Contemporary Hawaiian Insect Fauna of a Lowland Agricultural Area on Kaua'i: Implications for Local and Island-wide Fruit Fly Eradication Programs
Contemporary Hawaiian Insect Fauna of a Lowland Agricultural Area on Kaua'i: Implications for Local and Island-wide Fruit Fly Eradication Programs
Date
1993-01
Authors
Asquith, Adam
Messing, Russell H.
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Publisher
University of Hawaii Press
Abstract
We sampled the insect fauna of a 900-ha, lowland agricultural
area on the northeast shore of Kaua'i to identify native and beneficial species
that could be potentially impacted by USDA fruit fly control measures. Of the
283 species currently identified, only 24 species (<10%) are endemic to Hawai'i,
and most of these are common species occurring on all the major islands. Stream
and riparian systems, more than any other habitat, appear to still harbor the
greatest number of endemic species. Lack of adequate taxonomic and distributional
information for some species presents a major obstacle in the development
of safe eradication technologies in lowland agricultural areas. Twenty-five
species represent biological control agents purposefully introduced to suppress
noxious pests, and numerous other inadvertent immigrants functioning as predators,
pollinators, and in nutrient recycling should also be considered in any
impact assessment. This survey suggests that the expansion of control measures
to other agricultural areas and different habitats should consider the likely
presence and potential impact on endemic species.
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Citation
Asquith A, Messing RH. 1993. Contemporary Hawaiian insect fauna of a lowland agricultural area on Kaua'i: implications for local and island-wide fruit fly eradication programs. Pac Sci 47(1): 1-16.
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