Chapter V: Part II (3)

A'AL'II, _Dodonaea eriocarpa_ Smith. Fig. 8. This is a common shrub in several varieties along the highway and in the western end of the crater. At Paliku and Kaupo Gap it becomes a tree up to 20 feet high and 8 inches in diameter. Its flowers are inconspicuous but clusters of dry, reddish fruit-capsules contrast, flower-like, with the surrounding green foliage. The fruits, abundant from July to September, are used for leis and dry bouquets. The hard brown heartwood was used for spears, _pololu_, daggers, _pahoa_, and other implements.

BEGONIA--PUAMAKANUI, _Hillebrandia sandwicensis_ Oliv. (See illustration p. 53.) The only native begonia, found in wet ravines often by waterfalls. It grows profusely at Koolau a mile below Holua Cabin at the foot of the rain-drenched _pali_. This succulent herb has a tuberous rhizome, unbranched, slender stems, and hairy, toothed leaves 4-10 inches in diameter. From June to August it bears sprays of bright, pink and white flowers. This is one of the floral treasures of Hawaii.

TARWEED. _Cuphea carthagenensis_ (Jacq.) McBride. A low, sticky, hairy perennial from tropical America widely spread at lower elevations in the park. It has red or green branches, small ovate leaves, and tiny but not unattractive pink flowers ¼ inch across. Plants in rock crevices on cliffs are tiny; on the crater floor, they may become a foot high and form a dense shrubby mat over a sizeable area. The plant belongs to the LYTHRACEAE or Crepe Myrtle Family.

'OHI'A LEHUA, _Metrosideros collina_ (Forst.) A. Gray. Fig. 9. This, the commonest tree in the islands, consists of a swarm of hybrids of which the parentage is still unknown. It is scattered within the park to tree line. It is abundant in the eastern end of the crater and at Paliku. The beautiful flowers, mostly red, a few yellow, may appear throughout the year. Here spring seems to be the best season for them.

EVENING PRIMROSE, _Raimannia odorata_ (Jacq.) Sprague & Riley. A slender, erect, hairy South American herb introduced forty years ago. It is a prolific bloomer, is widespread, and, in blooming season, the most conspicuous flower both at Park Headquarters and within the crater. The large, sulphur-yellow flowers appear at night, but wilt within the following day, turning reddish as they do so.

'APE'APE--_Gunnera petaloidea_ Gaud. (See illustration p. 54.) A huge-leaved forest perennial with a massive prostrate stem which stands erect 3 or 4 feet at the tip. In the center of the leaves a tall stalk rises that bears hundreds of small yellow-brown flowers. I know of no plants within the crater, but some grow within a mile of the park boundary below Koolau Gap, as well as in adjacent wet valleys.

OLAPA, _Cheirodendron trigynum_ (Gaud.) Heller. Fig. 10. This tree occurs in several varieties. The variety _oblongum_ Sherff grows 30 feet tall around the cabins at Paliku, also at Ulupalakua. The variety _mauiense_ Levl. common at Olinda, also grows in Kaupo Gap. The genus is Hawaiian but has a lone representative in the Marquesas. It is widespread in deep soils in all of the islands. The leaves are compound with 3 or 5 leaflets which, at Paliku, have reddish petioles. The panicles of small, green flowers are followed by black drupes. The leaves, bark, and fruit are said to have yielded a blue dye for staining tapa.

'OHELO, _Vaccinium reticulatum_ Smith. Fig. 11. Hikers in the crater are grateful for the widespread ohelo bushes that yield pleasant fruits to be nibbled along the way. In areas rich in moisture, like Koolau Gap, large, maroon bell-shaped flowers droop from the axels of the leaves. The berries found in the eastern end of the crater appear to be largest. The bearing season appears at its height in mid-autumn. The plants along the Halemauu Trail constitute a distinct species, _V. berberidifolium_ Skottsb.

PUKIAWE, _Styphelia tameiameiae_ (Cham.) F. Muell. Fig. 12. A most abundant shrub, both inside and outside the crater, but near the top it is replaced by a trailing shrub that has been classified as _S. douglasii_ (A. Gray) Hochr. The berries of this plant are white, pink, red, or mahogany brown; they are most abundant in winter, but some may be seen on the shrub throughout the year.

KOLEA, _Suttonia lessertiana_ (A.DC.) Mez; syn. _Rapanea lessertiana_ (A.DC.) Degener and Hosaka. Fig. 13. This variable tree grows up to 50 feet tall as one of the common trees around Paliku cabins. The thick leaves with short petioles, crowded near the ends of thick branches, have a beautiful roseate hue when young. The branches are studded with spurs on which grow small 5-parted flowers in clusters of three or more that are followed by dark, purplish-red or black fruits up to ¼ inch in diameter, often so numerous that the branch is completely hidden. Hawaiians made a red dye for tapa from the sap and bark. The crimson sap bleeds freely from a cut made deeply into the bark of a living tree.

SELFHEAL, _Prunella vulgaris_ L., a common weed of Eurasian origin, is widespread in rocky, scrub cover, and at Paliku. A dense cluster of small, lipped, blue to purple flowers appears on the end of each upright stem.

PUA'AINAKA, _Stenogyne rotundifolia_ A. Gray. This endemic long-branched shrub of the Mint Family is found only on Haleakala. Within the crater and on upper slopes it is trailing and is relatively rare, being most abundant in Kaupo Gap. The attractive, pale purple flowers in whorls of six are 1½ inches long and are covered with silky, white hair. They appear in late summer. Outside the crater, _S. haliakalae_ Wawra is abundant in forests as a large, diffuse shrub that often forms a dense mat over surrounding shrubs. Another mint, _Stenogyne crenata_ A. Gray, was collected by Skottsberg among shrubs on the south wall of the crater.

