Species of the genera Henosepilachna Li, 1961 and Papuaepilachna Szawaryn & Tomaszewska, (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Epilachnini) are known to occur in the Solomon Islands. This work presents a checklist and a distribution map of Epilachnini species found in the Solomon Islands, along with a confirmation record of Henosepilachna signatipennis (Boisduval, ), based on material collected on Makira Island. The article also provides an identification key for species found in the archipelago.
Hover flies, particularly widely-distributed, large-bodied species like the drone fly (Eristalis tenax), show promise as managed crop pollinators, with work underway in multiple continents focused on mass-rearing them for pollination. Parasitoids can be problematic in insect mass-rearing, as high densities of hosts can promote rapid growth of parasitoid populations. The endoparasitoid Diapria conica has occasionally been reported attacking pupae of E. tenax, but relatively little is known about it, making its potential threat to E. tenax mass rearing difficult to assess. In this study, we reared E. tenax following established protocols, and report seasonal trends in E. tenax and parasitoid emergence. Highest parasitoid numbers were observed in the autumn. Overall parasitism rates varied, with population peaks and regional differences that need to be accounted for in mass-production systems. These variations may impact not only rearing success, but released populations and their pollination contribution, as high parasitism rates were accompanied by high failure to eclose from apparently healthy pupae. This preliminary observational study underscores the importance of considering parasitoids in developing E. tenax for large-scale managed pollination, while emphasising the need for further research to fully understand the implications for commercial pollination services.
The Eucalyptus variegated beetle, Paropsisterna cloelia (St & aring;l) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a paropsine leaf beetle from Australia, has been invasive in New Zealand since 2016. The species' colour polymorphism (red, green, brown, or black elytra) has historically caused uncertainty about its identity. The study investigated whether true colour morphs exist in New Zealand populations of P. cloelia or whether elytral colour changes as beetles mature. Over two consecutive sampling seasons (spring to autumn), adult P. cloelia were collected from eucalypt trees at a field site in Marlborough, counted, and the elytral colour and rigidity recorded. We found that the abundance of adults with different elytral colour and rigidity was temporally segregated, starting with a high abundance of brown/hard adults early in the sampling season (after overwintering), followed by a decline in mid-season that was simultaneous to an increase in red/soft and red-green/hard beetles (new generation). As red/soft and red-green/hard beetles declined, brown/hard beetles increased again and the cycle was repeated in the second half of the sampling season. We infer from our field observations that elytral colour and rigidity change as beetles mature, emerging from pupae as teneral stage with red/soft elytra, progressing to red/hard and green/hard, and finally turning brown. However, these interpretations should be confirmed experimentally by following the development of caged adults in the field or in laboratory rearings.
Social wasps in the genus Vespula are widely distributed and often considered invasive. Their nests are made of papier-m & acirc;ch & eacute; resulting from the drying out of moist woodpulp. They typically build nests in the ground, although aerial nests in trees, woodsheds, roofs, or walls of dwellings are often encountered in suburban areas. The aim of this study was to determine the plant composition of V. vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758) nests using a DNA metabarcoding approach developed for paper wasp nests. We collected nests in southern North Island, New Zealand. A total of 453 genera of plants were incorporated into the six nests studied. Most frequently utilised for nest construction were plant genera in the Araliaceae family, Camellia, Melicytus, Muehlenbeckia, Phyllocladus, Callistemon, and Phytolacca. Plant material composition did not vary with ontogeny of the nest. Similar plant genera were used earlier in the season, during the period of nest growth, and for the outer envelope. Vespula vulgaris appears to be an opportunistic gatherer of nest material, collecting what is close and readily available around nest sites. They are generalists in their use of nest material, able to utilise a wide range of native and exotic plants for nest building. Because of the wide diversity and variety of plants utilised, our results suggest that availability of plants for nest material is unlikely to be a limiting factor in wasp establishment and their distribution potential. To the best of our knowledge, this study constitutes the first molecular insights into the nest material composition of Vespula wasps.
