10 Beetles Native to Hawaii

Hawaii is home to 77-80 species of beetles. Rainbow residents have probably witnessed the devastating nature of alien insects and want them to remain so. The beetle appeared on Hawaii’s shores around 2013 and has been wreaking havoc on the Big Island ever since.

In April 2022, two new species of his beetle endemic to Hawaii were discovered and both are included in the list below. Despite Hawaii’s isolation, there are discoveries everywhere.

Hawaii is unlike any other state when it comes to native species. Hawaii doesn’t border anyone, so it’s easy (though still difficult) to tell what’s native and what’s not. Our list includes only native beetles, including brand new members of Hawaii’s large (and growing) beetle family.

Tiny Beetles in Hawaii

Our main list includes mostly large bugs, so we wanted to feature some of Hawaii’s tiniest bugs. Tobacco leaf beetles are tiny creatures, no larger than 1/8 inch in size. Their primary target is tobacco, and because they are so small, an infestation is often difficult to detect until it is too late.

The grain trader beetle is also very small, with an adult male only a tenth of an inch in size. As the name suggests, this is commonly found in grains and adds another species to the ‘effects’ list.

Last but not least, the notorious pest beetle known as the red leaf beetle is extremely small, measuring just one-eighth of an inch long. Hawaiians are familiar with this nasty bug. Now that the little bugs have been correctly identified, let’s continue our list of Hawaiian bugs.

1. Mecyclothorax Neonomas

This newly discovered beetle has no common name. Dr. Kip Will and Dr. James Lieber discovered the insect only last year. It falls into the ground beetle category.

Mecyclothorax neonomas belongs to the ground beetle group and to the untrained eye is very similar to most other Hawaiian beetles. The coloration of this beetle is normal brown, the front half looks like an ant segment, and the abdomen is square with rounded corners, apparently similar to a beetle.

The abdomen has a series of lines and long translucent antennae. In many ways they resemble cockroaches, but are not as large as the typical Hawaiian cockroach (Hawaiian cockroaches grow to the size of the palm of your hand).

2. Golden Tortoise Beetle

Gold stink bugs stand out in a crowd with their golden appearance. Their shimmering bodies resemble two gold plates separated by a small line in the middle. They are not very large, reaching only 0.25 inches in length. But they definitely stand out.

This beetle can change color as needed for self-defense. Shiny, mirror-like golden armor is the most common, but golden stink bugs come in a variety of reddish browns and yellows. They prefer to pierce the leaves and eat them, but they are not a harmful species. One of their most interesting traits is their ability to play dead when threatened.

3. Dogbane Leaf Beetle

Speaking of metallic beetles, the barnacle beetle deserves to compete with the golden stink bug for the best shiny appearance. Dogbane isn’t gold, it’s a bright, reflective metallic green, but it’s still eye-catching. It is often overlooked as it is only half the size of a golden turtle. As the name suggests, the beetle spends most of its short life on the beetle plant. They eat, sleep, reproduce and die there. This plant is toxic to most predators, especially carnivores, so it’s perfect for the home.

Female ferret beetles spend most of their lives defecating at the base of plants, eventually laying eggs in the faeces. The emergent beetle feeds on feces.

4. Stag Beetle Aegolipton Reflexum

Since he is the only species of stag beetle native to Hawaii, the scientific name must be given along with the common name. Egolipton reflexum is a very rare stag beetle in the Stag beetle family.

It has a streamlined cockroach-like appearance, characterized by a fluffy tawny back that darkens toward the head. They have very long tentacles and are not the most beautiful beetle species in the world.

It is a borer-like insect that can be parasitic. However, not enough remains to trigger an intrusion-level event. They are so rare that it is difficult to find much information about them.

5. Kiawe Roundheaded Borers

Endemic to Hawaii, bark beetles are destructive forest beetles recently rediscovered in Hawaii. The all-black bark beetle is only about 0.20 inches long, and he is one of many species of bark beetle.

As the name suggests, bark beetles burrow under the bark of trees and set up shop there. The problem with bark beetles is that they infest both healthy and rotten wood.

They infest entire woodland areas and endanger the health of trees there. Hawaii seems to have a lot of destructive types of bugs!

6. Hawaiian Endemic Bark Beetle

Endemic to Hawaii, bark beetles are destructive forest beetles recently rediscovered in Hawaii. The all-black bark beetle is only about 0.20 inches long, and he is one of many species of bark beetle.

As the name suggests, bark beetles burrow under the bark of trees and set up shop there. The problem with bark beetles is that they infest both healthy and rotten wood. They infest entire woodland areas and endanger the health of trees there. Hawaii seems to have a lot of destructive types of bugs!

7. False Blister Beetle

There’s nothing wrong with this bug’s ferocious abilities. The chemicals they excrete can cause blisters, but false earwigs are neither destructive nor invasive. Interestingly, the drug ‘Spanish fly’ is derived from this blister-forming agent that erupts from the beetle when threatened.

Also known as the pollen-eating beetle, the beetle is about 0.20 inches long and comes in a variety of colors, including hazy green, tan, tan, and reddish brown.

In most cases, they are relatively harmless unless you decide to buy them. Everyone’s skin reacts differently to chemical secretions. Some people develop small, uncomfortable blisters, while others are left with only red, slightly inflamed patches.

8. Kauai Flightless Stag Beetle

Kauai’s flightless stag beetles are dark brown in color with a sharply separated front and back halves. It is the smallest of its species, but still a decent size for an insect at about 3/4 inch long.

They prefer to live in primeval forests, but only at high altitudes. Suffice it to say that most native Hawaiians will not encounter flightless stag beetles on Kauai unless they choose to hike in the highlands.

This was discovered and commented on by researchers at the British Museum of Natural History. This bug is confined to Kauai, hence the name. It features a glossy discreet black case.

9. Pitchy Scarab Beetle

The outstanding scarab beetle is the representative of the beetles. It is exactly the shape, size and color of a typical insect. It has a lumpy, glossy black body with a faint line running the length of its ribcage. The upper third of the body has one barely perceptible segment. Some appear very dark brown.

This beetle is essentially a dung beetle that feeds on the droppings of local wildlife. Also known as ‘scarab beetle’, this is a species of beetle that is becoming a serious problem in Hawaii.

10. Varied Carpet Beetle

The versatile carpet beetle is a fairly common species, and he is small at less than 1/10th of an inch in length. It has a unique pattern and defies the bug marking trend.

The lifespan of the versatile beetle is quite long, especially when compared to other beetles, he is 1-3 years. They also love keratin, which is why they are so destructive. Keratin is found in human and animal hair and inevitably sticks to carpets. Various kinds of carpet beetles come and eat the carpet. For this reason, various carpet beetles are notorious in Hawaii and all other areas where they live.