GROUNDCHERRY, _Cape Gooseberry_, POHA, _Physalis peruviana_ L. A South American perennial herb, widely scattered throughout Hawaii, well-known for its round, orange, many-seeded, husk-enclosed fruits that are edible raw or preserved. It grows extensively in Kaupo Gap. The large yellow flowers with brownish spots near the center appear from June to late fall in this area.

PLANTAIN, LAUKAHI, _Plantago_ sp. Plantain is a hardy, cosmopolitan, stemless weed forming a rosette of broadly oval leaves, 1-10 inches long, near the ground. The tiny flowers and seed capsules are borne as cylindrical heads at the ends of tall stalks. The plant is widespread along the side of the road as well as within the crater. Of several hundred species of _Plantago_, four or more are endemic to Hawaii. One of these, _P. princeps_ Cham. & Schl., is a shrub several feet high with tufts of long narrow leaves at the ends of the branches. It grows on cliffs at Kaupo Gap. Other plantains with thick leaves, silky underneath, creep on the ground in Koolau Gap.

KUKAENENE, _Coprosma ernodioides_ A. Gray. Fig. 15. A common woody shrub with long trailing branches that send up short, erect, densely foliose branchlets at each node. The awl-shaped leaves are rigid and dark-green. The fruits are shiny black drupes which are a favorite food of the native goose, _nene_.

PILO, _Coprosma montana_ Hillebr. Fig. 14. One of the commonest shrubs throughout the crater and from Park Headquarters to 9,000 feet outside the crater. It is a small tree up to 20 feet tall in Kaupo Gap. As a shrub the ascending tips look like jets shot up from densely foliose branchlets. The alternate, small, thick leaves have conspicuous nerves impressed on the upper face. Below each pair of leaves is a pair of triangular bracts, stipules, with cilia on the upper border. The greenish, inconspicuous flowers are followed by showy, bright orange, yellow, or red fruits which make the plant a subject attractive to color photographers in fall.

MANONO, _Gouldia terminalis_ (H. & A.) Hillebr. A shrub or small tree growing on the talus above the Paliku cabins. It has shiny, opposite leaves and dense terminal clusters of greenish, four-lobed, cup-shaped flowers that are followed by small black berries. It blooms in late summer. The genus is one of three in the Coffee Family that are endemic to Hawaii.

CATCHFLY, _Silene struthioloides_ A. Gray. Fig. 16. A plant that is typical only of arid Cinders and ash on East Maui and on the island of Hawaii. With the silversword as its companion in Haleakala Crater the plants are found at the bases of barren cones. They show neat adaptation to their stark home. The Haleakala plants, as illustrated, are low and compact, but those growing at Kilauea Crater bear only a few awl-shaped leaves and resemble dead twigs. The thick tap roots are sweet and edible. About 250 species belong to this genus, a member of the Pink or Carnation Family. A well-known introduced weed, the English catchfly, _Silene anglica_ L., was reported by Degener at 10,000 feet on Haleakala.

'OHA, _Labelia grayana_ E. Wimm. A low plant with woody trailing stems with knobby leaf scars and ending with a crowded arrangement of silvery, linear leaves, 4-8 inches long and crowned with densely flowered racemes, 6-15 inches long. The flowers are lilac-blue with a satiny sheen. The plant is not uncommon on wet _pali_ from 5,000-7,000 feet at Paliku, Kaupo and Koolau Gaps, and in the northwestern end of the crater. It is a glorious plant worth hunting for and going miles to see.

NAUPAKA. _Scaevola chamissoniana_ Gaud. This shrub was noted only on the east side of Kaupo Gap. This is a varying species found up to the 6,000-foot elevation. It is not common and blooms in summer. The white flowers with purplish streaks are slit to the base on the upper side. They look like flower-halves rather than complete corollas. There are several legends about the peculiar flower, each dealing with lovers separated from each other. In a song composed about it, the lovers were forceably parted, so the girl divided a perfect corolla, giving one half to her lover while keeping the other half herself. One of the lovers carried the flower to the sea, _naupaka kahakai_, the other to the mountain, _naupaka kuahiwi_, where the plants are found today.

MAUI WORMWOOD, _Artemisia mauiensis_ (A. Gray) Skottsb. Fig. 17. Typical of Maui and found only on Haleakala, this hoary ornamental shrub, usually 2-3 feet high, perches on cliffs usually above the reach of man. It has a densely-branched crown with silvery leaves that are aromatic and bitter. The leaves are composed of thin segments that are covered with a mat of cottony hair, giving the plant a silvery appearance. The small orange flowers are borne in terminal panicles.

The Hawaiians call the wormwood AHINAHINA, applied also to silversword, geranium, and other gray plants. The basic word refers to the color of silvery-gray hair, the connection being obvious. Hawaiians use the pounded leaves to relieve asthma. The genus is large, having some 250 species that are generally found in arid regions. The sagebrush of the western states, _A. tridentata_ Nutt., is the best known to most park visitors.

KO'OKO'OLAU, _Bidens_ sp. Like _Artemisia_, the genus is a huge one with over 200 species and belongs to the Composite Family which includes dandelions, daisies, and sunflowers. E. E. Sherff of the Chicago Museum of Natural History, a specialist on the genus, lists sixty species native to Hawaii. Native KO'OKO'OLAU are shrubby and often of great beauty. This is true of _B. campylotheca pentamera_ Sherff which sprawls over the vegetation in Koolau Gap. It has fern-like leaves and large, pretty, yellowish flower-heads. Hawaiians use the tips of young plants for tea, often in preference over imported tea.

