A pair of variable lady beetles mating on the underside of a leaf on a passion flower vine.
Category Archives: Insects
Naio
Naio (Myoporum sandwicense) used to grow in great abundance in Hawaii, but now is much less common. It has some similarities to true sandalwood and was passed off as the latter without much success, leading to it’s other names of false sandalwood or, less sympathetically, bastard sandalwood.
This small tree was found growing on the lower slopes of Mauna Kea.
Mango flower beetle
This mango flower beetle was hanging out on the washing line. Probably wouldn’t be right at the top of a ‘cute creatures’ list.
Grasshopper on a tree heliotrope
This grasshopper was tucked away in the foliage of a tree heliotrope on the North Kohala coast. I think it’s a Schistocerca nitens.
Abstracts: Stick insect should stick to sticks
Stick insect are beautifully camouflaged on twigs and small branches, but there are other surfaces with which they blend well. This one, though, might not be the best choice.
Black and yellow mud dauber wasp
The black and yellow mud dauber (Sceliphron caementarium) is one of several mud dauber wasps. They’re large, quite common, and get their name from the mud nests they build. These nests are often attached to man-made structures, such as under the eaves of houses. They’re not aggressive, but are prone to startling me since they spend a good deal of time around the outside of the house.
Better Days: Black witch moth
This black witch moth shows the wear and tear of everyday life.
Bee on fireweed flower
Last week I posted here about the fireweed biocontrol moth, secusio extensa, which has been introduced into Hawaii in an attempt to control the spread of invasive fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis). On that same walk I saw lots of fireweed flowers such as this one, busily being helped to propagate by this bee. Such is the battlefield.
Graham's Island 