"Giant weta Giant weta are several species of weta in the genus Deinacrida of the family Anostostomatidae. Giant weta are endemic to New Zealand and are examples of island gigantism. There are eleven species of giant weta, most of which are larger than other weta, despite the latter also being large by insect standards. Large species can be up to 10 cm (4 in), not inclusive of legs and antennae, with body mass usually no more than 35 g. One captive female reached a mass of about 70 g (2.5 oz.), making it one of the heaviest documented insects in"
"Argosarchus horridus Argosarchus horridus, or the New Zealand bristly stick insect, is a stick insect of the family Phasmatidae, endemic to New Zealand and the only member of its genus. Their body-length, up to 20 cm, is the longest of any New Zealand insect. The females are much larger than the males and have a visibly spiny thorax, the name """"horridus"""" means bristly in Latin. Some populations have only females as the species is a facultative parthenogen. Commonly found on Hoheria species but will eat a variety of other native plants and introduced Rubus species. A distinguishing feature is coxa"
"of the two forelegs is purple or pink. Argosarchus horridus Argosarchus horridus, or the New Zealand bristly stick insect, is a stick insect of the family Phasmatidae, endemic to New Zealand and the only member of its genus. Their body-length, up to 20 cm, is the longest of any New Zealand insect. The females are much larger than the males and have a visibly spiny thorax, the name """"horridus"""" means bristly in Latin. Some populations have only females as the species is a facultative parthenogen. Commonly found on Hoheria species but will eat a variety of other native plants and"
"New Zealand giraffe weevil The New Zealand giraffe weevil, Lasiorhynchus barbicornis, is a distinctive straight-snouted weevil in the subfamily Brentinae, endemic to New Zealand. ""L. barbicornis"" is New Zealand's longest beetle, and shows extreme sexual dimorphism: males measure up to 90 mm, and females 50 mm, although there is an extreme range of body sizes in both sexes. In males the elongated snout (or rostrum) can be nearly as long as the body. Male giraffe weevils use this long rostrum to battle over females, although small males can avoid conflict and 'sneak' in to mate with females, sometimes under the"
"New Zealand grebe The New Zealand grebe, New Zealand dabchick, or weweia (""Poliocephalus rufopectus"") is a member of the grebe family endemic to New Zealand. The New Zealand grebe has dark brown plumage, a small black head with fine silver feathers, a black pointed bill and characteristic yellow eyes. It grows to about 29 cm, and weigh about 250 g. Non-breeding individuals have a paler plumage and females tend to be a bit lighter, smaller and have a slightly shorter bill than males. This grebe species inhabits mainly shallow freshwater lakes, ponds and sheltered inlets. Currently it is found mainly"
"Spiders of New Zealand New Zealand has 1134 described spider species, with an estimated total fauna of 2000 species. Over 90 per cent are endemic, and the rest have been introduced through human activities or were natural wind-borne introductions. The New Zealand spider with the largest leg span is the Nelson cave spider (""Spelungula cavernicola""), with a leg span of up to and a body length. The Australian white-tailed spider, first recorded in New Zealand in 1886, has been falsely attributed as the cause of many necrotising spider bites. The flat huntsman spider (""Delena cancerides""), also from Australia, and called"
"Costelytra zealandica Costelytra zealandica, commonly known as grass grub, is a scarab beetle that is endemic to New Zealand and is a prevalent pasture pest. ""C. zealandica"" was originally described by the British entomologist Adam White as ""Rhisotrogus zealandicus"" from a specimen obtained during the Ross expedition. New Zealand grass grubs are one of the most common insects in New Zealand. Grass grubs belong to the holometabolous insect group, this means that they have a life cycle with four stages: egg, larva, pupa, adult. The adult beetle can grow up to a mature length of 13 mm. It has a"
"Puriri moth The puriri moth (""Aenetus virescens"") is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae. It is also commonly called the ghost moth or pepetuna. This moth is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. It is New Zealand's largest moth, with a wingspan of up to 150 mm. It spends the first five to six years of its life as a grub in a tree trunk (common host plants are the puriri tree (""Vitex lucens"") and putaputawētā (""Carpodetus serratus)"", but puriri larva also inhabit non-native species such as ""Eucalyptus""), with the last 48 hours of its life"