Besides the native varieties, three introduced species grow in the islands, including beggar ticks or Spanish needles, _B. pilosa_ L. It is a nuisance, as the three-pronged fruits that give it the common name readily attach themselves to clothing as well as to fur of passing animals.

KUPAOA, NA'ENA'E. Fig. 18, 19. Several kinds of composite shrubs are called by these names, both of which mean fragrance or perfume. They were used for scenting tapa. They belong to the endemic genera _Dubautia_ and _Railliardia_, both of which have species found in the park. _Dubautia plantagiena_ var. _platyphylla_ Hillebr. Gaud., a shrub at 6,000 feet in Kaupo and Koolau Gaps, has linear leaves 4-8 inches long, with 7-13 conspicuous nerves. It is a small tree below Nianiau Crater. It is a handsome sight when in flower; the flower-heads are yellow. In general appearance it is much like that of _Railliardia platyphylla_ A. Gray which grows in cinders and ash, mostly inside the crater. At 8,000 feet, _R. platyphylla_ becomes a straggling shrub. The commonest member of this group, _Railliardia menziesii_ A. Gray, is a shrub in the crater and on the rim from 8,000-10,000 feet. Between 6,000 and 7,000 feet it is a tree up to 20 feet tall. The dark green, pointed, linear, fleshy leaves are ranked in vertical rows of four on upright stems and branches. Its dark yellow flower-heads are borne in panicles. _R. scabra_ DC., found in Kaupo Gap and on Leleiwi Pali, does not have the regular leaf arrangement.

PAMAKANI-HAOLE, _Eupatorium glandulosum_ HBK. _Eupatorium_ is another huge genus of the Composite Family with several hundred species, mostly from tropical America. Five species have been introduced into Hawaii of which two are bad pests. _E. glandulosum_, a native of Mexico, spread rapidly on Maui, crowding out desirable plants and making pasturelands worthless. A parasitic insect, _Procecidochares utilis_ Stone, was introduced in 1944 to combat it. This insect belongs to the order DIPTERA, the flies, gnats, midges, and mosquitoes, and to the family TRYPETIDAE, that includes the Mediterranean fruitfly and the common "apple-worm" which is actually the larva of a fly. The trypetids infest living plants, frequently causing galls, and have piercing ovipositors, often prominent, with which females deposit eggs beneath the skin of their host.

It is not expected that the studied introduction of a parasite will result in the extermination of a host, but rather that it will check unbridled increase and spread. The method is termed "biological control." It has been successfully adopted against several menaces, such as cactus, lantana, and a fern-weevil, _Syragrius fulvitarsis_ Pascoe, that kills amaumau ferns in the Kilauea Crater area.

Pamakani abound throughout the crater, even clinging as tiny starvelings in small cracks in cliffs, like those along Halemauu Trail. Every plant shows swellings in which the little maggots live, and exit holes through which the new adults emerge. Many plants bear only few leaves and fight tenaciously for survival. Big plants may be seen along Kaupo Trail. _Pamakani_ means _wind-blown_, in reference to the method of seed dispersal.

HAIRY CAT'S-EAR, "Dandelion," _Hypochoeris radicata_ L. A common composite, native to the Mediterranean, found in abundance throughout the park. Its narrow leaves with yellow hairs form flat rosettes. A branching, leafless stalk up to a foot or more tall bears yellow flower-heads, an inch in diameter, that resemble the well-known dandelion, _Taraxacum officinale_ Weber, by which common name many call the cat's-ear. The hairless, _H. glabra_ L. is a smaller plant with smooth leaves and flower-heads ¼ inch in diameter. The cat's-ear is a favorite food of the Hawaiian goose, _nene_. _Gosmer_ is a common name used locally.

WOOD GROUNDSEL, _Senecio sylvaticus_ L., a native of Europe, is a branching, weedy herb, 1-2 feet high, abundant along the foot of Kalahaku Pali. It has irregularly lobed leaves and small yellow flowers in a tight flower head, 1/3 inch long and ½ inch in diameter.

TETRAMALOPIUM. Fig. 20, illustration p. 53. This endemic genus has a dozen species, two of which are a pride of Haleakala. The small leaves are narrow and crowded at branch ends. The showy flowerheads of white, pinkish, or lavender ray florets surround a disk of purplish central florets. _T. humile_ (A. Gray) Hillebr. is found inside and outside the crater between 6,000-9,000 feet. It is a small, low, shrubby plant with narrow, spoon-shaped leaves quite covered with sticky, curly hair. The plant growing in cracks between rocks at the very summit is stiffer and considerably different.

SILVERSWORD, AHINAHINA, _Argyroxiphium sandwicense_ DC. Illustrations on cover and pages iv, 47. As famous as the crater itself, and almost as well-known, the silversword is regarded as typical of Haleakala, although its natural range embraces Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and Hualalai from 7,000 to 12,000 feet. A lustrous silvery down thickly covers all leaves and makes the plant exceedingly beautiful. It is highly evolved to withstand the extreme dryness of cinder cones and the intense sunlight of lofty elevation. Surprising to most visitors on first acquaintance is the fact that it bears no relationship to the yucca of the Lily Family, but belongs to the COMPOSITAE along with sunflowers, asters, and chrysanthemums. Like _Dubautia_ and _Railliardia_, it has no close relatives outside of the islands. _Wilkesia_, endemic to Kauai, is so closely similar that some authorities class it in the genus _Argyroxphium_.

