The Wētā (Journal)

Field Trip to Waitomo.Recently 22 members of the Auckland Branch of the Entomological Society spent a weekend to search for, and attempt to establish,the distribution of the giant wetapunga, Deinacrida heteracantha. This species was previously thought to be confined to Little Barrier Island until 1962 when four specimens were collected from the Mahoenui area, just south of Waitomo. Earlier this month, Charles Watt, Graeme Ramsay and Rob Archibald found another specimen in the same area, a female which is presently in the care of Brenda May at D.S.l.R., Mt Albert

Roberts, Mere

Ill NOTES FROM AUCKLAND Field Trip_to_ga.itomo Recently 22 members of the Auckland Branch of the Entomological Society spent a weekend to search for, and attempt to establish,the distribution of the giant wetapunga, Deihacrida heteracantha. This species was previously thought to be confined to Little Barrier Island until 1962 when four specimens were collected from the Mahoenui area, just south of Waitomo. Earlier this month, Charles Watt, Graeme Ramsay and Rob Archibald found another specimen in the same area, a female which is presently in the care of Brenda May at D„S.l„K,'j- Ht Albert, On Saturday, one field- party left for Mahoenui while another concentrated on bush and caves near the Auckland Speleological Society hut. , A third party spent the day-underground, in Gardner's Gut cave. On Sunday morning; one group returned to the Mahoenui area to search through a block of less disturbed native bush, while a second group went, to the Waipuna Scenic reserve. No giant, wetas were found 5 although a number of ether wetas including cave species were collected from, clumps of Ajteljla^ within rotten logs, and from cave mouths. As would be expected for the time of year, there was little, .visible sign of insect activity but specimens collected included funnel-web spiders, several large Carabids, magpie-moth larvae, and a Pjajripadn-us. •i Although the weekend proved disappointing in terms of not finding any P.̂ y?£I:lAsL2. ]2f.!i£.'Fa,(i£B!i:lS,s ^ w a s n o t without its incidents, . Graeme Ramsay using an axe apparently mistook his leg for a log, but once again failed to find any giant wetas. Happily the accident was not too serious and Graeme was able to resumt the ''hunt" on the following day. Several members of the caving party also encountered anatomical problems while attempting to squeeze through gaps designed for smaller animal species. The bringing together of people from a variety of scientific backgrounds including D.S.I.R., M,A.Ff, and Auckland University, as wall as teachers and interested members of the public, resulted in a free exchange of ideas within a very friendly atmosphere. The $100.00 contributed by the University towards the travel costs was very much appreciated, and our thanks to Don Cowley and John MacDonaid for making this possible. The Branch hopes to continue to provide interest and enjoyment for these various groups of people, and can. encourage the continued support of the various institutions they represent. Mere Roberts, Auckland University. 

English

Notes from Auckland

The Auckland Branch of the Ent. Society\u27s trip to Egmont in February this year was a very enjoyable and fruitful weekend. We stayed on the mountain at Konini Lodge near Dawson Falls (970 m). Early in the mornings we had some lovely views of the mountain from Konini Lodge before the mist came&nbsp; down. Dr Ken Fox was there to welcome our party of 19 on arrival (at 1:30 am in the morning) and was very helpful in advising us of collecting sites and lending some of his equipment

