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Hawaiian Blues at Puu Kalena
Posted: April 29, 2008
I hiked to the top of Puu Kalena, the second highest peak on Oahu, to explore the native plants and animals that live along the spine of the Waianae Mountains.
The hike to Puu Kalena is not for the faint of heart. The hike is a tough 2,000 foot climb that starts near Kolekole Pass. The initial climb to gain the spine of the Waianae Mountains is a heart-pumping 700 foot climb. Kalena is also known for knife-edged dikes with hundred foot drop-offs on either side that requires considerable balance and nerve.
Puu Kalena is one of my favorite places because an amazing array of ohia lehua varieties grow along the spine of the mountains. As I climbed up the trial, I noticed that the mountains were much drier than usual and that many of the ohia trees were stressed. I was disappointed because many of the robust ohia lehua specimens I saw on my previous hikes to Kalena were in haggard condition.
Despite my disappointment at the condition of the ohia lehua, I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of Hawaiian Blues, also known as Blackburn’s Butterfly as I made my way along the trail.
Hawaiian Blues are tiny butterflies with wingspans no more than half-an-inch across. They are difficult to distinguish from small moths in flight until they land when their iridescent blue-green color gives them away. The wings of the butterfly range in color from blue-purple to blue-green. In this photo, a Hawaiian Blue rests on an ohia lehua shrub with dark purple liko (young leaves).
Hawaiian Blues are easily overlooked on the trail because of their diminutive size. They are fast erratic fliers and are important pollinators in the native landscape. The Hawaiian Blue in this photo sips on the nectar of native kookoolau flowers.
The Hawaiian Blue (Udara blackburnii) is one of the only two butterflies native to Hawaii. They live on all the main Hawaiian Islands in mountainous areas. While they are not endangered they are not common and are usually only seen at places that are remote and difficult to reach.
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