The Haleakala silversword has a short, simple, woody stem 2-3 inches in diameter crowded with thick, dagger-like leaves arranged spirally around it. After growth from 7 to as much as 20 years, a foliose raceme 3-8 feet high develops on which 100-500 flower-heads nod. Each has a central disk of hundreds of bright yellow florets surrounded by a score of short reddish-purple ray florets. The flowering season is from June through October. The whole plant dies after flowering but once.

The greensword, _A. virescens_ Hillebr., a much rarer plant with green leaves, once grew from 6,000 to 9,000 feet. Today it has all but vanished; a few plants are still to be found in Koolau Gap just outside the park, and between rocks on the edges of cliffs at Kaupo Gap.

Visitors once gathered specimens of silversword as evidence that they had been up the mountain, even as the mountaineer gathers edelweiss in Switzerland. Thoughtless people uprooted the silvery globes merely to watch them tumble down the slopes. Goats eat the growing heart of the plant. Grazing stock are incompatible with its existence. It has many insect parasites (see The Insect Life). All of these, singly and in combination, threaten the existence of the species.

The outer slopes of the mountain had thousands of silverswords according to early accounts, while today they are rare. In the crater, some of the cones were so thickly covered that they appeared to be bathed in moonlight. Except for strong, enlightened action, this beautiful plant might have completely vanished from the mountain.

SUMMARY LISTS

The following are incomplete lists of plants reported at various places within the park. They may serve as the start or a check for those wishing to know something of the plants in a certain area. The names given are those most commonly used locally or those used to head the corresponding sections above.

COMMONEST SHRUBS ALONG THE HIGHWAY above Headquarters. Sandalwood, mamane, geranium (_N. tridens_), aalii, ohia, ohelo, pukiawe, mountain pilo, kupaoa.

WIDESPREAD below 8,500 feet. _Stereocaulon_ lichen (mostly on barren lava), pellucid polypody, maidenhair spleenwort, cliffbrake, swordfern, bracken, sedge (_Gahnia_), sheep sorrel or dock; ulei, mamane, aalii, tarweed, ohia, evening primrose, ohelo, pukiawe, selfheal, plantain, kukaenene, mountain pilo, kupaoa, pamakani, hairy cat's-ear, horseweed.

SUMMIT FLORA (above 8,500 feet). Mountain pili (grass), trailing pukiawe, _tetramalopium sp._, kupaoa, common dandelion.

CRATER FLOOR on ash or barren lava. Mountain pili, sheep sorrel, ulei, mamane, bur clover, white clover, cranesbill, aalii, tarweed, ohia, evening primrose, ohelo, pukiawe, selfheal, common plantain, kukaenene, mountain pilo, catchfly, kupaoa, pamakani, hairy cat's-ear, Canadian horseweed, _Tetramalopium humile_, silversword.

KOOLAU GAP. Amaumau, rush, mauulaili, tree orchid, sandalwood, pawale, Hawaiian buttercup, trailing _akala_, native strawberry, nohoanu, apeape, highbush ohelo, trailing plantain, lobelia, wormwood, trailing kookoolau, greensword.

PALIKU. Amaumau, ekaha, akaha akolea, twayblade, alaalawainui, hoawa, akala, kawau, olapa, kolea, manono, lobelia, naenae.

KAUPO GAP. Rush, mauulaili, sandalwood, hoawa, puaainaka, poha, common potato (naturalized), Jerusalem cherry, tree plantain, lobelia, naupaka, _Dubautia sp._, _Railliardia scabra_.

THE BIRDS AND MAMMALS

It is a general rule that, as among plants, numbers and species of birds decrease as one goes up a mountain. It is true also that native Hawaiian birds are to be found mostly in upland forests. Of the members of the endemic nectar-sipping family, DREPANIDAE, _'apapane_ and _'i'iwi_ may be seen up to 8,500 feet. They are associated with ohia which give them their food. _'Amakihi_ are fond of the mamane blossoms, so it is not surprising to find them widespread although not numerous in the park. Far rarer is the little Maui creeper, _'alauahio_, which finds insects and spiders for food in the bark of trunks and branches of trees and shrubs. It follows the latter up to the Alpine Zone.

Except for migrants and sea birds, other natives nowadays are absent. Occasionally an Hawaiian owl, _pueo_, has been seen flying over grasslands near the park entrance and at Paliku. Tropic birds, _koa'e_, occasionally soar around the cliffs inside the crater. The dark-rumped petrel, _'ua'u_, a vanishing species, is heard at night back of Holua and Kapalaoa cabins, and at Leleiwi Overlook. This pigeon-sized bird of the ocean nests in burrows 4-6 feet deep, at the bases of cliffs in the crater. Both young and adults were formerly hunted, often with nets, because they were highly prized as food. Bird catching was an important occupation of Hawaiians; at times one stumbles upon the remains of shelter caves and campsites used by them in a lonely mountain vastness. Except the period from early May to mid-August while it is away on its migration to Alaska, the golden plover, _kolea_, is a most conspicuous bird inside and outside the crater.

Introduced birds are everywhere. The Japanese white-eye or _mejiro_ can be found in vegetation up to the Alpine Zone. It is especially common at Paliku, the most rewarding bird area in the park. The Pekin nightingale or Japanese hill robin, _sochi-cho_, goes all the way to the summit. I observed a pair at the structure on Red Hill, and picked up a dead one above the elevation of the Observatory. They sing in the trees around Paliku. Linnets and skylarks are often seen or heard anywhere up to the Alpine Zone. Commoner at low elevations, a mockingbird appears infrequently above Park Headquarters, and mynahs visit the inn grounds in summer. They also appear at Paliku. English sparrows may linger around the horse barns, as expected.

