Researchers sample mosquitoes at six Big Island sites

State researchers are sampling mosquito populations at six locations on the Big Island in preparation for a plan to reduce their numbers.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources announced Monday that the Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve is one of six locations where the Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the University of Hawaii are searching for signs of avian malaria.

Because avian malaria is threatening the critically endangered palila, or Hawaiian honeycreeper, identifying and reducing mosquito populations carrying the disease is essential to the birds’ preservation. Avian malaria has a 90% mortality rate in susceptible birds.

The surveys will help researchers at the “Birds, Not Mosquitoes” initiative — a partnership including the DLNR that is working to preserve endangered Hawaiian birds — determine where on the island to release imported mosquitoes as part of a population reduction plan.

That plan will introduce male mosquitoes that have been treated with a microorganism called Wolbachia that renders them incapable of successfully breeding with local female populations.

In this way, “Birds, Not Mosquitoes” hopes that much of the mosquito populations will die off by disrupting their ability to reproduce.

Because male mosquitoes do not require blood like females do, the imported mosquitoes cannot spread diseases like malaria.

The DLNR has not yet announced where or when on the Big Island the imported mosquitoes will be released.