Haleakalā’s Holua Area to Close Overnight for Ant Control

Argentine ant colony. NPS photo.

By Maui Now Staff

National Park Service officials announced today that Haleakalā National Park’s Holua backcountry area will close from the evening of Thursday, July 16 through late afternoon on Friday, July 17 so park biologists can control non-native Argentine ants.

Bees and silversword. NPS photo.

Argentine ants prey upon native insects. One insect that is highly vulnerable to ant predation is the endemic yellow-faced bee, which is a primary pollinator of the threatened Haleakalā `āhinahina (silversword).

This species of `āhinahina is found on Haleakalā and nowhere else on earth.