Wekiu bug monitoring project (appeared on Malama Mauna Kea)

Author:

Brenner, Gregory J.

Title:

Wekiu bug monitoring project (appeared on Malama Mauna Kea)

Year:

2011

Volume:

2011

Subject:

Mauna Kea Science Reserve Nysius wekiuicola Outrigger Telescope Project Wekiu bug

Summary:

An Anthropod Assessment of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve was done in 1997/98. Dr. Gregory Brenner of Pacific Analytics, was a principal investigator of the assessment and spent several years studying the Wekiu (Hawaiian for "top" or "summit") bug, (Nysius wekiuicola), a flightless bug in the Lydaeidae family that lives on the summit of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii. Unlike many true bugs, the Wekiu bug is a predator that has made a remarkable adaptation to living on Mauna Kea, one of the most unusual natural habitats in the world. While many true bugs are herbivores that feed on seeds and plant juices, the Wekiu bug is a predator that feeds on wind-carried insects that are blown to the mountain from surrounding lowlands by using the straw-like features of its mouth. These aeolian insects, such as Ladybugs, small flies, butterflies and moths accumulate in protected pockets on the high-elevation cinder cones but since they are not adapted to the cold temperatures of the summit, they quickly become easy prey for the Wekiu bug as these insects quickly weaken to the brink of death and eventually succumb to the harsh environment of the summit. Since the Wekiu bug is candidate for listing as an endangered species, this document describes a Wekiu bug mitigation plan that was developed by the W. M. Keck Observatory (WMKO) that would provide guidance for protecting and enhancing the Wekiu bug population and its habitat for the proposed "Outrigger" telescopes that was planned to serve as an addition to the WMKO.

URL:

http://www.malamamaunakea.org/?page_id=147

Collection:

Monographs