THP] ANIilAL LIFE OF TIIK (JROUP. 379 



CHAPTER XXX. 



IMPORTANT E('OXO:\II(; INSECTS: PART ONE. 



The insect life of Hawaii is as yet far fi-oni being completely explored. 

 However, thronuh the patient researches of a number of specialists extending 

 over a period of years, the native and introduced fauna is becoming better 

 known, though all testify to the many insect rarefies as well as pests yet to 

 be found by almost any one who will search with patience and industry in the 

 rich fields offered by the wonderful variety of environments to be met with in 

 the islands. 



Importance of the Study op Insects. 



The study of tlir habits of insects by young iieojile as a part of their 

 School A\drk, or on their holiday excursions, is especially to be conuiiended, 

 since it is sure to result in the learning of many valuable lessons that deal with 

 the wonders of nature. Besides being of absorbing interest to old and young, 

 such study may lead the enthusiast to follow a pursuit in life that offers possi- 

 bilities of great usefulness and benefit to all. 



The tourist and visitor, however, whose ecniception of the islands 

 has been too literally based on some traveler's account wherein the 

 tropical forests are portrayed as "a wilderness .jeweled witli a myriad bril- 

 liant-colored buttei'flies, " is sure to be disappointed on his first expedition 

 into the mountains of Hawaii. ^Vhile they are plentifully stocked with insect 

 life, unfortunately from some points of view it is not of the gorgeous and 

 showy kind that one is wont to associate with tropical islands. 



The few small dull-colored species the novice is able to collect on the first 

 day's outing are usually not such as to excite much enthusiasm for Hawaii as 

 an insect collector's paradise. But on careful study of the day's catch it will 

 be found that many of the insects belong to species that cannot be foiind else- 

 where in the world, and that many of them have habits of the most absorbing 

 interest. Further and more searching study of the fauna will bring to light 

 peculiar local representatives of almost all of the great orders of insects. When 

 we consider the isolation of the islands, one is surprised to find represented 

 so great a proportion of the large number of families iiito which the world's 

 more than three hundred thousand known species of insects have been 

 classified. 



Import.\n't Destructive Species. 



As there are several thousand species that are native to the islands, a few 

 of which are touched upon in a succeeding chaptei-, and since there are several 

 hundred that have been introduced by accident or desit;ii,i only the briefest 

 notice can be taken in this chapter of a few of the more important economic 

 species that, for one reason or another, are liable to attract the attention of 



