An endangered damselfly’s return to Hawaiʻi marks a conservation milestone as the nation’s first Conservation Benefit Agreement.
Some of the most important conservation successes begin with the smallest creatures. On the Hawaiian island of Lānaʻi, a tiny insect once thought lost from the island is getting a second chance. Thanks to a groundbreaking partnership between conservation agencies and private landowners, the endangered damselfly’s return to Hawaii is becoming a symbol of how collaboration can help restore native species and ecosystems.
The orange-black Hawaiian damselfly, known in Hawaiian as pinapinao, was once the most widespread damselfly species across the Hawaiian Islands. Over time, however, habitat loss, invasive species, development, and changes to wetlands and streams caused dramatic declines. The species disappeared entirely from Lānaʻi and several other islands, eventually earning federal endangered status in 2016.
Now, conservationists are working to reverse that decline through an innovative initiative focused on the endangered damselfly’s return to Hawaiʻi. The effort is being carried out under the nation’s first Conservation Benefit Agreement (CBA), a voluntary program that encourages private landowners to participate in species recovery. The agreement was developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pūlama Lānaʻi, and the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Conservation Benefit Agreements are a relatively new conservation tool in the United States. They provide incentives for private landowners to undertake actions that benefit endangered species while offering assurances that participating in conservation efforts will not create additional regulatory burdens in the future. Because many threatened species depend on privately owned land, conservationists view these partnerships as an important way to expand recovery efforts beyond public reserves and protected areas.
For the orange-black Hawaiian damselfly, the agreement focuses on creating safe habitat where the insects can once again establish breeding populations. Conservation teams have developed protected artificial ponds, restored native vegetation, and created predator-free areas designed specifically to support the species. Captive-reared damselflies are then released into these habitats, giving them an opportunity to recolonize part of their historical range.
Although small, the orange-black Hawaiian damselfly plays an important ecological role. The species inhabits low-elevation wetlands, streams, and brackish pools where it helps maintain ecological balance by feeding on other insects. Adult damselflies are agile aerial predators, using their spiny legs to form a basket-like structure that captures prey in flight. Their presence can also serve as an indicator of healthy freshwater and wetland ecosystems.
The need for restoration is particularly significant because the species now survives in only a limited number of populations across Hawaiʻi. Conservation experts believe recovery will require establishing multiple self-sustaining populations across the islands. Reintroducing the species to Lānaʻi is therefore considered an important step toward improving its long-term survival prospects.
The endangered damselfly’s return to Hawaiʻi also highlights the broader importance of wetland restoration. Wetlands provide habitat for countless native species while helping filter water, reduce flooding, and support biodiversity. Many Hawaiian wetlands have been altered or lost over time, making restoration efforts increasingly valuable for both wildlife and local communities.
The endangered damselfly’s return to Hawaiʻi is one example of how species recovery efforts can support broader conservation goals. Photo by Dr. Will Haines/University of Hawai’i and Division of Forestry and Wildlife, State of Hawai’i.
Beyond the damselfly itself, conservation measures associated with the agreement are expected to benefit other native species. Habitat improvements and invasive species management can create healthier ecosystems that support endangered birds, native pollinators, and other organisms that share the same landscape. In this way, protecting one species often creates positive ripple effects throughout an entire ecosystem.
The project also demonstrates the growing role of private landowners in conservation. Much of Lānaʻi is privately managed, making partnerships essential for large-scale habitat restoration. By working together, government agencies and land managers can address conservation challenges that would be difficult for either group to tackle alone.
Challenges remain. The damselfly continues to face threats from invasive predators, habitat degradation, and environmental change. Long-term monitoring will be necessary to determine whether newly established populations can survive and reproduce successfully. Nevertheless, conservationists view the reintroduction as a promising step forward for a species that has already lost much of its former range.
As the endangered damselfly’s return to Hawaiʻi once again takes flight over Lānaʻi’s restored wetlands, it offers a hopeful reminder that even species pushed to the brink can recover. Through innovative partnerships, habitat restoration, and long-term stewardship, conservationists are helping ensure that one of Hawaiʻi’s unique native insects has a chance to thrive once more.
