What is the state butterfly of Hawaii?

An authentic native butterfly, The Kamehameha Butterfly, is the official Hawai'i state insect. Its Hawaiian name is Pulelehua. The beauty of this Hawaiian Butterfly is related to many breeds of butterflies found all over the world.

1. How did the Kamehameha butterfly get its name?
2. Why is Kamehameha butterfly important?
3. Is Kamehameha butterfly endangered?
4. What color is a Kamehameha butterfly?
5. Is there a Hawaiian flag?
6. What is the state motto of Hawaii?
7. What is Hawaii's state flower?
8. Do monarch butterflies live in Hawaii?
9. What is a pulelehua?
10. Do painted lady butterflies live in Hawaii?
11. What is a butterfly cocoon called?
12. Where are blue butterflies found?
13. What is Hawaii's state animal?
14. How did butterflies get to Hawaii?
15. Where are butterflies in Hawaii?

How did the Kamehameha butterfly get its name?

The Kamehameha Butterfly was the first of the Lepidoptera to be described in the Hawaiian Islands and named in the early 1800s for Kamehameha I. Diet: Adults are sap and nectar feeders on koa, naio and other native forest trees.

Why is Kamehameha butterfly important?

The Kamehameha butterfly (Vanessa tameamea) is endemic to Hawaiʻi, meaning it is found nowhere else in the world. ... The butterfly was named in honor of the House of Kamehameha, the royal family that unified the Hawaiian Islands in 1810, and reigned until the death of Kamehameha V in 1872.

Is Kamehameha butterfly endangered?

Although the Kamehameha butterfly is not currently listed as an endangered or threatened species, it faces plenty of threats, including loss of habitat and predation. The butterfly still dwells on most of the main Hawaiian islands, but its range has shrunk on every island.

What color is a Kamehameha butterfly?

If you are fortunate enough to see Hawaii's state insect, the Pulelehua or Kamehameha butterfly, you will be treated to bright orange and black colors with uniquely spaced markings and a wingspan of about 2.5 inches.

Is there a Hawaiian flag?

The flag of Hawaii (Hawaiian: Ka Hae Hawaiʻi) has previously been used by the kingdom, protectorate, republic, and territory of Hawaii. It is the only US state flag to include a foreign country's national flag.

What is the state motto of Hawaii?

State motto: Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono

The phrase was adopted in 1959 as the motto of the state. It roughly translates to, “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.”

What is Hawaii's state flower?

Hawaiians adopted the hibiscus – in all colors — as their official Territorial flower in the early 1920s however it wasn't until 1988 that the yellow hibiscus, specifically the Hibiscus brackenridgei was selected as Hawaii's state flower.

Do monarch butterflies live in Hawaii?

The three species of monarch butterflies are: D. plexippus, described by Linnaeus in 1758, is the species known most commonly as the monarch butterfly of North America. Its range actually extends worldwide and can be found in Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and the Pacific Islands.

What is a pulelehua?

Pulelehua is the Hawaiian word for butterfly.

Do painted lady butterflies live in Hawaii?

In fact, the Vanessa butterflies are known for their migratory behavior. American Ladies, Painted Ladies and Red Admirals also migrate to the Islands. Here's the entire list of Hawaii butterflies to date.

What is a butterfly cocoon called?

The pupa of butterflies is also called a chrysalis. Depending on the species, the pupa may suspended under a branch, hidden in leaves or buried underground. The pupa of many moths is protected inside a coccoon of silk. This stage can last from a few weeks, a month or even longer.

Where are blue butterflies found?

Blue morphos live in the tropical forests of Latin America from Mexico to Colombia. Adults spend most of their time on the forest floor and in the lower shrubs and trees of the understory with their wings folded.

What is Hawaii's state animal?

Hawai'i state mammal: Hawaiian monk seal (ʻĪlioholoikauaua)

How did butterflies get to Hawaii?

They arrived in the Hawaii islands around 1850, not long after the introduction of the host plants Asclepias curassavica, also known as the tropical milkweed, and later, Calotropis gigantea, the crown flower. ... They also need nectar plants, which attract and feed the adult butterflies.

Where are butterflies in Hawaii?

Hawaii has only two native butterfly species, including Blackburn's blue (Udara blackburni) and Kamehameha butterfly (Vanessa tameamea). Others are found very seldom or are migratory. These butterflies mainly occur in all habitats from sea level to alpine deserts.