The most conspicuous and commonest Haleakala birds are introduced game-birds. Ringnecked pheasants are flushed or heard up to 8,500 feet, while Chukar partridges are numerous from 7,500 to 10,000 feet. Both of these are abundant in the crater. The Chukar, only a newcomer here, is already definitely at home. California quail scurry from the road or trail at elevations up to 7,500 feet. In 1958, 27 Erchel's francolin were released just below the park line near the inn, but success of their establishment is still a question.

The bat was apparently the only mammal living in Hawaii at the time when Polynesian navigators first visited here. They carried the pig, dog, and tramp rat along with them on their voyages. After Cook, many mammals were brought in, some of which readily reverted to a wild state. These include sheep, goats, cattle, horses, burros, dogs, cats, and mongooses.

The feral goat is the problem child of the Haleakala area. Often a beautiful creature, with long, black, flowing hair, it soon exterminates silversword, mamane, and desirable vegetation wherever it is left uncontrolled. Upon being forceably separated from its mother, the terrified kid quickly becomes tame and attaches itself as closely to the human associate as it did to its natural parent. Occasionally a stray dog that has reverted to the wild is seen in the park area. It is only a reminder of the days of the past century when packs roamed the side of the mountain and harassed visitors with their ferocity. Joining their members were wild bullocks that also constituted a threat. These were inevitably mentioned in all journals of early visitors. In the wet forested areas below Koolau Gap, on the fringe of upper Kipahulu Valley, and along the rim at Waianapanapa, pigs flourish in bliss that is broken only occasionally by a local hunter who seeks them just outside the boundary of the park.

THE INSECT LIFE[21]

Hawaii National Park is rich in insect life although, as is typical of insular areas, insects are much more sparse than in continental regions. Most of our insects are endemic species, i.e., are found only in these islands; many are very limited in distribution. For the most part the endemic insects are associated with the native plants. Most of our insects are comparatively small and inconspicuous; nevertheless, a great many are strange and unusual so that our fauna is particularly interesting to the scientist. We have none of the larger, showy butterflies and other insects which the visitor often expects to find here. No noxious or harmful species are present in areas used by park visitors, but the large blowflies which breed in goat carcasses in Haleakala Crater sometimes become a nuisance, due to their presence in large numbers. These are mainland species which have been accidentally introduced into Hawaii and which are now restricted to the highland areas where the climate is temperate. With the exception of lice and domestic flies, which were brought here by the Hawaiians themselves, Hawaii was free of pestiferous insects before the arrival of the Europeans.

One of the best known endemic Hawaiian insects is the butterfly named after King Kamehameha, _Vanessa tameamea_, a highly colored relative of the painted lady, the tortoise shells, and the red admiral butterflies of the mainland. This species is highly prized by amateur butterfly collectors since it is found no place else in the world. Its colors are orange, brown, and black. The female has small white spots in the apical portions of the front wings; these spots are rosy colored in the male. The caterpillars, green or purplish, feed on the leaves of the _mamaki_. Adults are found in forests throughout the islands. They are attracted to the native hydrangea, _kanawao_, to the introduced thimbleberry, or to the sap exuding from _koa_ or _naio_. This butterfly is a strong flier, and ranges from the seacoast to the top of Haleakala. The female of _Hodegia apetala_, an endemic genus of only one described species, is an Hawaiian moth unable to fly.[22] The male is unknown. This jumping insect, related to the bollworm, lives in bunch grass near the summit. The narrow, pointed, reduced, ashen-brown wings are ½ inch long; the abdomen, about as long as the wings, is brownish gray.

As one walks over open patches at higher elevations a brown moth, 1½ inches wide, rises readily before one. This is _Agrotis aulacias_ that possesses great powers of flight.[23] The genus of 27 species is related to army worms, cut-worms, and a host of agricultural pests. _Fletcherana insularis_ is a geometrid moth (inch worm, measuring worm, or looper) found in late spring high above the forest belt near the park entrance. The insect is an inch wide, its color is white, speckled with black. The genus of 5 species is confined to Hawaii.

_Nesophrosyne haleakala_ is a mottled, gray-brown leafhopper, 1/8 inch long; the head and front part of the thorax are yellowish. In the park it is found in _pilo_ and _ohelo_ at 8,500 or 9,000 feet. The genus is endemic and contains over 60 forms distributed throughout the islands.

An undesirable pest has publicized its presence high above the park entrance by leaving its name on two caves which early visitors found convenient for shelter. Big Flea and Little Flea Caves often appear in accounts of early trips, but never without mention of the annoyance that was caused by their permanent occupants. Of the 7 different kinds of fleas recorded for Hawaii, only the so-called cat flea (_Ctenocephalides felis_) annoys people to any extent. Several species of fleas infest the Hawaiian rat and were presumably brought in when this rodent arrived with the earliest Polynesian immigrants.

Because the beautiful silversword has no very close relatives, which means that its ancestors arrived in Hawaii in earliest time, any species of insects associated solely with it as a host plant draws particular interest. Moreover, since the survival of silverswords is precarious in this day of rapid change, all agents that threaten must be carefully scrutinized. Silverswords are specific hosts to a half dozen or more endemic species of insects.[24] Among Lepidoptera, the family of moths and butterflies, the larvae of a pyralid moth, _Rhynchephestia rhabdotus_, feeds in the flower-heads, destroying the seeds. Caterpillars of a noctuid, _Euxoa epicremma_, have been collected beneath plants. The caterpillars of a tineid moth have been found among dead leaves. Of the DIPTERA, great numbers of yellow maggots of a gray fly, _Tephritis cratericola_, feed on the seeds and prevent their development. The larvae of one of the Coleoptera, a beetle described as _Aescheithmysus terryi_, feeds apparently only on old and dead stems. A relative, _A. swezeyi_, similarly feeds on _Railliardia_. Great members of a leaf-hopper, _Iburnia argyroxiphii_, suck the sap of Haleakala silverswords. It is preyed upon by a wasp, _Polynema sp._, so tiny that the naked eye can hardly see it. The wasp lays its egg in the egg of the hopper. The larval wasp, upon hatching, feeds on the contents of the hopper egg, pupates within it, and emerges from it.

