{"id":188352,"date":"2025-08-31T01:31:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T01:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/188352\/"},"modified":"2025-08-31T01:31:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-31T01:31:09","slug":"invasive-insect-detected-on-kauai-attacking-native-naio-plant-big-island-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/188352\/","title":{"rendered":"Invasive insect detected on Kaua\u2018i, attacking native naio plant : Big Island Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\"\"Myoporum thrips, invasive insects that attack native naio plants. (Photo courtesy: DLNR)<\/p>\n

Myoporum thrips, invasive insects that attack native naio plants, have been detected for the first time on the island of Kaua\u02bbi.<\/p>\n

The new detection is the result of a report submitted by a member of the public via the 643pest.org<\/a> website earlier this month. This situation is being cooperatively managed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the Kaua\u02bbi Invasive Species Committee and the Hawai\u02bbi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn early detection and response plan was developed for Kaua\u02bbi in 2013 by KISC, DOFAW, and HDAB. Having that plan in place helped the agencies respond quickly in this case, and partners are hopeful that the rapid response may lead to successful containment or even island-wide eradication,\u201d said Rob Hauff, forest health coordinator with DOFAW. \u201cHelp from Kaua\u02bbi residents will be critical to ensuring the full infestation is discovered and treated.\u201d<\/p>\n

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/b>ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/b><\/p>\n

After receiving the tip, the Kaua\u02bbi Invasive Species Committee and the Hawai\u02bbi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity conducted island-wide surveys on cultivated naio plants, discovering two additional infestation locations. DOFAW is currently surveying wild naio populations across the island.<\/p>\n

\"\"Myoporum thrips, invasive insects that attacks native naio plants. (Photo courtesy: DLNR)<\/p>\n

\u201cMyoporum thrips feed on Myoporum leaf tissue and cause leaf curl, scarring, deformation or abnormal growths that damage the naio and can potentially lead to its death.\u201d Hauff added. \u201cNaio plants with this kind of damage should be checked closely for small black insects. Reports of any such damage or sign of thrips should be made immediately to 643pest.org.\u201d<\/p>\n

Naio, which grows as a tree or shrub, depending on the climate, is an important component of lowland and coastal dry forest ecosystems. Naio acts as host to several species of endemic insects and pollinators.<\/p>\n

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/b><\/p>\n

Myoporum thrips were first discovered in the state in 2009, on Hawai\u02bbi Island, where they are now widespread. The invasive insect was identified on O\u02bbahu in 2018 and confirmed on Moloka\u2019i in 2024.<\/p>\n

Pathways to potential introduction for the destructive pest are many and include the shipping of plants, equipment, parts of naio and thrips hitching a ride on humans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Myoporum thrips, invasive insects that attack native naio plants. (Photo courtesy: DLNR) Myoporum thrips, invasive insects that attack…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":188353,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[14887,14888,103559,105418,746,105419,105420,105421,48180,48181,105422,105423,51184,159,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-188352","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-big-island-news","9":"tag-big-island-now","10":"tag-dlnr","11":"tag-dofaw","12":"tag-environment","13":"tag-hawaii-department-of-agriculture-and-biosecurity","14":"tag-invasive-insects","15":"tag-kauai-invasive-species-committee","16":"tag-kauai-news","17":"tag-kauai-now","18":"tag-myoporum-thrips","19":"tag-naio","20":"tag-native-plants","21":"tag-science","22":"tag-united-states","23":"tag-unitedstates","24":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115120798853411115","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}