State and federal officials are looking for help in their campaign to stop the spread of an invasive insect that is killing a native tree species on Oahu known as the naio.
The tiny Myoporum thrip — less than a tenth of an inch in size — has terrorized forests of naio on Hawaii island for at least a decade.
But now the killer has found its way to Oahu, state officials said Friday.
Naio, also called false sandalwood, is an important part of Oahu’s coastal ecosystems and is commonly used in landscaping, officials said.
Authorities were alerted to the infestation in November from a social media post that described dying naio trees in the Kalihi area.
Entomologists from the state Department of Agriculture confirmed the culprit, setting into motion an Early Detection and Rapid Response Plan that was created five years ago in anticipation of the insect’s probable arrival.
The plan detailed the location of many of Oahu’s naio trees and established a response protocol.
“It gave us a huge leg up on the infestation,” said
Cynthia King, state Division of Forestry and Wildlife entomologist.
Meetings were held with representatives from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the Oahu Army Natural Resources Program, Bishop Museum, Honolulu Botanical Gardens, Honolulu Zoo, Kamehameha Schools, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oahu Invasive Species Committee and some private citizens.
They each surveyed naio on the property under their control, and the Oahu Invasive Species Committee examined other areas.
Of 619 plants surveyed, only 42 showed signs of Myoporum thrips at 10 different locations across the island.
Seven of those locations have been treated so far, King said. The treatment involves cutting down infested trees, spraying them with insect-killing soap, gathering up the plant material in a tarp and taking it away for disposal.
On Thursday, state crews removed 10 trees from the Honolulu Forest Reserve in the Moanalua area, officials said.
Officials are encouraging anyone who knows the whereabouts of naio anywhere on the island to report it.
In addition, they are looking for people willing to adopt trees and check on them periodically for the presence of thrips.
The tiny insects are narrow and dark brown to black in color, but damage to the plant is more likely to be visible than the thrips themselves.
To report naio trees, go to 643pest.org, send an email to oisc@hawaii.edu or call 286-4616. To volunteer to monitor, send an email to oisc@hawaii.edu.
