Tinostoma smaragditis
The Fabulous Green Sphinx of Kauai
Wahine Omao (The Green Woman)

 
                    This  beautiful, rare moth was rediscovered by Dr. Adam Asquith in January of 1998.
 
    The first specimen of Tinostoma smaragditisever discovered in Hawaii was found at the turn of
the century by a local family who handed it over to Mr. Perkins, the entomologist working in Hawaii
for the British Natural History Museum. He was amazed by the discovery, and despite attempts to
locate other specimens was unable to do so. In the 1920s, August Kusche was sent to the Hawaiian
islands in search of this, now mythical, animal, and he too failed to locate it. A couple of specimens,
over the years were discovered by various people, who wondered what it was they had stumbled
over. One was found sitting on a can of Cambell's soup after a night camping. Another on the lid of a
garbage can in the Kokee region.  When the tracking station was built in the 1970s, its bright lights
attracted in various moths from the Kokee area. Some of these have been the Fabulous Green Sphinx
so that we now have around 12 specimens of this moth. And yet, whenever anyone has hunted it,
searched for its larvae, set up lights in the surrounding forest, it has never appeared, remaining an
enigma.
    In December of 1997, Adam and myself decided to take our turn at finding it. We spent Christmas
day searching with no luck, and then, two weeks later (in my absence) Adam became the first
entomologist to ever attract a Green Sphinx to his lights. U.S. Fish and Wildlife have now provided
us with money to continue the search for the host plant of this beautiful animal. Hopefully, now that
we know where to look for it, we will be able to learn something of its habits, and therefore, in the
future, protect not only it, but the plants and ecosystem on which it depends.

Click here for a larger view of the image

Click here to read a recent paper on the history and studies on the Fabulous Green Sphinx

Back to main conservation page