Rapid ohia death has been detected for the first time on the Waianae mountain range, according to state officials.

During surveys, the Oahu Invasive Species Committee detected a roughly 40-foot ohia tree that had fallen, with symptoms of the fungal disease that kills Hawaii’s native ohia trees. The news is alarming because previously, the island’s ROD cases had been limited to the Koolau range.

After analysis of a sample from the afflicted tree, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service lab in Hilo confirmed the presence of Ceratocystis huliohia, the less aggressive of the two fungal strains causing rapid ohia death. A team returned to the tree to keep infected material from spreading.

OISC also found another tree with rapid ohia death in Kaneohe, bringing the total detections for Oahu since the first one in 2019 to 12.

The more aggressive ROD species, C. lukuohia, is currently limited to Hawaii island and Kauai.

This week, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture also reminded Merrie Monarch travelers that ohia lehua cannot be transported from Hawaii island due to quarantine restrictions to prevent the spread of ROD.

The quarantine restricts the movement of all ohia plants and plant parts, including flowers, leaves, seeds, stems, twigs, cuttings, untreated wood, logs, mulch, greenwaste, frass and soil.

Report dead or unhealthy ohia trees by submitting a photo to oisc@hawaii.edu or online at www.643PEST.org.