Kia‘i Moku: Biological controls in Hawaii have worked for the most part In 1883, Hawaii plantation ia i oku K ‘ M owners jumped on the By Lissa Strohecker mongoose bandwagon. With little regard for potential impacts, the now defunct Hilo Achieving Planters Association released balance 72 mongoose from Jamaica - in your in Hilo. Another batch of workplace, mongoose from eastern India at home, was brought to the Hamakua on your coast in 1885. surfboard or with your Subsequent offspring were checkbook - makes life released on Maui, Oahu and manageable. Natural Kauai. For an unknown reason, the crate delivered on Kauai Above: The invasive erythrina gall Below: The undergrowth and moss environments depend upon wasp that threatened wiliwili trees, are lacking in the forests invaded by balance as well. was kicked off the dock. To date mongoose have not such as this one, was brought under invasive species, such as the forest Invasive pests have been control by a parasitoid wasp. with the non-native strawberry guava. established on Kauai, though a disturbing the natural balance Maui Invasive Species Committee file photo CHRISTOPER TAYLOR photo of Hawaiian eco-systems for single female was found killed centuries, ever since the arrival by a car in 1972. of the rat with early Polynesian Mongoose do eat rats, in explorers. Bringing invasive Hawaii and elsewhere, but species into better balance with mongoose are opportunistic the environment is nothing new predators, eating primarily here in Hawaii. An effective insects, with birds, eggs and biological control, or natural a handful of plants mixed in. predator, can transform a Additionally, mongooses are devastating invasive species active during the day, rats at into a mild pest. night. The vast majority of The introduction of the biological control efforts in mongoose further tipped the Hawaii have been successful: balance of the environment in panini cactus that once choked the wrong direction: now both pastureland is now checked mongoose and rats threaten by three predatory insects populations of native birds, will restore balance, keeping “host-jumping,” or biological and a plant fungus; white particularly ground-nesting the pest wasp in check. controls attacking other loosestrife, or pamakani, is species like nene and petrels. When mongoose were species. continually attacked by two The mongoose introduction brought to Hawaii, there Yes, the infamous mongoose insects and another plant was not an example of classical were no restrictions on plant ran amok, but it arrived fungus; and recently, the biological control; it was an and animal imports. Impacts during an “anything goes” Erythrina gall wasp, that wiped impulsive, untested whim. on other species were an era in Hawaiian history. out ornamental coral trees and Today, when researchers look afterthought, if considered at The mongoose - or any threatened the native wiliwili for biological controls for a all. It wasn’t until King David opportunistic predator - would with extinction, was leveled by particular pest, they survey Kalakaua enacted the “Laws of never be considered suitable a parasitoid wasp. the pest’s native habitat for the Hawaiian Islands” that any for introduction by today’s Yet, just as impulsive actions species that counteract the regulation existed to limit the standards. Biological controls sabotage balance in our own pest’s invasive characteristics. introduction of new species to are an important tool - lives - think diet fads and Before any new organisms are Hawaii. sometimes the only tool - that overexercising - the same introduced in Hawaii, they are Government-led pest can restore balance in Hawaiian kind of recklessness results subjected to intensive testing management didn’t begin until ecosystems. in greater instability in our in quarantine to determine 10 years after sugar growers environment. potential impacts on any other introduced the mongoose. ■ * Lissa Fox Strohecker is the Such is the case with the species. The provisional government public relations and education small Indian mongoose, Successful candidates for appointed Albert Koebele as specialist for the Maui Herpestus javanicus. In 1872, biological control have evolved the chief entomologist, the first Invasive Species Committee. a sugar planter released nine over millennia alongside their of many tasked with preventing She holds a biological sciences mongoose on Jamaica with target; some are dependent new and controlling existing degree from Montana State the hope it would control rats solely on the target species pest populations. University. Kia’i Moku, in cane fields. The planter for survival. For example, the Biological control has a “Guarding the Island,” is considered it successful and Eurytoma wasp that saved long and successful history prepared by the Maui Invasive published a paper about it. the wiliwili will die without in Hawaii. In fact, California Species Committee to provide Mongoose populations grew access to Erythina gall wasps. and Hawaii lead the world in information on protecting the and offspring were sold to Consequently, Eurytoma successful releases of natural island from invasive plants and plantations throughout the populations will stop short predators. Ever since testing of animals that can threaten the Caribbean, Cuba and Puerto of entirely eliminating the biological controls began, there island’s environment, economy Rico. Erythrina gall wasp. Rather it have been no incidences of and quality of life. As published in the Maui News, April 8, 2012.