Liothrips urichi , when at high densities, can cause complete die-back of all young growth, as well as reduce seed production. Predation also may have reduced effectiveness of the thrips. First recovery was made in 1974. Parasitoids are thought to be reducing the effectiveness of this moth. Lius poseidon Napp, a leaf-feeding buprestid beetle from Trinidad, was introduced on Oahu and Kauai in 1988.
Adults feed on clidemia leaves, producing a ragged feeding strip, whereas larvae are leaf miners.
This beetle favors plants in light, never heavy, shade, and rarely in open fields. An isolate of the fungus, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides , discovered in Panama and recently introduced into Hawaii, has been shown to be an effective control agent under conditions of moderate to high humidity, conditions that prevail in infested zones in Hawaii for much of the day. Based on studies made thus far with the fungus and the phytophagous insects, the outlook for eventual management of clidemia in Hawaiian forests appears promising. The races or subspecies found in Hawaii have stems with sharp spines. Flowers are multicolored, arranged in masses in flat-topped heads.