Koa wilt Koa wilt Koa wilt is a relatively new disease to Hawaii, discovered in 1980. Koa wilt is caused by a forma specialis of the fungus "Fusarium oxysporum", which is now abundant in Hawaiian soils and infects the native Acacia koa tree, a once-dominant species in the canopy of Hawaiian forests. Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. koae is believed to have been brought into Hawaii on an ornamental acacia plant. Fusarium fungi clog the tree xylem, causing significant wilt and mortality among these beautiful and iconic Hawaiian trees. The host for Koa wilt is Acacia koa, a tree that is native and endemic
Lesser koa finch Lesser koa finch The lesser koa finch ("Rhodacanthis flaviceps") is an extinct species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. The only specimens of the lesser koa finch ever caught were a family group with members of different ages and genders, ideal for study. The males were apparently golden-yellow with olive green on the breast and belly. The females were almost indistinguishable from the species' larger relative, the greater koa finch, other than the fact that the former were slightly darker in color. The juveniles were somewhat mottled on the belly, similar to the females. As its name suggests, the species as a whole