01/26/23 – ENDANGERED HAWAIIAN PICTURE-WINGED FLIES A KEY PIECE TO …

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON For Immediate Release:  January 26, 2023 ENDANGERED HAWAIIAN PICTURE-WINGED FLIES A KEY PIECE TO RESTORED ECOSYSTEM To view video please click on photo or view at this link: https://vimeo.com/652535473 (HONOLULU) – Small invertebrates and microfauna, like endangered Hawaiian picture-winged flies, play an important role in providing balance to our natural ecosystems. Scientists and researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH) and the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) are working together to re-establish picture-winged fly populations, including of Drosophila hemipeza, an endangered species. The project’s aim is to help restore ecosystem stability, support natural biodiversity, and reduce the likelihood of the species’ extinction. Historically, D. hemipeza populations were found at multiple sites in both the Ko‘olau and Wai‘anae ranges of O‘ahu. Today, their numbers are greatly diminished, and their range is significantly reduced. It is believed that Palikea, in the Waiʻanae Range, may be the only remaining site for these flies and few are left there. “Contributing factors to their decline include a range of issues that a lot of other native insects face: deforestation, predation and competition from invasives, native host plant destruction from pigs, and climate change,” said Kelli
Read More