The nettle caterpillar, Darna pallivitta (Moore), was introduced to the island of Hawaii in September 2001. Efforts to eradicate D. pallivitta were unsuccessful and it is now a quarantine pest of ornamental foliage crops in Hawaii. Several shipments of plants and floral products to California have been rejected by quarantine inspectors. D. pallivitta has also become a potential health problem due to the painful sting it inflicts. Spines on the larvae release a venom when in contact with the skin. A study was conducted to ascertain whether any biological control agents already existed in Hawaii. Sentinel egg surveys and larval field collections were conducted to determine this. Results of these surveys found that Trichogramma papilionis parasitized the eggs of D. pallivitta and a cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus infected the larvae. However none of these biological control agents were able to successfully control populations of D. pallivitta. A search for natural enemies should be conducted in D. pallivitta's native origin for successful biological control to take place.