There are many strange bugs in Hawaii. In fact, the state has approximately 174 different varieties of bugs lurking in forests, jungles, gardens – and even in your home. In fact, if you are able to coexist peacefully with these critters you may have been born here.
Some of these insects are harmless, while others are nightmare-inducing. If you have entomophobia (or the fear of insects), beware of reading through this list. I’ve been known to handle my own when it comes to household pests, but many of these bugs send shivers down your spine.
- Centipedes
Daniela/Flickr Centipedes in Hawaii are no joke. They can grow to be up to 12 inches long, and one inch in width. Be careful, because these little menaces attack, they tend to travel in pairs, and if you want to kill one, you’ll need some good scissors, because just stomping on them will not work. Oh, and make sure to kill the centipede outside – the scent a dying centipede gives off attracts more centipedes to the area.
- Cockroaches…the size of your palm.
Auntie Teena/Flickr There are nineteen varieties of cockroaches in Hawaii – but luckily only three are commonly found in your house, or around humans. Let me tell you a story, an awful story of a monster cockroach found in my house a few months ago…My husband walked into the bathroom, screamed and I jumped to his rescue. What I found was a cockroach at least four inches long, crawling on our shower curtain. I ran for our super intense bug killing spray, and sprayed the sucker for about five minutes before he finally died, in the tub. The roach was so huge that I had to use a stick to shove him down the drain.
- Cane Spiders
Tom Burke/Flickr Cane spiders are perhaps the most common spiders found in Hawaii, and though they are large (approximately 3 to 4 inches long), they are rather harmless. Cane spiders do not make a web, so the egg case must be carried by the mother in her mouth for up to a month, during which she does not eat.
- The Black Widow & Other Spiders
Steve/Flickr Cane spiders aren’t the only species found in paradise – from the banded garden spider and the shamrock spider to the Carolina wolf spider, running crab spider, and the black widow; Hawaii has no shortage of spiders.
- Great Golden Digger Wasp
Dan Mullen/Flickr Though alarming in color, these wasps are generally considered non-aggressive. I am still pretty sure that if I came across one of these insects, I would freak.
- Assassin Bug
Stan Lupo/Flickr The assassin bug uses its strong beak to repeatedly – and violently – stab its prey to death, hence the name. The insect can also inflict painful bites to careless humans.
- Golden Tortoise Beetle
Seabrooke Leckie/Flickr Thanks to microscopic cavities in its cuticle that house pigmentation, this bug is not only gold, but can actually change its coloring. And while it appears to be rather creepy, it is harmless to humans, since it primarily feeds on garden vines.
- Dobsonflies
Mike Bell/Flickr Though the males look intimidating, it is the females you need to look out for. The males have longer tentacle-like appendages for their mouths and are considered harmless to humans, as they cannot bite. The females, however, can deliver a nasty bite if agitated.
- Common Thread Waisted Wasp
Kyle Robinson/iStock / Getty Images Plus An ambush attacker, this wasp immobilizes its prey with one swift sting, then drags the prey to an underground lair with its powerful jaws. The prey is stored for consumption by the wasp’s larvae. This species of wasp is not known to be aggressive towards humans, but a defensive sting can be painful.
- The Eastern Velvet Ant, aka, “Cow Killer”
Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons This insect is actually a wasp, not an ant, and the intense coloring serves as a warning sign to humans and other animals. A sting from a female has been rumored to kill cattle, and it will definitely hurt a human. They are parasitic to bumble bees, laying eggs in a beehive, with the ant’s larvae eating the bee larvae.
Am I the only one who feels as though I have bugs crawling on my skin now? Yikes!
Daniela/Flickr
Centipedes in Hawaii are no joke. They can grow to be up to 12 inches long, and one inch in width. Be careful, because these little menaces attack, they tend to travel in pairs, and if you want to kill one, you’ll need some good scissors, because just stomping on them will not work. Oh, and make sure to kill the centipede outside – the scent a dying centipede gives off attracts more centipedes to the area.
Auntie Teena/Flickr
There are nineteen varieties of cockroaches in Hawaii – but luckily only three are commonly found in your house, or around humans. Let me tell you a story, an awful story of a monster cockroach found in my house a few months ago…My husband walked into the bathroom, screamed and I jumped to his rescue. What I found was a cockroach at least four inches long, crawling on our shower curtain. I ran for our super intense bug killing spray, and sprayed the sucker for about five minutes before he finally died, in the tub. The roach was so huge that I had to use a stick to shove him down the drain.
Tom Burke/Flickr
Cane spiders are perhaps the most common spiders found in Hawaii, and though they are large (approximately 3 to 4 inches long), they are rather harmless. Cane spiders do not make a web, so the egg case must be carried by the mother in her mouth for up to a month, during which she does not eat.
Steve/Flickr
Cane spiders aren’t the only species found in paradise – from the banded garden spider and the shamrock spider to the Carolina wolf spider, running crab spider, and the black widow; Hawaii has no shortage of spiders.
Dan Mullen/Flickr
Though alarming in color, these wasps are generally considered non-aggressive. I am still pretty sure that if I came across one of these insects, I would freak.
Stan Lupo/Flickr
The assassin bug uses its strong beak to repeatedly – and violently – stab its prey to death, hence the name. The insect can also inflict painful bites to careless humans.
Seabrooke Leckie/Flickr
Thanks to microscopic cavities in its cuticle that house pigmentation, this bug is not only gold, but can actually change its coloring. And while it appears to be rather creepy, it is harmless to humans, since it primarily feeds on garden vines.