"are also vulnerable to habitat destruction caused by humans and modification of their habitat caused by introduced browsers. New Zealand's Department of Conservation considers 16 of the 70 species at risk. Programmes to prevent extinctions have been implemented since the 1970s. Some examples of especially endangered species are tracked by radio beacons. Weta Wētā is the common name for a group of about 70 insect species in the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand. (The word ""wētā"" is from the Maori language; in English, it is frequently spelled ""weta"".) Many wētā are large by insect standards and some"
"a net benefit as artificial habitat, including farm dams and ponds formed for stock water supplies, increases the area of occupation for the grebes. So, although the population is still quite small it is thought not to be in decline anymore. New Zealand grebe The New Zealand grebe, New Zealand dabchick, or weweia (""Poliocephalus rufopectus"") is a member of the grebe family endemic to New Zealand. The New Zealand grebe has dark brown plumage, a small black head with fine silver feathers, a black pointed bill and characteristic yellow eyes. It grows to about 29 cm, and weigh about 250"
"and the new species was described and named in 2010. Its genus name is taken from the type locality of Te Paki (or North Cape), and its species name is from the Ngāti Kurī people of Northland, whose area of interest includes Te Paki. ""Tepakiphasma ngatikuri"" is a moderately large (10 cm) stick insect, slender and wingless. Its body is mottled grey and brown, with no spines and sparsely-scattered tubercles. Its most distinctive feature is its egg, which has a conical perforated cap, a structure seen on no other New Zealand stick insects but found in some overseas groups. The"
"that averages 100mm (for males) and 150mm (for females), it is New Zealand's largest native winged insect. The forewings generally exhibit a range of bright greens, with patterning of brownish black in females and a white pattern in males. The hind wings are a pinkish colour. There is colour variation within the species, with some individuals exhibiting blue-green, bright yellow, brick-red or even albino wing colouration. The moths are nocturnal forest-dwellers. In the past males frequently swarmed lights in areas inhabited by people, however with forest clearing, this has become less common. Puriri moths are predated upon by birds, including"
"A poem about moa, ""The Skeleton of the Great Moa in the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch"" by Allen Curnow, was released by The 1979 Anthology of New Zealand Poetry. General: Moa Moa were nine species (in six genera) of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. The two largest species, ""Dinornis robustus"" and ""Dinornis novaezelandiae"", reached about in height with neck outstretched, and weighed about . It is estimated that, when Polynesians settled New Zealand circa 1280, the moa population was about 58,000. Moa belong to the order Dinornithiformes, traditionally placed in the ratite group. However, their closest relatives have been found"
"shelter in the old holes vacated by puriri moth larva. The larva also inhabit native beech, titoki, kanuka and maire and smaller trees such as manuka, wineberry and houhere. Introduced plants such as eucalyptus, English oak, silver birch, lemon, apple and willow are also used as hosts. Host plants include: Puriri moth The puriri moth (""Aenetus virescens"") is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae. It is also commonly called the ghost moth or pepetuna. This moth is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. It is New Zealand's largest moth, with a wingspan of up to 150"
"resembling a small bird-dropping when young and a ""Pseudopanax"" fruit when older. Larger larvae, up to 30 mm long, look like lichen-covered twigs and hold themselves stiffly out from the host plant by their prolegs. The moth overwinters as a pupa on the forest floor, in a loosely-spun cocoon encrusted with dirt. The South Island lichen moth appears on the New Zealand $100 note alongside a mōhua, with a backdrop of Fiordland National Park. Declana egregia Declana egregia, commonly called the South Island lichen moth or zebra lichen moth, is a moth in the family Geometridae, endemic to New Zealand."