The New Zealand genus Tetrachaetus Bickel & Dyte, 1989 (Dolichopodidae: Sympycninae), is a fairly common long-legged fly lineage often found in riparian habitats. As first described by Parent (1933), the genus included two species, Tetrachaetus bipunctatus and T. simplex. The species are similar and attempts by modern specialists to differentiate them have been unsuccessful. Here a large number of specimens from major New Zealand collections were reexamined and the genus is revised. Based on morphometric, phenotypic, chaetotaxic and genetic evidence the two putative species are in fact conspecific, and are here formally synonymised under Tetrachaetus bipunctatus Parent (1933).https://www.zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/6AD20BE2-77D2-4D04-8295-1AAAC7F3F2FF
Both citizen science observations and taxonomic collections provide valuable data on species occurrences, typically including species identification, as well as the time and place of observation or collection. Comparing these datasets is intuitive and important for understanding biodiversity patterns. In this study, over 86,000 records of exotic insect species in New Zealand were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, comprising two record types: citizen science observations (from iNaturalist) and specimen records (from digitised museum collections). These datasets were compared across taxonomic levels, temporal and geographic scales, and species body size. Key differences emerged between the two data sources. Although the total number of exotic insect records was similar, exotic species accounted for a greater proportion of citizen science observations (1 in 5) than specimen records (1 in 10). Taxonomic composition varied significantly between the datasets at the order, family, and species levels, with citizen science observations disproportionately representing larger-bodied species. Consequently, many exotic insect species present in New Zealand were underrepresented in observation records. Despite these biases, the large volume of citizen science data makes it a valuable resource for biosecurity and invasion biology. Enhancing public awareness of diverse insect groups, including smaller or less conspicuous species, could improve data coverage. Ultimately, leveraging the complementary strengths of both record types will enhance biodiversity monitoring and biosecurity efforts.
This study explored preliminary trends in how dietary fat composition may affect the total fat content and fatty acid profile of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) across three developmental stages: larval, pre-pupal, and pupal. Five experimental diets were formulated by supplementing a base substrate, wheat middlings, with 100 g/kg wet weight of different oils: coconut, sunflower, flaxseed, avocado, or olive. The larvae reared on the flaxseed oil diet (rich in alpha-linolenic acid) reached the pre-pupal stage significantly faster (12.3 days) than those in other treatments (14-15.5 days).
A checklist and synopsis of the family Braconidae (Hymenoptera) that are present in New Zealand is provided. The fauna consists of 17 subfamilies, 74 genera, and 147 described species (99 indigenous, 48 exotic). A large portion of the taxonomic names previously listed in the catalogue of Valentine and Walker (1991) have changed or are new. Twenty-five new indigenous species have been described in the last ten years and 57 species since the year 2000. Two species previously recorded are now not considered present, Fopius carpocapsae (Ashmead, 1900) and Parallorhogas pallidiceps (Perkins, 1910). Currently 83% of genera and 52% of described species in New Zealand have a COI barcode sequence. The indigenous Braconidae fauna is estimated at over 400 species, indicating only similar to 25% of indigenous species are currently described.
Mite harvesters (Arachnida: Opiliones: Cyphophthalmi) are tiny arachnids known to inhabit leaf litter on forest floors throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. Recently, Cyphophthalmi in the genus Aoraki were discovered in caves in the northern South Island, representing the first records of cave-dwelling mite harvesters from New Zealand. A comparison of anatomical ratios taken from body and appendage measurements of the cave animals and epigean Aoraki species demonstrate that the cave animals display trends characteristic of troglobitic arthropods, suggesting adaptation to cavernicolous environments. We sequenced the mitochondrial loci COI and 16S rRNA from one of the cave specimens in order to better define the animal's phylogenetic position and to assess the possibility that it represents a new species. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, results suggest the animals are cave-adapted populations of Aoraki westlandica.
Porrhothele (Mygalomorphae: Porrhothelidae) is a genus of tunnelweb spider endemic to New Zealand. The most frequently encountered species, Porrhothele antipodiana, is widespread throughout New Zealand and it has been suggested that it might represent a cryptic species complex. A phylogenetic hypothesis was generated using sequences of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase 1 from specimens collected throughout New Zealand. The genetic evidence suggests that P. antipodiana comprises a single widespread species consistent with morphological evidence. However, additional novel lineages were revealed by the analysis for which morphology suggests the presence of undescribed species. One of these, Porrhothele peninsularis sp. nov. is described.http://lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F4159C21-C4BA-4982-BF0B-D24632A89734
Burrows made by the lidless trapdoor spider Cantuaria huttoni were found in forested areas of eastern Otago, New Zealand, between Waianakarua, Kaka Point and Lawrence. In Dunedin - & Omacr;tepoti, sites with a variety of canopy type, aspect, and slope were occupied, but sites without a forest cover and recently regenerated from having no forest cover, lacked spiders. Burrows were found at densities of up to 58 per m2 and the entrance diameter was correlated to the occupying spider's size. Spiders were observed at burrow entrances more often at night. Adult males were found to leave the burrows between October and December and were capable of travelling 5 m per night and estimated at a density of 0.1 per m2. Burrow entrances were sometimes webbed shut, particularly in January and June, possibly in response to temperature, rainfall, breeding and feeding. The amount of time spent closed and the annual increase in burrow size was similar for different burrow sizes.
