Scotorythra paludicola Scotorythra paludicola Scotorythra paludicola, the koa looper moth, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1879. It is endemic to the Hawaiian islands of Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii. The larvae mainly feed on "Acacia koa", but have also been recorded from "Falcataria moluccana", "Grevillea" and "Tristania" species. On occasion, this species develops enormous populations and defoliates entire areas with koa trees. During a recent outbreak of "S. paludicola" in 2013 on Hawaii Island, larvae were found to feed on isolated populations of the invasive tree "Falcataria moluccana" near Akaka Falls
Hawaiian tropical rainforests milo ("Thespesia populnea") for the past 1,000–2,000 years. The Polynesian-introduced noni ("Morinda citrifolia"), pia ("Tacca leontopetaloides"), and kī ("Cordyline fruticosa") are also common in this zone. Other native species include pololei ("Ophioglossum concinnum"), ākia ("Wikstroemia" spp.), loulu fan palms ("Pritchardia" spp.), ōhia lehua ("Metrosideros polymorpha"), and lama ("Diospyros sandwicensis"). Mixed mesic forests, at on the windward slopes of the large islands in addition to the summit of Mount Lānaihale on Lānai, receive of rainfall annually and thus may not be true rainforests. The forest canopy, dominated by koa ("Acacia koa") and ōhia lehua ("Metrosideros polymorpha"), is somewhat open, but tree