"in comes to insects. ""C. tuberculata"" are found throughout New Zealand and can be seen on hot sunny days on clay tracks or sandy areas. As well as running it can also fly. The adult beetle is approximately 2.5 cm long, and is greenish in colour with yellow markings on the side of the elytra. It eats other insects as food. Tiger beetle genera are very similar in colour and because of this they can be hard to identify, with the main difference between species being in the proportions of their body parts. The adult ""Cicindela tuberculata"" has long legs,"
"New Zealand flatworm The New Zealand flatworm (""Arthurdendyus triangulatus"") is a large land flatworm native to New Zealand. It can vary from 5 mm in length when hatched to approximately in mature adults. The New Zealand flatworm is considered an invasive species in parts of Europe. The ventral surface of the flatworm is a pale buff colour while the dorsal surface is dark brown. Young flatworms vary in colour from white to pale orange and develop their adult colouration as they grow. During the day, flatworms can be found resting on the surface of soil underneath objects in close contact"
"mm long. Planotortrix excessana Planotortrix excessana, the greenheaded leafroller, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is native to New Zealand and is an introduced species in Hawaii. The wingspan is 16–30 mm. There are several generations per year. The larvae feed on many forest, orchard and garden shrubs and trees. It prefers trees with broad leaves or needles and its hosts include ""Eucalyptus"" species, ""Sequoia sempervirens"", ""Pinus"" species (including ""Pinus radiata"") and ""Pseudotsuga menziesii"". It is a major pest of apples. They feed on leaves, buds, and soft stems under a webbing of silk and foliage. The pupa"
"New Zealand. They are the largest snails in the world, growing up to 90 mm across. They are carnivorous and prey upon earthworms. The western weka is the most common of the weka sub-species however it is still classed as vulnerable. It is a large flightless bird and had been introduced to offshore islands, which was unsuccessful because of predatory impacts on other native fauna The kea is a vulnerable bird species found all along the west coast of the New Zealand South Island and is the world’s only alpine parrot. Because they nest on the ground, predators attack a"
"of ant. The most famous of New Zealand's insects, the wetas, are ground-living relatives of the crickets that often reach enormous proportions. Many endemic marine invertebrate species, particularly marine snails, have evolved in the seas surrounding New Zealand. New Zealand has a high number of endemic species, such as: Of New Zealand's estimated 20,000 fungi species, only about 4,500 are known. New Zealand also has two sub-species of endemic cetaceans, Hector's dolphin and its close relative Maui's dolphin. The arrival of humans in New Zealand has presented a challenge for the native species, causing the extinction of several. This is"
"birds remain to be determined. Saddlebacks are larger than other arboreal insectivorous birds in New Zealand forests, measuring up to 25 cm (10 in) in length and weighing up to 75 grams (somewhat larger than a common blackbird). They will tear pieces of bark from tree trunks to find insects beneath, which are then dispatched and consumed with their short, robust, and unusually strong beak, but they will also feed on the ground in leaf litter. Their diet is not strictly insectivorous in nature and they have been observed eating fruit and drinking nectar. Poor fliers like their close relative"
"Clitarchus hookeri Clitarchus hookeri, is a stick insect of the family Phasmatidae, endemic to New Zealand. It is possibly New Zealand's most common stick insect. ""Clitarchus hookeri"" is often green in appearance, but can also be brown or red in colour. ""Clitarchus hookeri"" is a large stick insect. This species demonstrates sexual dimorphism. Female specimens grow from 81 – 106 mm and males from 67 – 74 mm. The colour can be variable, even in the same location, ranging from bright green to grey, brown or buff. Unlike many tropical stick insects, ""Clitarchus hookeri"" is flightless. ""Clitarchus hookeri"" is found"
"and orange in colour. It reaches a length of approximately 2cm but is only 1mm in width. The adult moth is approximately 0.5cm in length and has a wingspan of 1.2cm. It is silver-greyish in colour. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It was first discovered by Watts in Waikato bogs and peatlands. However the moth can also be found where its host species has been translocated or been planted in restoration projects. The larvae mine and pupate inside the living stems of ""Sporadanthus ferrugineus"", a large endemic New Zealand rush. Adult moths are only on the wing between"
"populations. Maintaining kereru populations is particularly important for natural restoration and maintenance of forest remnants, as this bird is the main disperser of large fruited species. Puriri is also important as a host for a number of species. The puriri moth (or ghost moth) ""Aenetus virescens"" is New Zealands largest and quite spectacular moth, with a potential wing span up to 15 cm. Its 10 cm long larvae, though not restricted to puriri, often makes its home in the tree by excavating long ""7""-shaped burrows . The moths are much reduced in number as the great swarms ""invading rooms, sufficient"
