Tag Archives: Native Invertebrates

Rebuilding the Rainbow

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Sebastian Marquez

About 2 decades ago, David Liittschwager and Susan Middleton wrote and photographed a book called Remains of a Rainbow which highlighted the amazing but vanishing native biota of the Hawaiian archipelago. I thought the title was quite evocative, conjuring images … Continue reading →

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Snapshot: The Joy of Nomenclature

Posted on March 9, 2026 by Sebastian Marquez

Yes this is a terrible photo I took a few nights ago. But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Orsonwelles spiders are a neat group of endemic linyphiids found here in Hawai`i. Their characteristic horizontal spiderwebs are easily to spot … Continue reading →

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Snapshot: Holly the snail

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Sebastian Marquez

So I’ve been watching this one snail over the last few months and it’s been neat to become acquainted with her. So much so much so that I have my own head canon with this particular individual. This is Holly. … Continue reading →

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Return of the Kings

Posted on December 26, 2024 by Sebastian Marquez

Let’s talk about the plight of 2 Ko`olau endemic taxa who were both on the very brink of extinction but are now on a tenuous path toward recovery. It’s a tale of destruction and despair but also of compassion and … Continue reading →

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Snapshot: Pinao

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Sebastian Marquez

Hawaiian damselflies are another neat radiation of invertebrates here in Hawai`i. They evolved to exploit some niches and habitats that aren’t readily available to them elsewhere. Most damselfly elswhere in the world are aquatic, but some occupy other niches here. … Continue reading →

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Snapshot: More Cerambycid beetles

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Sebastian Marquez

I wanted to see if I could get a little bit better shots of that native cerambycid beetle I took a few weeks back. They seem to really like rotten koa trees as I rather easily found another one on … Continue reading →

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Snapshot: Short-horned longhorn beetle

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Sebastian Marquez

I can across this while randomly picking at the bark of a dead koa tree. It’s a native cerambycid beetle (Parandra puncticeps). I thought it was interesting even though it’s part of the longhorn beetle radiation, it has short antennae. … Continue reading →

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More Banza Katydids

Posted on September 17, 2023 by Sebastian Marquez

One of our volunteers, Alex, came across this female Banza katydid today. I don’t have the eye for it, last time I saw one was years back when I last posted about our native katydids. I had forgotten how large … Continue reading →

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Snapshot: Philodoria moth

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Sebastian Marquez

I was working up at the site recently when I came upon one of our neat micromoths. This species (possibly Philodoria splendida) uses `Ohi`a Lehua as a host plant. The larva mine the leaves before emerging as these pretty little … Continue reading →

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Of Flies and Phenomena (Drosophila Reintroduction)

Posted on January 29, 2023 by Sebastian Marquez

Have you ever witnesses some sort of natural phenomenon? It doesn’t have to be super rare; it could be Manhatten-henge, it could be the Queensland Morning Glory, a solar eclipse, an aurora, it could even be a rainbow. It doesn’t … Continue reading →

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