Pitfall traps are commonly used to sample surface-active invertebrates, although the efficiency of the technique varies among taxa. We investigated how baiting pitfall traps with squid influenced sampling of some ground-dwelling invertebrates in New Zealand forests. The study was conducted across a total of 21 sets of seven lethal pitfall traps established between November 2012 and November 2015 in

The New Zealand endemic genus Simkinion Park and Pearce, 1962 is redescribed and diagnosed to include six species, four of which are new: S. convexum sp. n., S. corniculum sp. n., S. schomannae sp. n. and S. tepaki sp. n. Two species are redescribed: S. bimanum Park and Pearce and S. prelaticum Park and Pearce. Sexes are dimorphic, with males having the vertex and the first visible tergite conspicuously

The New Zealand endemic southern ant (Monomorium antarcticum) excavates subterranean nests in various soil types, with brood distributed throughout excavated cavities connected by tunnels. Because cavities are often constructed near the soil surface, variation in rainfall patterns will affect soil moisture, and potentially lead to regular flooding of cavities. We examined how M. antarcticum make colony

(2020). Obituary. New Zealand Entomologist: Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 62-64.

The armoured scale insect Oceanaspidiotus spinosus (Comstock 1883) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) was found on kiwifruit from the Bay of Plenty in April 2019. This is the first record from New Zealand. Subsequent surveys have confirmed O. spinosus at multiple locations in the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne regions and it is now considered to be established. Previously, only three armoured scale species: Hemiberlesia

For Māori the kūmara symbolises the extensive voyages from the ancestral home of Hawaiki to Aotearoa New Zealand and the ingenuity needed to adapt growing practices for a tropical crop to the climate of New Zealand. From the thirteenth century, kūmara cultivation occurred along the coastlines in the warmer regions of New Zealand where its associated pests were controlled by traditional methods. In

The first records of Tuberolachnus salignus (Gmelin), the giant willow aphid, were reported from New Zealand and Australia in December 2013 and March 2014 respectively. The host plants are various members of Salix and Populus. The pathway used by the aphid to enter Australasia remains unknown, but natural aerial dispersal across the Tasman Sea is proposed to explain its first appearance within 3 months

ABSTRACT The advantage for camouflage of variation in colour forms (binary, multi, or continuous) is a topic of increasing interest, but there are few long-term studies. We found that the ratios of colour forms of 337 polymorphic Manuka moths (Declana floccosa), recorded at one location, did not change over 42 years. This unexpected stability, in the face of probable bird predation against commoner

Farming intensification negatively effects native habitat and associated biodiversity in New Zealand. Planting native species around field margins has been proposed as a means of restoring biodiversity within this highly modified landscape. To test this hypothesis, we collected invertebrates on a dairy farm at Lincoln, Canterbury, in three habitat types: native plantings in field corners, native plantings

The terrestrial invertebrates found in association with marine strandlines constitute a world-wide ecological system. This study examined the beetle assemblages (Insecta: Coleoptera) in strandlines on New Brighton beach near Christchurch and at 35 other sites on Banks Peninsula in the South Island of New Zealand. In a total of 535 thirty-minute hand searches, 81 distinct beetle taxa (identified species

The Eumolpinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from New Zealand are poorly known in terms of species diversity and, logically, of any downstream understanding of species features, including species distribution or ecology. This is true even though some of the species have been recognised as agricultural pests and associated with economic losses in the country. In this work, I have analysed the diversity

Metaspathius gorgasoma Quicke & Ward sp. n. is described from specimens collected from litter samples. It is mainly characterised by the mesoscutum being strongly declivous anteriorly, a derived morphological feature not found in congeners. Wing structure of the new species including shape and loss of posterior longitudinal flexion lines (claval furrows) of both fore and hind wings indicate its close

(2017). Erratum. New Zealand Entomologist. Ahead of Print.