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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
- In recent reports, the CRB Response has highlighted success in reducing CRB activity at Mamala Bay Golf Course, the first and largest site of CRB breeding on Oahu. More recently, the area of success has extended to all management zones on the East side of Pearl Harbor including Mamala Bay Golf Course, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam proper, Ford Island, and Navy-Marine Golf Course.
- Since CRB feed on the growing shoots in the center of the palm, damage typically becomes visible several months after feeding activity. Therefore, there is a lag in the positive correlation of CRB activity and palm damage recorded between 2014 and 2015. The subsequent years show a downhill trend, finding only 4 CRB in traps and 0 new damaged palms in 2019.
- The opposite trend of increased trap finds and new damaged palms are occurring in the Pearl City peninsula area. However, the Response has been working closely to formulate a plan for major mitigation of breeding sites with landowners and lessees in the area. A more in-depth update for island-wide efforts will be provided for the HISC Brownbag series on Friday, May 3, 2019.
- 5/3/19: HISC Brown Bag #21: HDOA's CRB Response: 5 Year Status
 - PC: Nate Yuen
- Rapid Ohia Death (ROD):
- UH Lyon Arboretum is happy to announce phase two of the Rapid ʻŌhiʻa
Death Seed Banking Initiative, and a second series of ʻŌhiʻa Seed Conservation
Workshops in 2019, made possible by funding from Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.
The workshops aim to expand capacity for collection and banking of ʻōhiʻa seeds across
all islands in response to the ROD crisis. They are free and open to anyone who wants to
learn how to properly collect, handle, and process ʻōhiʻa seeds, without doing harm to
trees or forests, using methods that protect seed viability and ensure conservation value
for future restoration.
- We understand that blazing marks into trees to mark trails is a practice that is currently
used to help find a way out of a forest. This practice has been common throughout
history and due to ROD it is a practice that must be altered. ROD needs a wound to
infect a tree, and our field crews have found infected ʻōhiʻa trees that have wounds
created by people who have repeatedly cut blazes into the bark, probably to help them
find their way. There are better ways to mark a trail such as sticking a piece of paper on
a branch. Paper will eventually degrade but once an ʻōhiʻa is wounded, the tree is likely
to become infected and die. Blazing invasive species such as strawberry guava or albizia
isn't going to do any harm, but we all need to do our part to protect our ʻōhiʻa and other native trees.
- 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)
- Please visit the link above for general information.
- 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)
- 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, 18 new assessments and one revised assessment have been completed, bringing the latest total of screened plant species to 2020. Of note was an assessment for USDA-NRCS to evaluate the risks of using the shade-tolerant grass, Dactyloctenium australe, under Macadamia nut orchards on Hawaii island. All new and previously completed assessments can be accessed at the redesigned Plant Pono website: (https://plantpono.org/)
 - Community Outreach:
- Kalopa State Park: Two half-days (March 5 & April 2) were spent with volunteers from the Pa'auilo Mauka Kalopa Community Association (PMKCA) assisting in identification and control of Ficus macrophylla (Moreton bay fig) and other invasive weeds on the park’s nature trail.
- Botany Training and Plant ID Workshop: A 3-day botany, plant identification, and weed risk assessment training session for statewide USDA-NRCS staff has been tentatively scheduled for August 2019.
- Kaua`i Invasive Species Committee (KISC)
- Please visit the link above for general information.
 - March and April were busy outreach months for KISC with a total of 14 events, including the Kauai Garden Fair, Ag Awareness Day, two Earth Day events, six school events, two
volunteer events and a community workshop.
- ROD outreach efforts additionally included five screenings of the “Saving ʻŌhiʻa”
documentary, two ʻōhiʻa seed banking workshops, a trailside presentation to travel
journalists, and distribution of HTA-sponsored decontamination kits.
- Work continues to delimit Rapid Ohia Death on Kauai in coordination with the Kauai ROD
Working Group. A press release during this period updated the number of trees testing
positive for ROD in the Anahola area to 14 with C. lukuohia and 15 with C. huliohia. Plans for installation of signs and boot scrubbing stations at trailheads around the island were also announced.
- No further coqui reports have been received from Kapahi following treatment in February.
The area will continue to be monitored for 12 months to cover the full life cycle of the
frogs.
- KISC offered commendations and thanks to two alert local residents who noticed a miconia plant while out hiking, recognized it, and submitted a photograph and GPS details. Their quick action enabled location and removal of several previously undetected miconia growing adjacent to the Wailua buffer area – a great example of Citizen Science in action!
- Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
- Please visit the link above for general information.
