Lualualei Lycaenids

Went hiking the other day to check out some conservation work being done by a contractor in the mountains of Lualualei Valley.  Here is the view from one of the trailheads…

View of Lualualei Valley from Mikilua exclosure trailhead.

On a previous hike through this area I saw an endemic Lycaenid, Udara blackburni (Blackburn’s Blue), so I brought a camera along with hopes to get some pics.  The bottom left portion of the next photo is approximate area where I saw it…

Beginning of Mikilua exclosure trail.

Unfortunately, on this occasion I did not see U. blackburni, but I did take some pictures of Tmolus echion, the Larger Lantana Butterfly.  This is also a Lycaenid, but it is not native to Hawaii – it was brought into the state from Mexico in 1902 to help control lantana.