Much of the southern area of this small island is pretty dry. One of the insects that I encountered several times on the south side was the largest grasshopper that I had ever seen. This is the grey bird grasshopper (Schistocerca nitans), which is a kind of locust that also lives in the southwestern U.S., where it can be a pest. On the Hawaiian islands, however, it has become a more serious pest and there it has been known to swarm. This species probably got there by flying over on its own. The one shown here had a serious infestation with mites, and that is probably why I could get so close to it as it seemed to have little energy. The others that were encountered were super alert and very agile.
Grey Bird Grasshopper by Mark Sturtevant, on FlickrA major place to visit for me was the Maui National Wildlife Refuge. This is a large park that includes woods, fields, and extensive wetlands that reach the sea. Here, the Hawaiian garden spider (Argiope appensa) was especially common. The spiders would usually hang in their webs the 'wrong way', but one can simply reach around and gently tap them on their back, and flip they would obligingly switch sides. This spider is indigenous to several islands in the Pacific.
Hawaiian garden spider by Mark Sturtevant, on FlickrAlso at the wildlife refuge I found this lovely Asian mantis nymph (Hierodula patellifera). I think the 2nd picture is especially dignified
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Asian mantis nymph by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr
Asian mantis nymph by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr