.
- Community Outreach:
- New Kalopa Nature Trail Guide Sign
- Image above courtesy of Chuck Chimera - Technical and botanical assistance was provided to the Pa'auilo Mauka Kalopa Community Association (PMKCA) to update the Kalopa State Park trail guide and provide new park signage at the trail head. The updated guide now includes current taxonomy of native and non-native plants, an alert on the occurrence of Rapid Ohia Death in the park, and the addition of several prominent invasive plants encountered along the trail. The new sign features key native and invasive plants found in the park and along the trails.
- Climate Change & Invasive Species Presentation - January 30, 2019
 - Image above courtesy of Chuck Chimera - A presentation on climate change and invasive species was given on Wednesday, January 30 at the Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hamakua. Members of Hamakua Resistance, an East Hawaii environmental, social and political advocacy organization, were encouraged to utilize the weed risk assessment system and the Plant Pono website to avoid invasive plant species that exacerbate climate-change related impacts.
- 2019 East Hawaii Master Gardener Training
 - Photo above courtesy of Chuck Chimera - A 3-hour training session on native plants, invasive plants, and the weed risk assessment system was given to the 2019 East Hawaii Master Gardener program on January 30. Twenty-two master gardener trainees attended the presentations that focused on invasive plants of Hawaii, using the weed risk assessment system, the Plant Pono program, and an overview of native plant diversity in the islands.
- New Plant Pono Website: https://plantpono.org/:
 - Photo above courtesy of Chuck Chimera - Thanks to the efforts of Big Island Invasive Committee staff, especially Molly Murphy and Franny Brewer, Sky Harrison (HBIN), and Websites with Aloha, the redesigned Plant Pono website has finally relaunched! Users can once again browse the site to select pono, or native and low risk, non-invasive plants for their gardening and landscaping choices and to learn about which invasive plants to avoid. All past and current assessments will soon be available at this site and will continue to be posted at hpwra.org.
- Kaua`i Invasive Species Committee (KISC)
- Please visit the link above for general information.
 - Photo above courtesy of KISC - KISC appreciated solid support as all hands rallied in response to discovery of C. lukuohia on Kauai. A team from BISC flew in for a week to join crews from KISC, DOFAW, and community volunteers in conducting ground surveys and sampling.
- Work continues as rapidly as possible to delimit Rapid Ohia Death extent on Kauai in coordination with the Kauai ROD Working Group. Meanwhile, intensive ROD Outreach efforts are focusing on raising public awareness and bio-sanitation training for forest users.
- KISC responded to several coqui reports and captured four individual frogs at three locations. In addition, the location at Kapahi, which was suspected in December to have a breeding population, was treated with citric acid spray. So far, the treatment appears successful as no further coqui reports have been received from Kapahi. The area will continue to be monitored for 12 months to cover the full life cycle of the frogs.
- A number of KISC and partner outreach events during February were held or promoted in celebration of Hawaii Invasive Species Awareness Month. These included Kauai Ocean Fest; Rapid Ohia Death documentary film showings at Lihue, Princeville, and Hanapepe Libraries and Café Haa; volunteer work days at Huleia Fishponds and Makauwahi Cave Reserve; and the annual volunteer work day for invasive species removal in Kokee forest, co-hosted by KISC with the Kokee Resource Conservation Program, Kauai Forest Birds Recovery Project, and Kaimi Naauao O Hawaii Nei in conjunction with the annual Hawaiian blessing in Kokee.
 - Photo above courtesy of Office of the Governor - KISC congratulates Tim Flynn, past Chair and member since inception of the Kauai Invasive Species Committee, on well-deserved recognition as Kauai MVP at the 2019 HISAM Awards.
- 2018 Year-End Update
- Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
- Please visit the link above for general information.
- Molokai-Maui Invasive Species Committee (MoMISC)
- Please visit the link above for general information.
- O`ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC)
- Please visit the link above for general information.
- If you know of a naio anywhere on Oʻahu, please report it to www.643pest.org or to OISC at oisc@hawaii.edu or 808-286-4616. GPS points and photos are especially welcome! We will check the naio for thrips and put it on a monitoring list that we will create once treatment is completed. If you live or work near a naio and would like to adopt it and check it for thrips periodically, please let us know at oisc@hawaii.edu. We will take your name down and contact you when we are ready to start monitoring.
- Want to more about naio thrips? Check out http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/invasive-species-profiles/naio-thrips/. If you have specific questions about the response, please call Rachel at 808-266-7994 or email at oiscmgr@hawaii.edu
- For more information about OISC targets, please visit: www.oahuisc.org.
- Next meeting: April 9th from 9:30-12:30 at Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Gardens Visitor Center.
HISC Support
- Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council (HISC)
- Please visit the link above for general information.
- The HISC Facebook page now has over 820 followers. Please Like & Follow HISC on Facebook to receive updates from HISC news, posts from our website, and invasive species-related posts from our constituent agencies and partners.
- 643pest.org, 643-PEST app, or the 643-PEST (7378) telephone hotline.
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- 643PEST.org online pest reporting received and answered 68 pest reports during the Jan-Feb 2019 time period. Pest report facilitators were able to confirm the identification of the species reported for 49 of those reports, with 43 of those being for widespread invasive species and 9 reports forwarded to state agencies and groups for further action.
- Report Categories:
- 2% - Non-standard (unverifiable)
- 8% - Species ID not possible
- 8% Pending species ID verification
- 14% - Forwarded to State Agency (ie HDOA) for Response
- 68% - Unactionable (wide-spread species)
- Reports by island:
- Kauai - 0
- Molokai - 2
- Maui - 8
- Hawaii - 22
- Oahu - 36
- Stinging Ants:
- There were 14 stinging ant reports from across the state. 643PEST.org mailed out 4 Little Fire Ant test kits to those that requested them.
 - Got flatworms?
We are asking people across the state to report flatworms to 643pest.org as part of a push to collect specimens for identification by the Bishop Museum. Flatworms, also known as hammerhead worms, are presumed to be found throughout the state. The Bishop Museum would like to identify the diversity of species found on each island. Please keep any flatworms found contained and alive. The most productive time to find and collect flatworms is on warm nights after a light to moderate rainfall, when these mollusks are active and out in the open. Flatworms, like other land molluscs in Hawaii, are potential carriers of rat lungworm parasites. Use care when handling.
- The HISC Brown Bag series continues! Check the link in the Upcoming Events section below for the next presentation dates & topics.
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