WAILUKU >> A caterpillar and moth native to Southeast Asia have been discovered eating indigenous plants on Maui that provide important habitat for native species and protect the island’s watershed, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. It’s the first documented sighting of the ramie caterpillar in the United States.

A biologist looking for native snails in October noticed signs of unfamiliar caterpillars feeding on mamaki leaves in Olowalu. Reports of the bug then filtered in from across the island from Waiehu to Makawao, DLNR said.

The ramie moth, or arcte coerula, has been laying its eggs on several plants in the nettles family, such as mamaki and akolea. The plants are food sources for the Kamehameha caterpillar and are valued by Native Hawaiians for their fiber and medicinal qualities.

“Mamaki and other plants in that family provide habitat for animals and other plants. They are an important species in wet understories, they protect watersheds,” said Keahi Bustamente, a Maui-based Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit invertebrate biologist working with DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

Many of the 14 species in the mamaki family are endemic to Hawaii and are found only there; some species are critically endangered, he said.

Scientists don’t know how the ramie moth arrived on Maui. Bustamante said it’s likely humans introduced it. The caterpillars may have been transported as eggs on leaves of an imported plant, he said.

Ramie caterpillars are black and sometimes yellow, with bright orange-red spots and white hairs.

To report any invasive species, call the statewide hotline at 808-643-PEST or visit 643pest.org.