Category Archives: Insects

The Numbers Game #18

Strong winds create whitecaps in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii
Strong winds whip up whitecaps in Kawaihae harbor.

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 139. Captions are on the photos.

You can see more responses here.

A Black-crowned Night Heron snaffles a Tilapia. Original post here.
A pair of Northern Pintails on a pond in Hawaii
There’s always one who’s got to get your attention, as evidenced by these Northern Pintails.

Frass

A monarch butterfly caterpillar and its poops in Hawaii

This Monarch Butterfly caterpillar was busy munching its way through an Hawaiian Crown Flower plant. But all that eating means it poops a lot. That poop, politely known as frass, is what those greenish nuggets on the left are. My first thought when I saw them was, ‘those are big poops!’

The Numbers Game #16

A Stump-toed gecko on a truck windshield.
This stump-toed gecko rode on my windshield for about 40 miles!

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 137. Captions are on the photos.

You can see more responses here.

A bee forages on a Rose Jatropha flower on the Big Island of Hawaii
A bee on a Rose Jatropha flower.

The Numbers Game #15

Dark pink plumeria flowers in Hawaii
A dark pink plumeria.

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 136. Captions are on the photos.

You can see more responses here.

In Kailua Kona, this electronic sign flashes “Emergency Water Restriction” and “Stop Sprinkler Use.”
I saw this sign in Kailua Kona during a downpour. Original post here.

Termite tented church

A church being tented for termites in Kapaau Hawaii

No, it’s not the circus in town, it’s another church tented to gas those pesky termites that could otherwise chew their way through the building. This one is St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church at Kapaau. I’ve pondered before on the theological implications of this practice, but I suppose it falls under casting out demons, rather than mistreating God’s creatures!

Tropical Milkweed

An Asclepias curassavica flower in Hawaii
An Asclepias curassavica flower in Hawaii

Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is an introduced species here. It’s become popular in part because milkweeds are food for butterflies, including Monarch Butterflies, whose numbers have been falling for some time. However, there are questions about whether planting Tropical Milkweed is a good or bad thing.

One concern is that Tropical Milkweed’s perennial habit might be disrupting the Monarch’s epic migrations. Another concern is that the plant hosts Oe (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha), a parasite that adversely infects butterflies, and that is passed down to subsequent generations. This parasite is more prevalent in non-migratory butterflies such as those in Hawaii, but it’s not clear whether Hawaii’s population is suffering in the same way as some of those on the mainland. Hawaii’s Monarchs primarily use Crown Flowers to lay their eggs.

Hi honey I’m home

Bees returning to their hive in Hawaii
Bees returning to their hive in Hawaii

On a recent walk, I noticed a lot of bees about. When I poked my head through a hedge I saw this hive, which was where they were heading to, or coming from. I think this might be the first hive I’ve seen here, though I know there are a lot on the island. They’re just not in places where people tend to walk by, which is probably a good thing!

Bees returning to their hive in Hawaii

The Numbers Game #11

A distant view of Pu'u O'o vent from the Napau Trail at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
A view of Pu’u O’o vent, when it was erupting, from the Napau Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

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 132.

You can see more responses here.

Post office boxes in Hawaii
Couldn’t resist taking this one at my local post office. I can run this several times!