Blackburns sphinx moth is one of Hawaiis largest native insects, with a wing span of up to five inches. Considered to be extinct as recently as the late 1970s, Blackburns sphinx moths were rediscovered on East Maui in 1984. Subsequently, sightings have occurred on Maui, Hawaii, and Kahoolawe. Although no population estimates are available, the East Maui and Kahoolawe populations appear to be the largest. The moth was once found on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii.
"This was the first Hawaiian insect to be protected under the Endangered Species Act, and it is the first for which we are proposing critical habitat," said Anne Badgley, the Services regional director for the Pacific Region. "Designating critical habitat for the Blackburns sphinx moth will help conserve a species found nowhere else on earth, and demonstrates our commitment to protecting as many aspects of Hawaiis unique ecosystems as possible."
Under the Endangered Species Act, a critical habitat designation identifies geographic areas that are essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and that may require special management considerations or protection. However, a designation does not set up a preserve or refuge, nor does it affect the activities of citizens engaged in private activities on their land. Rather, its sole impact is that federal agencies must consult with the Service on activities they authorize, undertake, or fund that might affect critical habitat to ensure that those activities do not destroy or adversely modify the critical habitat.
Today, an unknown number of Blackburns sphinx moths are currently distributed in what appear to be two core populations and four sub-populations. At least 70 percent of the species historic range has been significantly altered and is no longer available to the species. Much of the historical decline of Blackburns sphinx moth can be attributed to habitat loss, especially at low elevations. More recent threats to the moth include introduced ants and parasitic wasps that prey on its eggs and caterpillars, and the continued loss of its native host plants, which are dryland forest trees.
The eight critical habitat units proposed include most areas currently occupied by Blackburns sphinx moth. The Service selected areas that provide the species preferred forest types, were most recently occupied, and combine to form large blocks of suitable habitat.
The critical habitat areas include 70,290 acres of state-owned lands; and 29,140 privately owned acres. Only 2 acres of federal lands are proposed for designation as few federal lands are believed to be inhabited by this species.
Blackburns sphinx moth is a member of the family Sphingidae. It is grayish brown in color, with black bands across the top margins of the hind wings, and five orange spots along each side of the abdomen. The moths native host plants, dry and mesic forest trees for the larval stage and certain native flowering plants, are in decline due to past and present land management practices, including ranching, the impacts of introduced plants and animals, and urban development.
As a result of a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii ordered the Fish and Wildlife Service to publish a final critical habitat designation for Blackburns sphinx moth. This proposed rule is the first step in meeting that obligation.
The proposed rule designating critical habitat was published in the Federal Register on June 13 for a 60-day public comment period. Copies of the proposed rule are available through the Federal Registers website at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html, or by calling the Fish and Wildlife Service at 808/541 3441. Written comments may be submitted to the Field Supervisor, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 3-122, Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