- Plants: Crews have begun the backcountry pampas season with work in Hanaula in West Maui. Additionally, crew has been busy addressing ivy gourd populations in Waihee.
- Coqui: Thanks to an infusion of staff from the plant crew during March, the coqui crew has been making headway installing infrastructure in a large gulch to the east Kokomo Road along the invasion front.The community engagement program encouraging community-led management of coqui within residential areas has begun. So far, 2 neighborhoods are actively controlling coqui during MISC facilitated control weeks and a third neighborhood has gone through the planning process and will begin control in mid-May.
- Ants: A new infestation of little fire ants was found in the Happy Valley neighborhood of Wailuku. The infestation is between 3 and 4 acres in size and on no more than ten properties. MISC is nearly finished building and testing a spray rig to treat the 20+ acre Nahiku infestation by helicopter.
- Outreach: MISC staff participated in the East Maui Taro Festival, the Maui Earth Day Festival, and the Haiku Hoolaulea Flower Festival. Partnering with Haleakala Ranch and conservation partners, MISC worked with 1300 second craters across Maui to create “seed balls” containing koa and mamane to be planted on leeward Halaeakala dry forest. The focus of the activity was on the importance of a healthy forest to our water needs.
- 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.
- 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 administrative branch requests from HDOA and DLNR this year did quite well, with the exception of 10 positions for DLNR DOFAW to work on invasive species in protected areas. Other items were partially funded ($750k for ROD instead of $2M). Several bills that were initiated by legislators were also approved, including property access authorities. We’ll plan to share this flyer with legislators to note progress and highlight remaining needs in the coming years of the Biosecurity Plan.
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/files/2019/05/2019-Biosecurity-Outcomes-final.pdf
- The HISC Facebook page now has over 880 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.
- Invasive species and biosecurity are featured in this month’s Capitol Connection, the newsletter of Governor David Ige: https://governor.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/NEW-FINAL-MAY-2019-Capitol-Connection.pdf
- A public forum on biosecurity and invasive species was held by the Environmental Council in partnership with DLNR and HDOA. Speakers presented on agricultural inspection, albizia trees, mosquito control, rapid ohia death, and little fire ants. All presentations can be found at DLNR’s video site, here: https://vimeo.com/album/5886423
 - Governor Ige is the chair of the Western Governors’ Association, and his Biosecurity and Invasive Species Initiative continues to spur discussion on invasive species across the western region. Recent webinars include “Conservation Districts and Invasive Species” (featuring Mae Nakahata of the Maui County Soil and Water District) and “Exploring the State-APHIS Relationship” (featuring Jonathan Ho, HDOA Plant Quarantine Acting Manager, and Rob Hauff, State Protection Forester). Webinars are available on the WGA website: http://westgov.org/initiatives/biosecurity-and-invasive-species-initiative/webinars
- 643pest.org, 643-PEST app, or the 643-PEST (7378) telephone hotline.
- 643PEST.org online pest reporting received and answered 36 pest reports during May 2019. Pest report facilitators were able to confirm the identification of the species reported for 24 of those reports, with 21 of those being for widespread invasive species and 4 reports forwarded to state agencies and groups for further action.
 - There were 4 stinging ant reports from across the state, and one Little Fire Ant test kit mailed to those that requested them.
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- Pest Report of the Month
- Callirhipis robusta
 - This beetle from SE Asia is the first Callirhipid Cedar Beetle to become established in Hawaiʻi. They were first detected in 1989 and now can be found in limited areas of Oʻahu. They are attracted to house lights, which is when they are most likely to be encountered. These beetles spend much of their life cycle in the decaying soft wood of fallen trees.
- 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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Upcoming events
- HISC Brown Bag: Stay Tuned for the next Brown Bag presentations and see past presentations here: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/category/brownbag/
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5/3/19: BB#21: HDOA's CRB Response: 5 Year Status
5/9/19: BB#22: Hawaii Ant Lab's LFA Response: 5 Year Status - details at link/below:
HISC Brown Bag #22: Hawaii Ant Lab - 5 Year Status After 1st Oahu Detection
Thursday, May 9, 2019 12:00 pm | 1 hour | (UTC-10:00) Hawaii
Meeting number: 741 552 772
Password: H!$Cbb#22
https://mmancusa.webex.com/mmancusa/j.php?MTID=m14e28237e8bb8955b76ea869a9a24b03
Join by phone
1-877-787-0206 Call-in toll-free number (Verizon)
1-877-787-0206 Call-in number (Verizon)
499 006 3 Attendee access code
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