Early References to Hawaiian Insects
Pemberton: History of entomology in Hawaii 1778-1963, page 961: published 1964
In E. C. Zimmerman’s Introduction to “Insects of Hawaii” (1), he mentions a total of 3722 known endemic Hawaiian insects. Many more have since been found, especially owing to the work of D. E. Hardy on some of the Diptera. Thus there were at least from four to five thousand species in the Islands when the original Hawaiians first arrived.
Having no written language at that time, there is no record of the particular species they encountered prior to the coming of Europeans. There is clear evidence, however, that fleas and head lice were of long residence in Hawaii, and undoubtedly came with the early Polynesian voyagers. This is suggested in their language by words for flea “Ukulele “[sic] and head louse “Uku-po’o.” [sic] The fleas evidently came with dogs, and lice on the human heads. The presence of head lice is attested to in a report by C. S. Stewart (2) in 1828, in which he discussed in some detail the presence of head lice among the inhabitants, and their delousing efforts.
The first European observation of insects in Hawaii and recorded in writing was by William Ellis (3), who was assistant ship’s surgeon on Captain Cook’s ship when it reached Hawaii in 1778. He referred to hordes of flies bothering the natives. With no descriptions of the flies, it may be assumed that they were house flies and possibly other species.
Between 1815 and 1818, the Russian explorer Otto Von Kotzebue visited Hawaii. His physician and ship’s surgeon Dr J. F. Eschscholtz collected a number of insects and published his findings in Berlin in 1821-22 (4). In this publication he mentions collecting the Oriental burrowing roach Pycnoscelus surinamensis (Linnaeus), which he named Blatta punctata. This is the first record of this roach in Hawaii. That other species of Blattidae invaded Hawaii at an early date is suggested in a publication by James Montgomery (5), who stated that upon arrival in Hawaii in 1822, his boat was swarming with cockroaches, though he did not mention the species or their characteristics. These were undoubtedly transported ashore with the ship’s stores and other materials. In Eschscholtz’s publication, the Kamehameha butterfly Vanessa tameamea Esch, is also recorded for the first time and described by him from specimens collected in the Islands.
The four species of mosquitoes in Hawaii are all invaders from other countries. The first record of a mosquito in Hawaii was given in 1826 by the Reverend William Richards, in charge of the mission station at Lahaina, Maui. As recorded by Van Dine (6), Richards reported that during 1826 the vessel “Wellington”, from San Bias, Mexico, anchored at Lahaina and some time after its arrival the natives complained of an insect that sung in their ears at night. His investigations verified the presence of quantities of a nightflying mosquito. The natives had no previous name for such an insect, which suggested that it was new to the country. From then on the natives called it “Makika.” This was undoubtedly our night-flying mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus Say, which must have emerged from fresh water casks aboard ship and spread over the Lahaina area. It is probable that other sailing vessels during this early period, also brought in this mosquito in the same manner.
The entomologist Osten Sacken (7) has quoted remarks made to him by T. R. Peale, entomologist, who said that an old ship from Mazatlan, Mexico, was abandoned on the coast of one of the Hawaiian Islands in 1828, following which, night-biting mosquitoes became a nuisance in the area. Peale also told him that back in 1823 there were no mosquitoes in Hawaii to his knowledge.
During the 50 year period 1826 to 1876, there was a gradual increase in the Islands of people immigrating from various countries. A fair number of insects were collected by some of these people and deposited in European museums, where they were described or referred to in entomological publications. No attempt will be made to list these. The systematic collection and study of Hawaiian insects on a large scale began in 1876 by an entomologist, the Reverend Thomas Blackburn. Though his obligations to the church occupied most of his time, he still found opportunity to collect insects on all of the main
islands and at various elevations, giving particular attention to the endemic Coleoptera.
The Reverend Blackburn remained in Hawaii for six years. Upon returning to England, he collaborated with Dr David Sharp, noted English entomologist, in publishing a treatise on his collection of Coleoptera (8). This memoir included descriptions of many new species and genera of Hawaiian beetles, with 50 excellent illustrations, and a systematic catalog of the habits and habitats of each species. It covers 428 species of Coleoptera, representing 150 genera, of which 82 % were endemic. Blackburn collected many other insects which were described and discussed in various scientific journals by other specialists. He concluded that he had collected less than half of the Hawaiian Coleoptera present at that time. He can be justly called the ” Father of Hawaiian Entomology.”
Blackburn’s pioneering work led to the systematic exploration of the Hawaiian insect fauna for ten years by R. C. L. Perkins, which began in 1892 and culminated in the publication of the “Fauna Hawaiiensis.” Dr Perkins, an Oxford graduate, was engaged by a joint committee of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and the Royal
Society of London, in collaboration with the Bishop Museum of Honolulu. It is estimated that Perkins collected over 100,000 specimens, most of which were sent to England for study.
The “Fauna Hawaiiensis” was published between 1899 and 1913 by the Cambridge University Press under the auspices of the above joint committee. It consisted of three elaborately illustrated volumes, comprising about 2,000 folio pages of descriptive matter, dealing mostly with the insects collected by Perkins. A large share of this work was undertaken by Perkins in collaboration with some 22 other specialists.
According to Perkins, about 3,325 species of insects were described or catalogued in the Fauna, 82 % of which were endemic. His Introduction covers 220 pages of fascinating discussion on the habits and plant hosts of the phytophagous species, plus groups falling in other categories. He expressed particular concern over the disastrous effects on the native biota following the removal of lowland forests by man, with his grazing animals as a contributing factor, and the predation on the endemic insects by invading foreign insects, particularly the ant Pheidole megacephala (Fabr.). In his opinion many endemic insects became extinct due to this ant, especially the Coleoptera.
Other Sources of Information on Hawaiian Entomology
Pemberton: History of entomology in Hawaii 1778-1963
Bulletins of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture and Forestry
Hawaiian Forester and Agriculturist