Category Archives: Insects

White-lined sphinx moth caterpillar

white-lined sphinx moth caterpillar

This handsome fellow is the caterpillar of a white-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata). This caterpillar’s color can vary quite a bit. The markings on this predominantly black caterpillar can be green or orange, but the main color can be bright green or yellowish with black markings or red dots.

One consistent feature of these caterpillars is the orange horn on their back ends. This is also a good way to distinguish front and back. The horn looks like it could sting, but it can’t. It’s probably more of a visual deterrent to would-be predators.

The adult moth (below) has more uniform coloration. These moths and caterpillars are quite common but I rarely see then. This isn’t surprising considering how the adult moth blends in, but the caterpillar is quite striking and I’m surprised I haven’t seen more of them.

White-lined Sphinx moth

Grasshopper at Lapakahi

Grasshopper at Lapakahi

Grasshopper LapakahiSeveral weeks ago, when the Big Island had a couple of hurricanes in the vicinity, we were inundated with rain. Tired of staying indoors or slogging through mud, I headed down the road a few miles, to the dry side of the island, in the hopes of finding somewhere I could go for a walk.

I stopped at Lapakahi State Park, which holds the remains of an ancient Hawaii fishing village. It was dry and warm, though the trails there were still slick with moisture and closed to the public.

While I soaked up the warmth, I noticed this grasshopper (Schistocerca nitens I think) on a plant. It was hanging onto the stem and, despite my presence, seemed not in any hurry to move. It took me a while to realize there was something odd about it, but eventually I noticed that it was missing one of its hind legs. It’s not the first grasshopper I’ve seen in this condition and I always wonder how it affects them. The hind legs are the ones that launch them, so if they’re missing one do they ping off to one side? Do they end up going in circles? Or are they able to compensate?

I didn’t find out on this day as the grasshopper remained in roughly the same position the whole time I was there. Eventually I gave up watching and headed back into the gloom.

A praying mantis peers down

Praying Mantis staring

I posted recently (here) about finding the exoskeleton of a praying mantis after it had molted. It’s possible the mantis in this photo is the one that shed that skin, since I saw it in the same vicinity.

This mantis was stationed where a wall meets a ceiling and it was staring straight down that wall at me. I like this photo because I think it captures the mantis’s rather piercing stare.

A couple of days before I took this photo, another mantis, slightly bigger than this one, was perched on a Pepsi machine in the same vicinity. It was watching me as I went back and forth. Eventually, when I paused, it leapt onto my head. I reached up and encouraged it onto my hand, where it paused a moment before scampering up my arm. So I interposed my other hand, which it duly climbed onto. Cue the mantis then scampering up that arm. We did this little dance a few times before I managed to maneuver the mantis onto a deck rail. It perched there a while and then eventually flew off.

I guess I’m in a praying mantis purple patch.

American cockroach

American Cockroach waits

Most people think of Hawaii as a tropical paradise so, being something of a contrarian, I feel obligated every now and then to post something about the seamier side of the islands, and I think most would agree that today’s subject falls squarely into that category. Cockroaches are everywhere. Houses, shops, restaurants (eek), even the fanciest resorts have them. If you don’t see them, it’s because they’re out of sight, not because they’re not there.

Supposedly, Hawaii hosts 19 species of cockroach, of which three are most associated with human activity. These are the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), German cockroach (Blattella germanica), and Surinam cockroach (Pycnoscelus surinamensis).

The beauty in these photos is an American cockroach. This one was around an inch-and-a-half long, not including its extremely long antennae; some are bigger. They’re a fearsome sight in the air, speedy on the ground, and loathsome in a sandwich. But living here, one has to get used to them, because they’re also survivors. Chances are that when humans are long gone, cockroaches will still be around, scampering across the rubble, skittering into semi-destroyed fast-food joints, and snacking on the still fresh-looking chicken nuggets.

American Cockroach