 In 2002 and 2004, the invasive gray bird grasshopper ("Schistocerca nitens") presented an even larger threat to "A. brownii".First recorded on the island in 1977, the increasing population density of gray bird grasshoppers led to massive defoliation on the island, leaving "A. brownii" at greater risk of predation.In 2004 alone, an estimated 400,000 gray bird grasshoppers destroyed almost 90% of the vegetation on Nihoa.