Think there are no coqui frogs on Oahu? Think again.
A new dashboard launched by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity shows a total of 2,262 coqui frogs were captured from the summer of 2024 to summer of 2025, or fiscal year 2025. Since that summer, nearly 500 frogs have been captured so far.
There are likely more, according to DAB, and the dashboard will be updated as reports come in from partner agencies.
DAB launched the invasive species dashboard — under mandate by newly enacted state laws — to offer more transparency on where they are by ZIP code, how many there are, and what various state agencies are doing to combat them statewide.
The species tracked, so far, include coqui frogs, coconut rhinoceros beetles and little fire ants. DAB also included a section on avian flu, with maps showing where and how many birds have been tested.
For coqui frogs, DAB is tracking where it has responded to reports, as well as the number of frogs captured and pounds of citric acid used to combat them by ZIP code.
Coqui frogs, a small, nocturnal tree frog accidentally introduced to Hawaii from Puerto Rico around 1988, pose a significant threat to the state’s unique ecosystem due to their voracious appetite for insects.
They are also a major nuisance due to their “Ko-Kee” calls, which begin in the evening and lasts all night.
Coqui frogs already have become established on Hawaii island, where eradication is no longer possible, but species councils are working to prevent them from spreading to other isles.
Unfortunately, coquis have been discovered on Oahu and Maui, and have hitchhiked to Kauai, even though they were eradicated on the Garden Isle in 2012.
The Oahu Invasive Species Council lists three known breeding populations of coqui frogs in Palolo Valley, the Kuliouou Summit, and Waimanalo.
Based on the dashboard map, the majority of coqui frogs, 835, have been captured in Mililani and Waipio, followed by 743 in the Palolo area. The third highest number, 660, were captured in Waimanalo.
A group of community volunteers in Waimanalo gather after sunset every Thursday to hike up and capture the frogs in collaboration with the state.
Anywhere between one to four frogs also have been captured in various parts of Oahu — from the North Shore to Kapolei and Kailua.
Each pest has its own section describing their origins and potential threats, along with images and ways to prevent their spread — and a click button that leads to information on how to report them.
Users must scroll to the bottom of each section to find a link to the maps and numbers.
For coconut rhinoceros beetles, the dashboards show maps of areas treated, but on Oahu and Hawaii island only. The details include numbers and types of trees treated by ZIP code for 2024 and 2025.
Only a map of Oahu is included for the section on little fire ants, with survey data provided by ZIP code, including number of positive samples and total acres surveyed.
For fiscal year 2025, a total of 402 acres have been surveyed, and more than 27,000 samples submitted, with 2,566 coming back positive. Most of the positive samples are clustered along the windward side of Oahu.
The dashboards were set up under Acts 231 and 236, which were enacted after the 2024 and 2025 state legislative sessions, respectively. Act 231 called for a website with infestation updates and data, including any real-time geographic information system map data.
Act 236 required the newly renamed Department of Agriculture & Biosecurity, to establish a pest dashboard to report and track all biosecurity activities statewide by Dec. 1. DAB was designated the lead agency coordinating these efforts.
The department says the dashboard is a work in progress, and numbers will be updated as information becomes available, with plans to add other pests in the future.
“This invasive species dashboard not only provides important information to the public on invasive species programs but also helps to increase communication and coordination between government agencies and other organizations that have the mutual goal of protecting Hawaii’s agriculture and environment,” said Sharon Hurd, chair of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity, in a news release.
HAWAII INVASIVE SPECIES DASHBOARD
>> Website: biosecurity.hawaii.gov
>> Invasive species tracked: Coqui frogs, litle fire ants, coconut rhinoceros beetles (avian influenza test results also posted).
>> Report invasive species to 808-643-PEST (7378) or at 643pest.org.
Source: Hawaii Department of Agriculture & Biosecurity
