R. C. L. Perkins: 100 Years of Hawaiian Entomology

Abstract

R. C. L. Perkins comprehensively surveyed the insect fauna of the Hawaiian Islands one century ago, initially as the collector for the Fauna Hawaiiensis survey project and subsequently as an entomologist with the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association. The Hawai'i he observed was in a period of rapid transformation. Thus, he has the unique distinction of being the first and last person to record the habits of many native Hawaiian species. The islands on which he collected were already heavily impacted by exotic herbivores-including goats, cattle, sheep, and pigs-yet he was able to sample remnant pockets of native vegetation that are now lost in a jungle of exotic introductions. His broad understanding of insect natural history allowed him to document ably the habits of insect groups that we are only beginning to understand 100 yr later. Moreover, his collections and extensive taxonomic contributions afford us a firm foundation for future taxonomic and evolutionary studies of the uniquely rich and highly endemic Hawaiian insect biota.