Mike Bell/Flickr
Though the males look intimidating, it is the females you need to look out for. The males have longer tentacle-like appendages for their mouths and are considered harmless to humans, as they cannot bite. The females, however, can deliver a nasty bite if agitated.
Kyle Robinson/iStock / Getty Images Plus
An ambush attacker, this wasp immobilizes its prey with one swift sting, then drags the prey to an underground lair with its powerful jaws. The prey is stored for consumption by the wasp’s larvae. This species of wasp is not known to be aggressive towards humans, but a defensive sting can be painful.
Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This insect is actually a wasp, not an ant, and the intense coloring serves as a warning sign to humans and other animals. A sting from a female has been rumored to kill cattle, and it will definitely hurt a human. They are parasitic to bumble bees, laying eggs in a beehive, with the ant’s larvae eating the bee larvae.
Let us know if you would add any wild bugs in Hawaii to this list.
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Address: Hawaii, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Bugs In Hawaii August 10, 2022 Bill Hall Should I be nervous about bugs in Hawaii? You need not worry too much about bugs while in Hawaii. Lots of people are nervous about seeing bugs, and that’s understandable. Bugs are often quite strange looking or even bite. You will see some bugs in Hawaii, but most are uninterested in you. As a tourist, you will probably not be in a situation where you come into contact with something dangerous like a black widow. (They tend to hide in dark corners and only bite some unlucky person cleaning its dark corner hiding spot.) So, if you do see a weird bug we suggest stopping and appreciating it. (From a respectful distance, of course.) What are the most common bugs in Hawaii? The most common bugs in Hawaii are ants. These are considered pests and homeowners do have to deal with them often. It seems over 40 species have been introduced to the islands. Reportedly, none are native to the island! Ants can carry 20 times their own body weight, which is a cool tidbit you can share when you see a line of them on the sidewalk. Are there any important bugs in Hawaii? The importance of bugs might seem only philosophical, but most bugs are certainly important to their ecosystems. Everyone can agree that ladybugs, also called ladybeetles or ladybirds, are important for farms and gardens. These eat harmful pests, like aphids. Parasitic wasps seem kind of scary, and they do sting, but they have been used to control pests in gardens and large-scale farms. We are happy to have them around. Trichogramma wasps are also scary sounding but are used to keep pests in our gardens and farms under control. Spiders, although pretty freaky to most of us, serve important functions in the environment. Most insects do. I doubt any person wishes to think of the possible benefits mosquitos bring, but they are a food source for some animals. (They are still one insect I’d rather never see…)
The OIYS Visitor Center
Bugs In Hawaii
August 10, 2022
Bill Hall
Should I be nervous about bugs in Hawaii? You need not worry too much about bugs while in Hawaii. Lots of people are nervous about seeing bugs, and that’s understandable. Bugs are often quite strange looking or even bite. You will see some bugs in Hawaii, but most are uninterested in you. As a tourist, you will probably not be in a situation where you come into contact with something dangerous like a black widow. (They tend to hide in dark corners and only bite some unlucky person cleaning its dark corner hiding spot.) So, if you do see a weird bug we suggest stopping and appreciating it. (From a respectful distance, of course.) What are the most common bugs in Hawaii? The most common bugs in Hawaii are ants. These are considered pests and homeowners do have to deal with them often. It seems over 40 species have been introduced to the islands. Reportedly, none are native to the island! Ants can carry 20 times their own body weight, which is a cool tidbit you can share when you see a line of them on the sidewalk. Are there any important bugs in Hawaii? The importance of bugs might seem only philosophical, but most bugs are certainly important to their ecosystems. Everyone can agree that ladybugs, also called ladybeetles or ladybirds, are important for farms and gardens. These eat harmful pests, like aphids. Parasitic wasps seem kind of scary, and they do sting, but they have been used to control pests in gardens and large-scale farms. We are happy to have them around. Trichogramma wasps are also scary sounding but are used to keep pests in our gardens and farms under control. Spiders, although pretty freaky to most of us, serve important functions in the environment. Most insects do. I doubt any person wishes to think of the possible benefits mosquitos bring, but they are a food source for some animals. (They are still one insect I’d rather never see…)
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
You need not worry too much about bugs while in Hawaii. Lots of people are nervous about seeing bugs, and that’s understandable. Bugs are often quite strange looking or even bite. You will see some bugs in Hawaii, but most are uninterested in you.
As a tourist, you will probably not be in a situation where you come into contact with something dangerous like a black widow. (They tend to hide in dark corners and only bite some unlucky person cleaning its dark corner hiding spot.) So, if you do see a weird bug we suggest stopping and appreciating it. (From a respectful distance, of course.)
What are the most common bugs in Hawaii?
The most common bugs in Hawaii are ants. These are considered pests and homeowners do have to deal with them often. It seems over 40 species have been introduced to the islands. Reportedly, none are native to the island!
Ants can carry 20 times their own body weight, which is a cool tidbit you can share when you see a line of them on the sidewalk.
Are there any important bugs in Hawaii?
The importance of bugs might seem only philosophical, but most bugs are certainly important to their ecosystems.
Everyone can agree that ladybugs, also called ladybeetles or ladybirds, are important for farms and gardens. These eat harmful pests, like aphids.
Parasitic wasps seem kind of scary, and they do sting, but they have been used to control pests in gardens and large-scale farms. We are happy to have them around.
Trichogramma wasps are also scary sounding but are used to keep pests in our gardens and farms under control.
Spiders, although pretty freaky to most of us, serve important functions in the environment. Most insects do. I doubt any person wishes to think of the possible benefits mosquitos bring, but they are a food source for some animals. (They are still one insect I’d rather never see…)
