Many of the moths I see look like they’ve been in the wars, but this Achaea Janata moth was in excellent condition. It has some quite nice markings, but refused to spread its wings to reveal the striking black and white patterns below.
I used to see Ground Beetles all the time on my walks at Upolu, but this one was the first I’d seen in ages. I don’t think it’s because I’m becoming less observant. I think the numbers are down, for whatever reason.
This Praying Mantis spent several days on this Agave Attenuata, waiting patiently for food. There were bees all over the flowers and I think the mantis got some of them, as well as other insects.
I presumed the mantis was a female as it seemed to be getting bigger. A couple of days after taking these photos, the mantis disappeared but I saw an egg sac on a nearby tree, so maybe there will be more on the way!
I noticed this katydid on one of the window screens and took a few photos, trying to capture a ‘life-behind-bars’ feeling. Little did I know how this would pan out.
The gecko appeared from above and slowly edged towards its prey. Then it reached down and …. licked the katydid. The katydid immediately hurled itself into space and wasn’t seen again. The gecko wandered off. Apparently, life can get very weird behind bars.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Your 2022 Year-in-Review.’ See more responses here. Like last year, I’ve gone with a favorite photo from each month of 2021, with a caption and link to the post the photo first appeared in.
This Black Witch Moth spent the day resting under the eaves of the house. The wingspan is a good six inches and it was in perfect condition, not like some of the battered individuals I’ve seen before.
I found this hawk moth caterpillar crossing a walkway, and ushered it to safety. I’m not sure exactly which moth it is the caterpillar of, possibly Swinhoe’s Striated Hawk Moth (Hippotion rosetta) or Pale Striated Hawk Moth (Hippotion boerhaviae), both of which have been recorded in Hawaii and are very difficult to tell apart.
Ceresium unicolor is a longhorn beetle that, apparently doesn’t have a common name. An introduced species, it’s not consider to be a problem in Hawaii. I found this one walking along the railing of my lanai.
Graham's Island 