Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for Blackburn's Sphinx Moth from the Hawaiian Islands

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine Manduca blackburni, the Blackburn's sphinx moth, to be an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Historically, this species occurred on the Hawaiian islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii, but until recently, was known only from one population on Maui. Researchers observed a second population on Maui in 1992, and populations are now known to also occur on the islands of Kahoolawe and Hawaii. This moth is currently threatened by one or more of the following: habitat fragmentation and destruction due to development and agricultural practices resulting in the loss of its host plants, habitat degradation due to the effects of introduced animals and plants, predation, parasitism, competition for food or space by alien insects, and overcollection by private and commercial collectors. Due to its restricted distribution, this species is also vulnerable to extinction from random, catastrophic events, such as drought or fire. This final rule implements the Federal protections provided by the Act for this moth.