Publications

A new species of Isospora is described from the feces of the wattled honeyeater, Foulehaio carunculata from American Samoa. Numerous oocysts of similar morphology were found in a single adult wattled honeyeater. Sporulated oocysts are ovoid, 28.9 × 26.1 (25-32 × 23-30) µm, with a smooth, colorless, bilayered wall; the inner wall is slightly thicker and darker than the outer wall. The...

Many factors other than a species' actual abundance can affect mist-net capture rates. We used ANCOVA models to quantify some potential biases and control their effects, producing adjusted estimates of capture rates that are more directly comparable among mist-net stations. Data came from 46 two-day mist-net sessions from September 1990 to May 1992 at six subtropical forest stations in...

Limiting dispersal is a fundamental strategy in the control of invasive species, and in certain situations containment of incipient populations may be an important management technique. To test the feasibility of slowing the rapid spread of two Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) supercolonies in Haleakala National Park, Hawaii, we applied ant bait and toxicant within an experimental plot...

The 24-hour habitat use and home range of the Laysan Teal (Anas laysanensis), an endemic dabbling duck in Hawaii, was studied using radio telemetry during 1998-2000. Radios were retained for a mean of 40 days (0-123 d; 73 adult birds radio-tagged). Comparisons of daily habitat use were made for birds in the morning, day, evening, and night. Most birds showed strong evidence of selective...

We evaluated the abundance and distribution of low-elevation forest birds on windward Hawai'i Island during August 1993-February 1994, and present evidence of changes in the species composition of the forest bird community since 1979. Endemic Hawaiian birds occurred in native-dominated forests as low as 120 m elevation. Non-native species were detected at all survey locations. We...

We developed methods to capture and band Kalij Pheasants (Lophura leucomelanos) in their introduced range at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where they are not hunted and are relatively tame. Kalij were wary of foreign structures, such as traps, but readily took cracked corn bait and entered baited traps, provided they were introduced to them gradually. The majority of Kalij on the study...

Introduced black (Rattus rattus) and Polynesian (R. exulans) rats are damaging to native birds, insects, and plants in island ecosystems. We controlled rodent populations in a montane rainforest on the island of Hawaii to determine feasibility, cost, and effectiveness of ground-based rodent control in a rugged, remote rainforest habitat. Treatment was conducted 1996-99, from January to...

Several polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods have recently been developed for diagnosing malarial infections in both birds and reptiles, but a critical evaluation of their sensitivity in experimentally-infected hosts has not been done. This study compares the sensitivity of several PCR-based methods for diagnosing avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) in captive Hawaiian...

Species of water mites can be found in over 100 families and subfamilies and are known to occur in great abundance and diversity throughout the world (Smith & Cook, 1991). Not surprisingly, few fresh-water mites occur in the Hawaiian Islands (Nishida, 1994). Imamura (1981) reported two halacrid mites from O‘ahu and a fresh-water oribatid has been recently reported from O‘ahu and Moloka‘i...

One of the last surviving of the extraordinary “finch-billed” Hawaiian honeycreepers (Drepanidinae), the Palila epitomizes specialization for seed-eating as it relies almost entirely on immature (soft) seeds, flowers, and other resources produced or supported by mämane (Sophora chrysophylla: Fabaceae), an endemic dry-forest tree. Mämane seeds are highly nutritious, but a strong, sharp...

No abstract available.

The Hawaiian Islands, with their unique geological history and geographic position, provide an excellent natural laboratory in which to evaluate currently competing biological (BSC) and phylogenetic (PSC) concepts of the species. Although the BSC as historically applied in archipelagic situations is shown to be flawed in producing overlumped polytypic species, it nevertheless remains the