Falcataria moluccana subtropical regions of the world and so has many common names. These include: albizia (Hawaii), Moluccan albizia, sengon (Java), salawaku (Maluku), jeungjing (Indonesia), ai-samtuco (Tetun, East Timor), madre de cacao (East Timor), batai (Malaysia), kerosin tree (Pohnpei), sau, Moluccan sau, and falcata (Philippines). The tree has become invasive in forests in Hawaii and on other Pacific islands. In Hawaii the caterpillars of the endemic Hawaiian koa looper ("Scotorythra paludicola") has been found to defoliate "Falcataria moluccana" and complete their development on this invasive tree without the larvae eating the leaves of their native host "Acacia koa". In Borneo the following
Acacia koa confirmed this close relationship; the estimated time of divergence is about 1.4 million years ago. "A. heterophylla" sequences nest within those of the more diverse "A. koa", making the latter paraphyletic. Both species are thought to be descended from an ancestral species in Australia, presumably their sister species, "Acacia melanoxylon". Dispersals most likely occurred via seed-carrying by birds such as petrels. Both species have very similar ecological niches, which differ from that of "A. melanoxylon". A closely related species, koaia or koaie ("A. koaia"), is found in dry areas. It is most easily distinguished by having smaller seeds that are