Allen Hoof

SukanyaDatta - Thanks for the feedback, and for the information on the neck ring. Today I tried to capture additional images of one of these birds and did so, but I was reduced to shooting through a window with a long lens. Any attempt to go outside frightened the birds off. I have posted crops of two of today's images as the fourth and fifth of this spotting. In each of those images a neck ring appears to be present.

Thanks for the ID suggestion Kalen. However, the Purple gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus (actually, the American Purple Gallinule, Porphyrio martinica (Linnaeus 1766)), has not been observed in Hawaii. This spotting is in fact an Hawaiian moorhen, Gallinula galeata sandvicensis.

Sukanya Datta: Thanks for the link. Yes, similar. There were several of what appeared to be the species at your link in the vicinity of this spotting. The botanical gardens at Waimea Falls Park have a large heliconia and ginger collection.

Indeed. How many times does one bird need to be banded? (That is a rhetorical question.)

Sargon - Thanks for the ID.

Looks like a katydid. There are many species.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tettigonii...

Thanks for the ID suggestion, chickenparmesan24. Unfortunately, I don't believe it is correct. Although Copula sivickisi is found in Hawaii, its diameter, per Wikipedia, is much smaller (<10 mm) than that of this spotting (>50 mm). Additionally, there is a noticeable difference in the appearance of the tentacles of Copula sivickisi and the appearance of the micro-filament tentacles of this spotting.

Machi, I think you've made the ID. I compared my images with images of Megachile lanata online. Though this species has been observed in Hawaii, I was put off initially because most online images show white hairs between the abdominal segments that I thought were lacking in my images. In closer inspection, my images do have some of those white hairs. I'll agree to your ID until a better candidate appears. Thanks.

Thanks for the suggestions Machi. I can't find any pictures online of leafcutter bees that resemble the insect in this spotting. I found something close in appearance, Andrena nitida, a mining bee, but it has not been reported in Hawaii as far as I can determine. I think this insect must remain unidentified for now.

Machi: Thanks for the ID. I could find very few artichoke images online that were exactly like those in this spotting, but I found enough similarities to convince me that you got it right. I believe I probably imaged this individual just before its purple flowers emerged from the seed head.