The Paliku area is very rich in insect life; many hundreds of species have been recorded from here and many are apparently very restricted in distribution and are known only from this locality. Species of pomace-flies (DROSOPHILIDAE) and the long-legged flies (DOLICHOPODIDAE) are especially prevalent at Paliku. Two species of the native genus _Idiomyia_ are the largest members of DROSOPHILIDAE found any place in the world; they measure approximately 7 mm. in length. Two species of flightless Neuroptera (_Pseudopsectra cookeorum_ and _lobipennis_) occur on the vegetation (_Dubautia_, _Metrosideros_, and _Cyanea_) in Haleakala; these represent one of the strangest entomological curiosities of the world.

Over five thousand species of insects have been recorded from the Hawaiian Islands and it is probable that several thousand more species remain to be described. In the past our knowledge of the insects was based largely upon the monumental study, "Fauna Hawaiiensis,"[25] published by a group of institutions including the British Museum (Natural History) and the Bernice P. Bishop Museum. A new faunistic study is now under way titled "Insects of Hawaii."[26] This is an extremely valuable reference work and is indispensable to anyone studying Hawaiian insects. It gives a complete review of the insects from the lowest orders through the butterflies and larger moths. Two volumes on the DIPTERA are now in press. Volume one gives a most comprehensive account of the mode of dispersal of our endemic fauna and flora to these islands. It is estimated that the 3,722 known endemic insects developed from approximately 250 ancestral species.

HAWAIIAN WORDS AND PLACE NAMES

THE HAMZA. During the centuries, changes occur in dialects. Hawaiian is one of the dialects of the Polynesian language. A striking change in Hawaiian is the dropping of the letter _k_ that once appeared in some words. But instead of complete discard of the sound, its former existence is revealed as a little catch in the throat, called a glottal stop. This is represented in print by a mark (') called _hamza_. The omission of this mark can spell a word of entirely different meaning. Yet, without explanation, the hamza can be more bewildering than helpful to those unfamiliar with Hawaiian. Its use in this book therefore has been limited to this section and to the section on plants, because it is needed if correct pronunciation is attempted. And who fails to want to try Hawaiian on his tongue!

These brief, literal interpretations are not mentioned in the text.
Principal authorities are K. E. Emory and M. K. Pukui.

AHU--Pile, cairn, altar, shrine. Often a small or large pile of stones erected as a trailmark or landmark. _Ahu_ were sometimes put up by passing parties as monuments or evidence that they had been there, even as mountain climbers do to this day. To be assured of a safe journey, an _ahu_ of three stones was made as tribute to the god of the locality.

ALII--_Ali'i_, chief, chiefess, sovereign, ruler. One of the upper class.

HALALII--_Hala-li'i_, fun-making, from the name of a traditional chief of Ni'ihau.

HALEAKALA--_Hale-a-ka-la_ is usually interpreted as "house of the sun," a simple translation of the Hawaiian name given us for the mountain. It assumes vague reference to the Maui legend. An old explanation converted the translation to "house built by the sun." Rev. A. O. Forbes[27] says that the name is a corruption of _Alehe-ka-la_, "snarer of the sun," in reference to Maui's deeds. Still another version would have it _Ahale-ka-la_, to be interpreted as "rays of the sun."

HALEMAUU--_Hale mau'u_ is grass hut; _hale ma'u'u_ signifies damp house.

HANA--Bay or valley, when used in a place name.

HANAKAUHI--_Hana-ka-uhi_, the mist-maker; yam valley.

HAOLE--A foreigner, one of foreign extraction; today, usually in reference to a Caucasian; adj., foreign.

HEIAU--Pre-christian place of worship, hence, usually translated temple. This was often a stone platform or an earth terrace.

HOLUA--A course used for the ancient royal sport of sliding down steep slopes; also the sled itself.

HONOKAHUA--_Hono-ka-hua_, joined foundation.

IAO--_'I-ao_, high; into the clouds.

KAHULUI--_Ka-hului_, a sea for drag-net fishing.

KALAHAKU--The proclamation of the Lord.

KALAPAWILI--_Ka-lapa-wili_, winding or twisting ridge.

KALUAAWA--_Ka-lua-'awa_, the _'awa_ pit. _'Awa_ or _kawa_ is the well-known traditional drink of Polynesia made from _Piper methysticum_.

KALUAIKI--_Ka-lua-iki_, small pit or crater.

KALUANUI--_Ka-lua-nui_, large pit or crater.

KALUA O KA OO--_Ka lua o ka 'o'o_, the pit of the _'o'o_. The _'o'o_, now extinct, was an endemic, black, nectar-sipping bird. It had tufts of yellow feathers under each wing and at the base of the tail, which were used in featherwork.

KALUA O UMI--Umi's Cave.

KAMOALII--_Ka moa li'i_, the little chicken.

KA MOA O PELE--Pele's chickens or chicken coop.

KANAKA--(_Haw. pl. kanaka_; _Eng. pl. kanakas_) human being, person, man.

KAPA--Tapa, a cloth made from the bark of _mamaki_ or _wauke_; formerly, clothes of any kind; bedclothes.

