Pulelehua in the Wild

A Kamehameha Butterfly is released at Kawainui Marsh in Kailua. The Kamehameha is endemic to Hawaii and the official state insect.

This species numbers have been declining and a study by UH graduate student Colby Maeda suggests that habitat destruction and invasive predators like ants are among the biggest causes. The state’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife operates a program called the Pulelehua Project – pulelehua is Hawaiian for butterfly – that works to reintroduce this pollinator of native plants into the wild.

Time: Tuesday, 10:32 a.m.
Location: Kawainui Marsh, Kailua
Photograph provided by: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources