{"id":146822,"date":"2021-08-23T13:57:24","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T23:57:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=146822"},"modified":"2021-08-26T10:00:23","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T20:00:23","slug":"wekiu-bug-research-on-maunakea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2021\/08\/23\/wekiu-bug-research-on-maunakea\/","title":{"rendered":"Grad student conducts in-depth arthropod research on Maunakea"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"person
Graduate student researcher Brad Reil tracks insect communities on the mauna.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

High atop the slopes of Maunakea, the alpine stone desert and subalpine māmane scrub habitats are home to the endemic wēkiu bug. This stone desert endemic insect, found only on this volcano, survives among some of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s most iconic native flora and fauna.<\/p>\n

To improve conservation and management efforts for these and other high-elevation invertebrates, University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Mānoa<\/a> graduate student researcher Brad Reil<\/strong> and advisor Dan Rubinoff<\/strong> from the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources<\/a> (CTAHR) have traded in their T-shirts for winter wear to conduct in-depth field work in the alpine stone desert and subalpine m\u0101mane woodlands on Maunakea. Since 2018, they\u2019ve collected w\u0113kiu bug and other arthropod specimens to learn about the arthropods\u2019 habits and dietary requirements, effects of introduced species and available resources between the alpine and subalpine habitats. The research duo is on a mission to map the food web connecting the mountain\u2019s species.<\/p>\n

\"people
Specimen collection in progress on the summit at an elevation of 13,796 feet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Maunakea is a special place for many reasons,” Reil explained. “Ecologically, the endemic species that call the mountain home are found nowhere else on earth and have adapted to the harsh dry cold conditions on the volcano. At the summit, the aeolian stone desert ecosystem obtains much of its resources from wind-borne materials (bits of plants, dead insects, dust, etc.) instead of plant species, resulting in uniquely adapted inhabitant species such as the wēkiu bug.”<\/p>\n