While helping out Heidi Allan with her field work earlier in the week, crossing NZ's South Island, I also (of course) counted nature along the way and took photos of notable species I found. I've uploaded some of them to #iNaturalist.

When it comes to little things like insects and smaller plants, Aotearoa-New Zealand is still in the early stages of exploration. It's almost trivially easy to make important observations. There's so much still to document.

Here are five of the most notable things I found on our three day trip.

The first record of a showy mistletoe species between Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura (Yellow Mistletoe at Mount Terako): https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/343867527

The first observation of the pretty little fly *Maorina gourlayi* from North Canterbury (the 5th observation from anywhere on iNaturalist and 15th on GBIF): https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/343609762

The 1st record of the rare native earthworm-eating snail *Wainuia edwardi* from Mount Terako, and 37th observation on iNat: https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/343863343

The 1st record of a Bobilla cricket from Westport: https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/343677893

The 1st record of steelblue ladybirds in Westport and the 2nd anywhere on the West Coast: https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/343677847

#iNaturalistNZ #biodiversity #nz

"x" marks the moth!

Usually moths have sweeping curves and circles in their markings. Not so *Eudonia asterisca*, an aptly named NZ-endemic moth. It has a distinctive "x" mark on each forewing.

I photographed this moth at a moth light in the North Canterbury mountains. There are 211 observations of this moth on iNaturalist so far, mostly in the mountains, from throughout the country.

I don't know what its caterpillars eat. (I'm not sure if anyone knows, as it's not listed in NZ's Plant-SyNZ database and all iNat observations are of adults.)

https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/342713940

#mothodon #moths #Lepidoptera #entomology #nz #iNaturalistNZ

Here's another NZ moth wing for you.

This one is from a particularly elegant colour morph of a NZ Green Carpet Owlet (*Ichneutica plena*). Usually they're greener than this.

(I'm continuing to have fun uploading my big backlog of moth photos to #iNaturalist. Caution: there will be more moth photos.)

Whole moth on #iNaturalistNZ: https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/342710304
Full-size on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mollivan_jon/55144902646/

#mothodon #moths #Lepidoptera #insects #entomology #photography #nz

On Friday I saw my first Buddleja weevils in Ōtautahi-Christchurch, NZ. This is a biocontrol agent purposefully introduced into NZ to control butterfly bush, *Buddleja davidii*, which had been spreading out-of-control through much of the country.

Until recently it's been a bit too cold in Christchurch for Buddleja weevils to thrive. No longer, apparently.

The first Christchurch observation of Buddleja weevils on iNaturalist was in March last year. Mine is now the 6th observaton from the city.

The larvae are distinctive yellow jelly slugs, and the adult weevils are brown.

Keep an eye out for them on a butterfly bush near you.

As the climate warms, weeds are pushing southwards. At least it's good to know that their biocontrol agents are doing the same.

https://inaturalist.nz/observations?place_id=129542&preferred_place_id=6803&subview=map&taxon_id=1607464&verifiable=any

https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/discover-our-research/managing-invasive-species/weed-biocontrol/projects-agents/biocontrol-agents/buddleia-leaf-weevil

#weeds #WeedBiocontrol #biocontrol #nz #weevils #beetles #entomology #iNaturalist #iNaturalistNZ

One of the highlights of my day was when William Harland, a talented ecology undergrad here at #LincolnUniversityNZ, stopped by my office to show me his photos of temnocephalid flatworms. These distinctive squat tentacled flatworms live in colonies on NZ's freshwater crayfish, koura, and eat scraps left over when the koura feed. They apparently cause no bother to the koura.

William found these at Poolburn Reservoir in central Otago.

Amazing!

The photo is CC-BY William Harland: https://inaturalist.nz/observations/341041723
Here are more photos of these crazy flatworms on #iNaturalistNZ: https://inaturalist.nz/observations?verifiable=true&taxon_id=868829&place_id=6803&preferred_place_id=6803

#invertebrates #flatworms #NaturalHistory #NZ #Freshwater #crayfish #crustaceans #nature #crayfish

Here's an excellent moth from my backlog that I just uploaded to #iNaturalist

It's the Purerehua, or South Island Lichen Moth, *Ipana egregia*. It's a large NZ endemic moth restricted to the South Island that blends in well with lichens on rocks.

This is the moth also seen on the NZ hundred dollar note.

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/340498358

#mothodon #moths #Lepidoptera #entomology #iNaturalistNZ

Check out this outrageous NZ harvestman photographed by Sebastian Doak earlier this month near Charleston on the west coast of the South Island.

It's called Algidia viridata ssp. bicolor (yes, another incredible endemic NZ invertebrate still lacking a catchy common name). I've never seen one, but I want to!

The photos on the observation are CC-BY Sebastian Doak.

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/337191626

#entomology #nz #Opiliones #harvestman #green #iNaturalistNZ #iNaturalist

Here are four of the species I found today in Ōtautahi-Christchurch, NZ.

Here's a caterpillar of mōkarakara, the NZ magpie moth, eating leaves of the European groundsel, Senecio vulgaris. https://inaturalist.nz/observations/339402946

Here's a Puapua-a-Autahi, NZ's Anemone Stinkhorn Fungus, the first I've seen this season. They're really strange looking fungi. https://inaturalist.nz/observations/339402950

Here's a red fly agaric mushroom, from the Northern Hemisphere, which was at the base of a patch of pine trees. It's odd to see a lot of these about now. I expect they're responding to our unusually wet summer. https://inaturalist.nz/observations/339402947

chatter-chatter-chatter

And, here's one of the many, many Kihikihi Wawā, NZ chorus cicadas, about the city. They're an elegant insect up close, and a *loud* insect at just about any distance.
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/339402945

#iNaturalistNZ #nature #nz #fungi #insects #entomology

@stojg I've just added your lyre moth observation to our "In my house (NZ)" project, where iNat NZ people are putting photos of the species they find inside their houses.

We're up to 514 species now!

https://inaturalist.nz/projects/in-my-house

#iNaturalist #iNaturalistNZ

Moths? Moths! Here are four NZ moths to brighten up your day.

All are NZ endemic species that I photohgraphed at a moth light at the Boyle Village in the Canterbury Southern Alps.

The yellow moth is the Aristotelia Looper *Epiphryne xanthaspis*: https://inaturalist.nz/observations/339094321

The dark purple moth with lime green streaks is the Pate Owlet *Meterana merope*: https://inaturalist.nz/observations/339094323

The tan-yellow moth with the chocolate brown underwings is the Dark Underwing Wainscot *Ichneutica sulcana*: https://inaturalist.nz/observations/339094312

The steel-blue moth is *Physetica caerulea* (I don't think that has a common name yet): https://inaturalist.nz/observations/339094297

(These are part of my large backlog of moth photos that I'm gradually uploading to iNaturalist.)

#Lepidoptera #mothodon #moths #entomology #NZ #iNaturalistNZ