Tag Archives: Butterflies and Moths

Hawaiian Crown Flowers

Hawaiian Crown Flowers (Calotropis gigantea) came from India originally, and became popular here because they were favored by Queen Liliuokalani, the last ruler of the Hawaiian monarchy. The purple flower was the one first introduced here, back in the 1880s, with this white variety arriving some 30 years later.

The plant gets its name from the shape of the flowers, which are used in making leis. As members of the milkweed family, they also host Hawaii’s Monarch Butterflies. The plant has a milky sap that is toxic, but that Monarchs, and their caterpillars, are immune to. The caterpillars are voracious eaters, decimating the Crown Flower leaves, but the plant will bounce back after the caterpillars pupate. The plant is drought tolerant and does well on the dry side of the island here.

The Numbers Game #73

This Gold Dust Day Gecko snagged a moth for lunch.

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 194. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Rust on a water tank — A rusty water tank.

Butterfly hut

One of the new features at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is a butterfly hut. In it are rows of chrysalises and, after the appropriate time, newly-emerging Monarch Butterflies. I took this photo to capture one such, but somehow, neither the butterfly or chrysalises can be distinguished. Instead, there’s reflections and layers of plants and mesh and glass at different levels, which I rather like.

Ailanthus defoliator moth

I saw this moth (Eligma narcissus) resting on a piece of pipe and knew it was something I hadn’t seen before. A name like that suggests trouble, but I’m not sure how much. I couldn’t find much online, and nothing about its presence in Hawaii.

It’s a native of tropical Asia, and some subtropical spots in that part of the world. Its larvae feed on Ailanthus species as well as Canarium species. And that’s about all I know!

The Numbers Game #69

Clouds fill the saddle between Mauna Kea and Hualalai.

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 190. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

King Kamehameha's statue in Kapaau, is draped in leis on Kamehameha Day. — A wasp working on a nest.

A pair of Threadfin Jack juveniles swim in the waters off the Big Island of Hawaii — A pair of juvenile Threadfin Jacks.

Evey day is Earth Day

Plants growing at a farm in North Kohala, Hawaii — A crop growing against a backdrop of wind turbines and the ocean. And, yes, that’s a monarch butterfly happy about the arrangement.

Papaya flowers and fruits growing in Hawaii — Flowers and fruits on a Papaya.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Earth Day.’ See more responses here.

I’m never quite sure what’s appropriate for Earth Day, but I figure nature, farming and renewable energy fit the bill, so here are some photos from a recent walk in the neighborhood.

Madagascar Jasmine flowers in Hawaii — A Madagascar Jasmine vine grows along a fence.

Tropical Milkweed growing at a farm in North Kohala, Hawaii — Tropical Milkweed flowers.

A Hawaiian Beet Webworm moth on a nasturtium flower in Hawaii — Tropical Milkweed flowers.

The Numbers Game #68

The lava cone and lake at Kilauea Volcano in late 2021 — The 2021 eruption at Kilauea Volcano.

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 189. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

The Numbers Game #67

A Japanese White-eye on a pink banana flower.

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 188. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii