Category Archives: Insects

The Numbers Game #66

A view of Waipio Valley from the air.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 187. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A Citrus Swallowtail butterfly.
An Allograpta Obliqua Hoverfly on a Mamane flower.
A Leafcutter Bee on Aptenia Cordifolia flowers.
A view of the base of the petioles of a Traveler’s Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis).
A Gold Dust Day Gecko on a red bamboo stem.
A cow extricating itself from a jam!

This bud’s for you

A Praying Mantis on a Plumeria with flowers and buds in Hawaii
A Praying Mantis on a Plumeria with flowers and buds.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Celebrate Spring or Autumn.’ See more responses here.

Since we’re a little shy on seasonal changes here, I’m going with some nominal signs of Spring, namely flowers budding out and blooming.

A Bee on haole koa flowers and buds in Hawaii
A bee on Haole Koa with buds and spent flowers.
A Peregrina flower and buds in Hawaii
A Peregrina flower and buds.
A Bee on mock orange flowers and buds in Hawaii
A bee on Mock Orange flowers and buds.

The Numbers Game #64

Yellow boat on blue water.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 185. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A wounded Cornetfish.
Proud parents.
Passion Vine Butterfly on a Tasselflower.
Dirt blown by high winds at Kawaihae.
Ironman racers, but the sign is what I liked.
Can’t see the wood for the trees.

Polydesma boarmoides moth

A Polydesma boarmoides moth in Hawaii

I saw this moth on a pair of pants hanging on a line. At first I thought it was the smallest Black Witch Moth I’d ever seen, but further investigation suggests that this is a Polydesma boarmoides moth. I can’t find out much about it though there is a similar moth, Polydesma umbricola, that is a problem on Monkeypod trees here.

After I took the photo, I shooed the moth away and brought my pants indoors before they became moth-eaten.

Favorite flowers in Hawaii

Flexibility is important in nature, as this mourning gecko demonstrates while drinking from a bird of paradise flower.
A Mourning Gecko takes a drink from a Bird of Paradise flower.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Favorite Flowers.’ Here are some of mine. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here

Maiapilo flowers in Hawaii
Maiapilo flowers start out white and change to pink as the day wears on,
Yellow and pink Hibiscus tiliaceus flowers in Hawaii
Hibiscus Tiliaceus, Hau in Hawaii, also changes color through the day.
An Hawaii ‘Amakihi with Mamane flowers.
A Wasp in an Ohia flower in Hawaii
A wasp in an Ohia Lehua flower.
Raindrops on Plumerias in Hawaii
Raindrops on Plumerias.
A bee forages through the blooms of a mock orange.
A bee on Mock Orange flowers.

And finally some photos from the Hilo Orchid Show last year. I’ve definitely become an orchid fan since moving here.

An Epidendrum Pacific Pastel orchid at the Hilo Orchid Show in Hawaii
Epidendrum Pacific Pastel.
A Paphiopedilum St. Swithin orchid at the Hilo Orchid Show in Hawaii
Paphiopedilum St. Swithin.
A Monnierara Millennium Magic 'Witchcraft' orchid at the Hilo Orchid Show in Hawaii
Monnierara Millennium Magic ‘Witchcraft.’

The Numbers Game #62

Sunrise from Mauna Loa.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 183. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Half man, half bird.
Hi-Seas dome on Mauna Loa.
Pahoehoe lava on the left, a’a lava on the right, with Mauna Kea in the background.
A Paper Wasp drinks from a mud puddle.
Devil Scorpionfish, master of disguise!
A Bristle-thighed Curlew hunts for breakfast.