KAPALAOA--_Ka palaoa_, the _palaoa_ was a highly-prized pendant of whale-tooth ivory, a symbol of royalty over the theft of which wars were waged.

KAUPO--_Kau po_, to land at night. A variety of banana is given this name, probably after the place name.

KAWILINAU--_Ka wili nau_, literally, the twist of pain. This is the Hawaiian place name for Bottomless Pit.

KEAHUOKAHOLO--_Ke ahu o ka holo_, a heap resulting from a landslide.

KEANAE--_Ke 'anae_, the large mullet.

KEONEHEEHEE--_Ke one he'ehe'e_, the sliding sands.

KIHEI--Shoulder covering; a rectangular fine mat or tapa used as a mantle.

KIPAHULU--Worn-out soil.

KOLEKOLE--Bright red, blood red.

KOOLAU--_Ko'olau_, windward side.

KUIKI--_Ku iki_, a moment's stop, a short halt.

KUMUILIAHI--_Kumu 'iliahi_, sandalwood trunk.

LAUULU--_Lau 'ulu_, leaf of breadfruit tree.

LELEIWI--Carved figure on the bowsprit of a canoe or ship.

LILINOI--Goddess of Haleakala.

MAKAWAO--_Maka wao_, forest region.

MAUI--Contrary to popular belief and despite the similar spelling, the island does not bear the name of the demigod. The name of the island is pronounced mow-ee. This almost rhymes with an enthusiastic "WOWIE!" especially as a Virginian might pronounce it. The _au_ must be treated in the fashion for Hawaiian dipthongs, that is, the crisp vowels are more loosely connected than in the English, and a slight accent is imposed on the leading one. The demigod's name has three syllables, with accent on the second, i.e., the _u_. Thus, Ma-u'-i.

MAUNA--Mountain.

MAUNA HINA--Gray mountain.

MOI--_Mo'i_(A 19th Century word), King, queen, sovereign.

NAMANA O KE AKUA--_Na mana o ke akua_, the miraculous power, _mana_, of Deity, gods, or spirits.

NA PIKO HANA--The hiding place for navel cords.

NIANIAU--_Ni'ani'au_, the sword fern.

OILI PUU--_'O'ili pu'u_, hill appearing, hill shot out.

PALIKU--_Pali ku_, upright cliff.

POHAKU PALAHA--Broad stone; wide stone.

PUKALANI--_Puka lani_, heavenly entrance, chief's doorway.

PUU--_Pu'u_, hill. This is contracted in some names to _pu_.

PUU HELE--_Pu'u hele_, moving hill.

PUU KAUAUA--_Pu'u ka uaua_, the stubborn hill; the tough hill.

PUU KUMU--_Pu'u kumu_, stump hill.

PUU MAILE--_Maile_ is a fragrant vine, _Alyxia oliviformis_, used and loved like the laurel of Europe.

PUU MANEONEO--_Pu'u mane'one'o_, itching hill. _Maneoneo_ means _barren_.

PUU NAUE--_Pu'u naue_, trembling hill; loose or insecure hill.

PUU NOLE--Grumbling hill.

WAIALE--_Wai'ale_, rippling water.

WAI ANAPANAPA--_Wai 'anapanapa_, sparkling water.

WAIHOI--_Wai ho'i_, water that returned.

WAIKAU--_Wai kau_, water on a high place.

WAIKEKEEHIA--_Keke'ehia_ means to twist and wind like a rivulet or stream, hence, the name is interpreted as crooked waters.

WAILUKU--_Wai luku_, water of destruction.

HUI O AHINAHINA

The exclusive Society of the Silversword (Hui o Ahinahina) invites you to become a member if you have visited the summit or the crater of Haleakala. Only one class of membership. Life: one dollar! By joining you can help scientific study, interpretation, and display exhibits of the Park. Exchange your dollar at the Park or at the office of Silversword Inn for a silvery, engraved certificate, suitable for framing. With pride you can hand it down to your grandchildren, a souvenir of Haleakala.

ADDITIONAL HELP

The following publications contain information on the two sections of Hawaii National Park. They may be purchased at either Park Administration Office, at Silversword Inn, Haleakala, and at the Volcano House at Kilauea.

_Volcanoes of Hawaii National Park._ (pamphlet) by Gordon A. MacDonald and Douglas H. Hubbard.

Hawaii Natural History Association, 1951. 50¢

_Ferns of Hawaii National Park._ (pamphlet) by Douglas H. Hubbard.

Hawaii Natural History Association, 1952. 50¢

_Trailside Plants of Hawaii National Park._ (pamphlet) by Douglas H. Hubbard and Vernon R. Bender, Jr. Hawaii Natural History Association, 1960.

_Plants of Hawaii National Park._ By Otto Degener, 1945. $4.00

Illustrative of Plants and Customs of the South Seas.

_The Land of Pele._ (pamphlet) by Nash Castro.

A historical sketch of Hawaii National Park.
Hilo Tribune Herald, Ltd., 1953. 85¢

Cartons, cigarette butts, and other trash do not add to your enjoyment of the park. You can easily dispose of these so that they cannot become obnoxious to you and those who come after you. With the number of visitors increasing each year, you can help protect and preserve the natural scene by placing all paper and other refuse in containers provided for this purpose and by refraining from picking or breaking flowers, plants, and natural specimens. _Won't you do your share?_ THANK YOU.

