There are 64 species of
Hylaeus known in the
Hawaiian Islands, all of which are thought to descend from a single ancestor that travelled to Hawaii approximately 1 to 1.5 million years ago. Although not easy, this kind of dispersal or colonization is generally considered feasible for several reasons: an inseminated female can store sperm for her entire life; they can travel or be carried to distant locations by wind, or their nest could be carried to the islands upon floating debris. It is believed that as part of the larger, prehistoric island and biogeographic region of
Maui Nui (
Maui,
Molokaʻi,
Lānaʻi, and
Kahoʻolawe), species of
Hylaeus were able to more easily travel between these inner islands due to their proximity, unlike the more isolated islands of
Kauaʻi and
Hawaiʻi, which have a majority of
endemic species of
Hylaeus. . The bee habitat is located in the ahupuaʻa of Mākolelau at 850 meters (2,790 ft)
(center). Of the 15 species of
Hylaeus on the island of Molokaʻi,
Hylaeus paumako is thought to be the sole endemic of its kind found so far. It is only found on the southern slopes of the eastern part of the island in the
ahupuaʻa of Mākolelau is a
wilderness area in an endangered, priority 1 watershed. It is classified as a high-elevation, dry
shrubland and
mesic forest habitat. The ahupuaʻa of Mākolelau plays an important role on the island, helping to create freshwater and control
erosion while protecting
coral reefs below. Mākolelau also serves as a
wildlife corridor for endangered birds, bats, and native plants. In 2022, the Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), one of ten divisions of the
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), acquired 1,045-acres within Mākolelau for the purpose of conservation and restoration. The restoration program preserved the original ecosystem by managing invasive species such as
ungulates and non-native plants, and developing firebreaks to prevent wildfires. To help meet these goals, fencing was installed to protect the native plants in the Mākolelau Gulch. Several years after the restoration, Magnacca, who is also employed by the DNLR's Division of Forestry and Wildlife, participated in a 2024 survey of the Mākolelau conservation area in partnership with the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP), completing one of the first major insect surveys in the area in the last century. During the survey, he discovered
H. paumako foraging on flowers of
kolomana (
Senna gaudichaudii); the bee is considered a pollinator of that species. The habitat area is located in a gulch with large rocks, medium sized talus boulders, that broke off and accumulated at the bottom. It is believed these rocks might serve as a nesting area for the bee. Females of the species may construct nests in rock crevices or beneath the boulders similar to those of
H. rugulosus, who make nests in volcanic rock on the island of Hawaii. ==
Hylaeus on Molokaʻi==