Beetles on Maui

Most of the insects you’d be looking for in Hawaii are actually invasives from Asia. Oryctes Rhinoceros and Protaetia Orientalis are both interesting species from Asia, though one is considered a major pest. The way they treat the two species is drastically different, when I visited Oahu the USDA agents at the airport allowed me to transport a couple of P. Orientalis and several Pacific Beetle Mimic roaches after I declared the specimens to them and they inspected them (Hawaii airports have a special detection device that supposedly detects anything organic in your luggage). Attempting to transport live O. Rhinoceros species is illegal, and may be invitation for a fine (they take invasives in Hawaii very Seriously). Other than that, there are a few species of Asian roaches (as well as Surinam Roaches), scarlet millipedes (another invasive) some very large Centipede species (I don’t know what they are but I did see one, it was very large) and a very interesting species of Orbweavers that sort of resembles our native spiny back orbweaver, but (if I’m remembering correctly) has pink, yellow, and some other colors on it. I didn’t mention any of the various Gastropods because all of them (that would be of interest) are invasive and almost certainly illegal to transport (namely Pancake slugs and GALS). The insects you find on Maui could be somewhat different from the ones on Oahu, but I doubt they’d be too dissimilar. If there’s anything you wanna know how to find more specifically I can tell you that too

 
It depends on how you have them caged. One time I asked if I could bring a tarantula on a plane to Chicago. The answer was no.

I did bring back live sphinx pupa and papilio chrysalids from the Dominican Republic once, I hid them on my person. Don't ask where.

Although, the specimens I brought back in my luggage, among them some large beetles that weren't properly dispatched and were alive when I got

home, but that was in the mid 80's.

 
If it is native to Hawaii you would get in big trouble but other than the Koa bug all the native inverts are tiny and boring. If it is adventive you are allowed to take it but you don't want to try taking something that isn't allowed where you're taking it. There are some really nice, metallic blue roaches with two orange spots that are adventive and should be okay to bring most places. I've seen pictures and they're beau
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tiful but only half an inch. 

 
Or bring back Maui's sky hook and you can turn into whatever you want. I would love to see some good pictures of Koa bugs posted on the forum. It's a metallic green, red, or blue 2" shield bug.

 
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They just took a few seconds to look at the containers, but that was it. The AG check is done regardless, they just want to make sure you aren’t bringing home harmful invasives

 
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