HONOLULU -- A move to curb the spread of strawberry guava in native forests is raising some eyebrows because it calls for introducing a tiny Brazilian insect into Hawaii as a means of bio-control.

Strawberry guava trees are not native to Hawaii, but they have been around for a very long time.

"I grew up with strawberry guavas. I do a lot of hiking with my family in the mountains and we always come across them in June, July, August and take advantage of them by eating them," said Stan McCrea of Oahu Nature Tours.

McCrea leads Hawaii nature tours but as part of his job he helps to educate people about alien species, including strawberry guava.

"Not everything is good that has come into Hawaii. It is considered an invasive species and it does take over the trails and mountainsides," McCrea said.

That is why U.S. Forestry officials want to bring in a tiny plant-sucking insect called a gall. The insect lives in the plant deforming it and cutting the fruit production to prevent the spread of seeds.

Federal entomologists said the insect does not actually kill the plant.

"The point is that it can slow the growth of the plant so it can grow the vegetative state of the plant so any single plant wont grow so fast," McCrea said.

Johnson maintains the insect is plant specific and does not affect the other types of guava grown commercially.

The forestry division hopes to introduce the gall this summer in forest preserve on the Big Island.

Those with guava trees in their back yard worry about what could happen to their fruit production. Strawberry guavas are popular for jams and jellies, but besides a food source the trees pretty mottled bark and dark green leaves make it a popular choice with landscapers.

Just the presence of strawberry guava here at the Lyon Arboretum has been a sensitive subject.