Category Archives: Insects

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

A trip to the water cooler

Bee in water cooler

I noticed this bee one day, buzzing around this water cooler and then disappearing into the spill tray. Since then, I’ve seen it, or other similar bees, making the same journey to gather water from the tray and then, presumably, head back to the hive. Getting into the tray was the easy bit. Getting out tended to be more of a struggle.

Passion vine butterfly

Passion vine butterfly

I already ran a post for this week’s Sunday Stills challenge on the theme of ‘Orange’ (here, and other responses here). But yesterday, while taking a walk, I came across this passion vine butterfly and thought it fit the theme too well to pass up. The butterfly was feeding on a tasselflower with the blue Pacific as a backdrop.

Ghostly mantis

Ghostly mantis

A few days ago, just in time for Halloween, I noticed this ghostly praying mantis, devoid of its innards. The work of some ghoulish fiend? Alas no, at least for Halloween fans. Rather, this is the result of a mantis molting, which it will do up to five times en route to adulthood. At least I hope that’s what it was.

The next generation of Hawaiian garden spiders

Hawaiian Garden Spider and prey

I posted a few weeks ago here about a large female Hawaiian garden spider which had spun a web in a place I often visit. A week or so later, that spider had disappeared.

Now, in that spot, three new webs have appeared, each occupied by female Hawaiian garden spiders. However, these new occupants are much smaller, about the same size as the average male of the species. I think it’s likely they’re the offspring of the first spider I saw there.

The smallness of the new spiders can be seen in the size of the prey this one had caught – a little ladybird.

 

Sleepy orange butterflies

Sleepy Orange Butterflies

I came across these two sleepy orange butterflies (Abaeis nicippe) while on a walk. I think the one flying is a male since they’re described as having more sharply defined borders on the wings. If that’s the case, I presume this was some sort of mating activity going on, or at least, being attempted by the male. I didn’t see any response from the other butterfly so don’t know if the attempt was ultimately successful.

Kou tree

Kou flower and bee

Kou flowersKou (Cordia subcordata) is an indigenous tree that was also brought over by Polynesian settlers. It was highly prized for its wood, which was used to make bowls and other containers.

The flowers are beautiful, too. Less than two inches across, they grow in clumps, which are sometimes hidden by the shiny green leaves. The flowers are followed by small, round green fruits (seen in the photos to the left and below) which harden to a dark brown and contain white seeds.

The flowers on this tree were popular with a variety of insects including a honey bee, above, and a paper wasp (Polistes exclamans), below.

Kou flower and paper wasp

Kou flower and wasp

Kou tree