Jon Sullivan

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

Mar 20 at 7:52amWeb
Show threadLisa 🦔1d ago
@joncounts happy #flyDay! That maorina almost look like it’s made of amber with that translucent glow!
Show threadJon Sullivan1d ago
@mycrowgirl It sure is a pretty wee fly. It's distinctive too, which makes it all the more puzzling why so few people here have photographed one. Perhaps they're short-lived adults that emerge in only a brief window of time.