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
ʻApapane Lānai. Apapane generally feed on nectar from flowers, preferably from the "ōhia lehua" ("Metrosideros polymorpha") tree. These birds are mainly found in "koa" ("Acacia koa") and "ōhia lehua" forests where the flower count is high. Although primarily nectarivorous, the diet of a grown apapane also includes a variety of insects like grasshoppers, caterpillars and bugs of all sorts. The breeding season is from January through July. The nest of the apapane is usually placed in the crown of a "ōhia lehua" ("Metrosideros polymorpha"); nests have been found in tree cavities and lava tubes as well as in the top of