MILEAGES

Roads
Park Boundary to: Miles
Silversword Inn 1.0
Hosmer Grove 1.5
Park Headquarters 2.0
Halemauu Trail 5.6
Leleiwi Overlook 8.4
Kalahaku Overlook 10.1
Observatory 12.1
Red Hill (Summit) 12.8
CAA Station 13.8
Halemauu Trail
Silversword Inn to: Miles
Halemauu Trail Junction 2.9
Holua Visitor Cabin 5.9
Haleakala Park Road to:
Holua Visitor Cabin 3.9
Holua Visitor Cabin to:
Silversword Loop .9
Bottomless Pit 2.3
Bubble Cave 3.3
Kapalaoa Visitor Cabin 3.8
Paliku Visitor Cabin 6.3
Kaupo Village 14.1
Sliding Sands Trail
Observatory to: Miles
Holua Visitor Cabin 7.4
Kapalaoa Visitor Cabin 5.8
Bubble Cave 6.5
Paliku Visitor Cabin 9.8
Kaupo Village 17.5
Miscellaneous Mileages:
Holua Visitor Cabin to 3.8 Miles
Kapalaoa Visitor Cabin
Kapalaoa Visitor Cabin to 4.0
Paliku Visitor Cabin
Paliku Visitor Cabin to Holua 6.3
Visitor Cabin (Direct Route
via Halemauu Trail)
White Hill 0.2
Crater Overlook Trail 350 Feet

A FEW STATISTICS

Area of the Crater 19 Square miles Circumference of the Crater 20 Miles Extreme length of the Crater 7½ Miles Extreme width of the Crater 2½ Miles Elevation of the summit of Red Hill 10,005 Feet Elevation of Puu o Maui 8,133 Feet Elevation of Park Boundary, Kaupo Trail 3,847 Feet Elevation of Park Boundary, Koolau Gap 6,450 Feet Area of the Haleakala Section, Hawaii National Park 26.7 Square miles

Footnotes

[1]Emory, Kenneth P., An Archaeological Survey of Haleakala, Bernice P.
Bishop Museum, Occasional Papers, vol. VII, No. 11. 1921.

[2]Ellis, William, A Narrative of a Tour Through Hawaii, or Owhyhee;
with remarks on the History, Traditions, Manners, Customs and
Language of the Inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands, London 1825.

[3]"Voyages of Discovery of Captain James Cook," vol. II, page 958. Ward
Luck, Bowden & Co., London.

[4]L. A. Milet-Mureau, ed., "Voyage de la Perouse Autour du Monde"
(Paris, an V) II, 110-129.

[5]"Honolulu; Sketches of the Life, Social, Political, and Religious in
the Hawaiian Islands from 1828 to 1861," Laura Fish Judd; Honolulu,
1880.

[6]THE MISSIONARY HERALD, v. XXV, August 1829, No. 8, pp. 246-251 (no
author).

[7]Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition during the Years
1838, 1839, 1840, 1941, 1942. Charles Wilkes. U.S.N. v. IV, 1845,
pp. 252-256.

[8]Damon, S. C., Ascent of Haleakala, The Friend, vol. 5, pp. 116-117,
1847.

[9]Bates, Geo., Sandwich Island Notes, pp. 116-117, New York, 1854.

[10]Wilkes, Chas., Narrative of the U. S. Exploring Expedition, vol. 4,
p. 254, 1845.

[11]Dana, J. D., U. S. Exploring Expedition 1838-42, vol. 10, Geology,
p. 228, 1849.

[12]W. D. Alexander, On the Crater of Haleakala, Island of Maui,
Hawaiian Group. Am. Jour. Sci. 2nd ser., vol. 49, No. 145, P. 48,
Jan. 1870.

[13]Dutton, C. E., Hawaiian Volcanoes, U. S. Geol. Survey, 4th ann.
rept., pp. 81-219, 1874.

[14]Dana, J. D., Characteristics of Volcanoes, New York, 1891, pp.
277-278.

[15]Daly, R. A., Igneous Rocks and the Depths of the Earth, p. 171, New
York, 1933.

[16]Cross, Whitman, Lavas of Hawaii and their Relations: U. S. Geol.
Survey Prof. Paper 88, p. 25, 1915.

[17]Powers, Sidney. Geol. Soc. America Bull., vol. 28, p. 512, 1925.

[18]Stearns, H. T., Origin of Haleakala Crater, Maui, Hawaii: Geol. Soc.
America Bull., vol. 53, pp. 1-14, 1942.

[19]Degener, O., Plants of Hawaii National Park, p. 101; Flora
Hawaiiensis, Family 68, 1946.

[20]Degener, O., Plants of Hawaii National Park, pp. 142-148.

[21]Basic data for this section prepared under the supervision of D.
Elmo Hardy, Entomologist, University of Hawaii, to whom grateful
acknowledgement is made.

[22]Perkins, R. C. L., Ent. Monthly Magazine, 32:195, 1896.

[23]Myrick, E., Fauna Hawaiiensis, vol. 1, p. 145, 1899.

[24]Swezey, O. H. and Degener, Otto. Insect fauna of the silversword and
greensword. Proc. Haw. Ent. Soc., 7(1): 183-195, 1928.

[25]Fauna Hawaiiensis; being the Land Fauna of the Hawaiian Islands.
Edited by David Sharp. Vols. I-III. Cambridge, England. 1899-1913.

[26]Zimmerman, Elwood C. Insects of Hawaii. Vols. 1-3, 1948-1959. Univ.
of Hawaii Press, Honolulu.

[27]Rev. A. O. Forbes, Hawaiian Almanac and Annual for 1881, p. 59,
Thos. G. Thrum, editor, Honolulu.

Transcriber's Notes

--Silently corrected a few typos.

--Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
is public-domain in the country of publication.

--In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
_underscores_.