"on the forest floor. Larvae have been reared from ""Alseuosmia"" species, ""Carpodetus serratus"", ""Coprosma grandifolia"", ""Coriaria arborea"", ""Fuchsia excorticata"", ""Nestegis"" species, ""Pseudopanax arboreus"", ""Ripogonum scandens"", ""Sophora"" species and ""Wisteria"" species. Izatha peroneanella Izatha peroneanella, also known as the small lichen moth or the green lichen tuft, is a moth of the Oecophoridae family. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it is found throughout the North Island, other than the Aupouri Peninsula of Northland. The wingspan is 15–24.5 mm for males and 17–29.5 mm for females. This moth has pale green forewings with patches of raised black scales that camouflage"
"Pollinators in New Zealand Among the pollinating insects of New Zealand are numerous species of the Syrphidae or hoverfly family. There are more than 40 species of Syrphid flies in New Zealand. As is the case outside of New Zealand, the family is extremely variable, ranging from large, bulky, and hairy to the small, slender, and shiny. These flies are found in a variety of habitats including agricultural fields and alpine zones. Two hoverfly species in Switzerland are being investigated for introduction as biological control agents of hawkweeds in New Zealand. Syrphid flies, in particular the native species ""Melanostoma fasciatum"""
"because of their intolerance for saltwater are assumed to have descended from ancestors that broke off from Gondwana, are one of the few exceptions to the rule that amphibians are never found on oceanic islands (another being the frogs of Fiji). New Zealand's few wholly freshwater fishes are derived from diadromous species. New Zealand's terrestrial invertebrate community displays strong Gondwanan affinities, and has also diversified strongly, if unevenly. There are over a thousand species of snail, and many species of insect have become large and in many cases flightless, especially grasshoppers and beetles. There are, however, fewer than 12 species"
"New Zealand fantail The New Zealand fantail (""Rhipidura fuliginosa"") is a small insectivorous bird, the only species of fantail in New Zealand. It has four subspecies: ""R. f. fuliginosa"" in the South Island, ""R. f. placabilis"" in the North Island, ""R. f. penita"" in the Chatham Islands, and the now-extinct ""R. f. cervina"" formerly on Lord Howe Island. It is also known by its Maori names, Pīwakawaka, Tīwakawaka or Piwaiwaka; the common pied morph is also known as pied fantail (not to be confused with the Malaysian or Philippine pied fantails), and the uncommon dark morph is also known as"
"wood without making a cocoon. Izatha huttonii Izatha huttonii is a moth of the Oecophoridae family. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it is known from the South Island, Stewart Island, and the Wellington district of the North Island. This species was first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1879 and named ""Oecophora huttonii"". The wingspan is 18–25 mm for males and 20–29 mm for females. Adults are on wing from November to March. Larvae have been recorded feeding on dead branches of ""Aristotelia serrata"". The only other definite host is ""Coprosma robusta"". The larva is full fed in"
"food in the alimentary tract. Carposina rubophaga The New Zealand raspberry budmoth (Carposina rubophaga) is a moth of the Carposinidae family. It is endemic to New Zealand. The wingspan is 14–17 mm. Adults are very variable, some individuals being very light in colour, others very dark, darkish-brown, or dark grey. One variety has a pair of dark converging lines. The forewings have two conspicuous raised tufts of scales, one lying anteriorly, and a larger one posteriorly with a small tuft between the two. The hindwings are cream-coloured with long hairs posteriorly. The male can usually be distinguished from the female"
"Huhu beetle The huhu beetle (""Prionoplus reticularis""), is a longhorn beetle endemic to New Zealand. It is the heaviest beetle found in New Zealand. To Māori, the larval form is known as huhu (also tunga haere, tunga rākau) with the adult stage known as pepe-te-muimui. However, the larval and adult forms are commonly referred to as the huhu grub and huhu beetle, respectively. As the huhu larva reaches maturity it ceases to bore in wood and casts its skin. This still edible stage is known in Maori as '. It then develops wings and legs, and while it is still"
"with black covering much of the area. It has four orange dots on this black area, two on each elytron. It is about 4 mm long from the tip of the head to the end of the abdomen (description based on a life-size photo in Andrew Crowe's ""Which New Zealand Insect""). Hoangus venustus Hoangus venustus, commonly known as the flax ladybird, is a species of ladybird beetle that is native to New Zealand, being found at least in the North Island. It can be found on New Zealand flax (""Phormium"") and Toetoe (cutty grass), reportedly eating the mealybugs that live"
"sea level in the regions' mountains. Its northernmost record is from the Grebe River, near Lake Manapouri. This species has been observed under ""Astelia"" plants and on vegetation at night. Geodorcus philpotti Geodorcus philpotti is a large flightless species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It was named by Major Thomas Broun after Mr A. Philpott, who discovered it at Hump Ridge near Invercargill. It is endemic to New Zealand. Including their large mandibles, male specimens range in length from 20.5 to 29 mm. Females range in length from 17.0–23.6 mm. They have a dull to slightly glossy exoskeleton."