Green, Olwyn

15. FIELD TRIP TO MT EGMONT The Auckland Branch of the Ent. Society's trip to Egmont in February this year was a very enjoyable and fruitful weekend. We stayed on the mountain at Konini Lodge near Dawson Falls (970 m).Early in the mornings we had some lovely views of the mountain from Konini Lodge before the mist came . down. Dr Ken Fox was there to welcome our party of 19 on arrival (at 1.30 am in the morning) and was very helpful in advising us of collecting sites and lending some of his equipment. Some of the keen trampers in the party attempted to climb to the top of Fanthams Peak (2140m) with varying degrees of success, while others stayed around Kapuni stream bed and explored various paths near the Falls. The Enchanted Walk to Jacksons Lookout, Bubbling Springs and Wilkies Pools were & few of the main ones. On Saturday night light traps were iet up in the bush, and moths, beetles3 caddis flies, dobion flies, small dipterans, stone flies and even one bush harvester came blundering along. Most of the specimens collected ha.ve been tucked away in various collections, some to provide reference material for future wo*k. From John Dugdaie: Some interesting records were found: an undescribed gracellariid moth (caterpillars mine in GAULTHERIA), previously known only from the South Island, a good population of Egmont's endemic tortricid moth ("Tortrix" antichroa) was found in the Kapuni Valley, and a (Kikihia cutara and K. subalpine - green -cicadas), hybrid population found up in the head of Kapuni Valley. From Brenda May; I had two main objectives: 1. To find larvae of Rhachidiscodes, a very small, slow-moving weevil living in wet moss* 2. To fill in gaps in our knowledge of the habitats of the flower weevil (Tychiinae). Results 1, One sample of moss contained several weevils but no larvae* I now know where to go back to. 2. Larvae feeding in developing fruits of Astelia fragrans were reared successfully. The species proved to be Peristoeus aciplyllae. From Pam Dale: Some psyllid species were present in great numbers on their hosts. Psylla carmichaeliae was plentiful on flowering carmichaelia, and Trioza doryphora fell in showers from Olearia ilicifolia, along with Trioza crinita. Trioza decurvata was abundant on Dracophyllum, and black Trioza ocscura on Hebe stricta. Off duty vigilance was rewarded with Ctenarytaina fuchsiac and Trioza curta from the hut windows, and the first known record of Trioza compressa from potato salad. 16 It was good to see such a mixture of' young" and old, professional and amateur people on this first overnight trip of the Auckland Branch. A meeting was held the following week to discuss findings and records over a cup of tea. . Olwyn Green, Ent, Div., D.S.I.R. Auckland Abbey Caves Trip. Twenty-three members visited the Abbey Caves at Whangarei. A number of spiders were collected but these were mostly small species or immature and have not yet been identified., A number of specimens are to be sent to Dr Ray Forster. From a previous collection he identified new species of Cambridgea and Manlho and a "nursery web" spider* of unknown genus. The area .has .'good possibilities for spider collecting. A small "no exit" cave with a sandy, muddy floo'r has a good colony of the large rhaphidophoris (or cave weta) - Gymnop1ectron waipuensis. One specimen of a smaller, darker species, probably Pallidpplectron peniculosum was found in the dark zone of the main stream passage. Most of the caves had areas of glow worms. The trip was enjoyed by most participants ; although Jenny Cox and Olwyr. Green emerged very sodden .. 'after swimming to .catch' a weta I .....:. . ,.„ Rob Archibald & Brenda May, M.-.R.A.C AUCKLAND An outing was organised to Huia on 21st November 1976 with the primary object of finding the larvae of one of New Zealand's rarest butterflies, Dodonidia helmsjl (Helm's butterfly). The fine weather was probably responsible in part for a very good turn-out of 33 people, wives and families included. The party met near the Rangers Hut below the Huia dam,. - We took, the Parau Track which begins with a swing bridge, and leads' up through native bush towards Nihotupu Ridge. Most of us followed "a triangle going back down the Kakamatua Ridge Track and across the Farley Track to the starting point. Jennifer Cox and her husband were lucky enough to see some adult butterfliesj and the rest of us saw plenty of damage to Gahnia (cutty grass) but,no caterpillars. Other denizens of Gahnia, were found, including ; ; caterpillars and a cocoon of a giant plutellid-moth, larvae"'of "which . kill ' 

Field trip to Mt Egmont

An outing was organised to Huia on 21st November 1976 with the primary object of finding the larvae of one of New Zealand\u27s rarest butterflies, Dodonidia helmsi (Helm\u27s butterfly)

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Notes from Auckland

Field trip to Mt Egmont

Field trip to Huia

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