Development of insect conservation in Hawai'i

Abstract

As the most isolated group of high islands in the world, the Hawaiian archipelago occupies a very special place in insect conservation: first as a cradle of evolution of a remarkable endemic fauna and second as a prime example of the vulnerability of island environments to anthropogenic changes - especially the effects of alien species. Lessons from both these themes are of global relevance, and the recognition that these same phenomena are occurring in continental systems has been important in maturing attitudes to insect conservation. Mirrored in other parts of the Pacific, such as New Zealand (Watts et al. this volume; Howarth and Ramsay 1991), external disturbances have had massive impacts on the Islands' biota. These losses - together with the prospect of continuing severe losses - have contributed to debates over the rationale justifying alien species introductions, including non-native biological control agents. The impacts of introduced control agents are increasingly recognized as an important issue in insect conservation over the last few decades.