Solitary bees (Hymenoptera: Insecta) greatly depend on pollen and nectar as they provide essential nutrients for growth and development. Unlike social bees, such as bumblebees and honeybees, solitary bees build their nests and forage for food independently. The quality of pollen and nectar can affect the foraging choices of bees. Because they forage individually, they should seek high quality floral sources to meet their nutritional demands - low floral availability can reduce the pollen and nectar quality, negatively affecting solitary bees' health and reproduction success. By analysing their pollen diets compared to the available sources of pollen and nectar, we can understand how floral availability could affect the foraging choices of solitary bees. Throughout January 2023, we looked at native bee species in the genera Lasioglossum (Halictidae) and Leioproctus (Colletidae) at four urban nesting sites in Dunedin, New Zealand. We caught bees returning to their nests for pollen analysis and conducted floral surveys of the local area. Even though our research was limited to a single month during summer, we found that L. fulvescens had a more specialised pollen diet than other Leioproctus species (L. pekanui, L. imatatus, L. huwakiwi) or Lasioglossum sordidum. Leioproctus. fulvescens only collected Asteraceae pollen in our study, whereas both L. sordidum and other Leioproctus species collected multiple floral species. Lasioglossum sordidum mostly collected Ranunculaceae pollen, while the other Leioproctus species mostly collected Veronica (Plantaginaceae) pollen. There was no clear relationship between floral preferences of native bee populations and floral availability within 70 m of their nesting sites. These results contribute to understanding the pollen diets of these native bee species, but more extensive research is needed to understand optimal floral resources for native solitary bees in New Zealand.
The identification of invertebrates from standardised sampling methods such as pitfall traps is often time-consuming because of their high abundance and diversity. However, new technologies based on images and deep learning techniques are rapidly improving the efficiency of invertebrate identification, particularly for non-specialists. In this study, an image dataset of New Zealand ground invertebrates was used to train object detection and classification models to identify invertebrates. We captured a single image of the contents of a pitfall trap, annotated the specimens to a taxonomic group, and applied a two-stage YOLO deep learning model training for identification. Our model precision varied between taxa but had an overall mean average precision of 0.95 for the object detection stage. The classification stage achieved a top1 accuracy of 0.92. Groups with the highest observation counts were Coleoptera, Isopoda, and Formicidae, which also achieved the highest identification accuracy. Although deep learning technology is still in its infancy for entomology, such approaches could transform field sampling, laboratory counting, and identification of invertebrates.
A total of five specimens of the Australian fungivorous thrips species, Hoplandrothrips xanthocnemis (Karny, 1920) were found in New Zealand between 2009 and 2021. Four specimens were collected from kiwifruit. The fifth specimen was collected from Phomopsis sp. fungal culture isolated from a citrus leaf in the laboratory. This paper presents the diagnostic characteristics of H. xanthocnemis, its detection sites in New Zealand, and includes a morphological key to the species of Hoplandrothrips in New Zealand.
New Zealand and Tasmania share 274 coleopteran genera, most of which are represented by adventive species that are shared between both areas (155 spp.) or have adventive species exclusive to either area (47 genera). Most of the 19 intrinsically shared species are widespread aquatics. Among the genera and higher taxa, we identified 9 taxa endemic to Tasmania - New Zealand (T-NZ) and 9 taxa shared between Tasmania, New Zealand, and southeastern Australia (T-seA-NZ). Time trees, biogeographic studies, and relevant fossil data are not extensive, but indicate that most beetle lineages present in Tasmania and New Zealand extended back into the Cretaceous. For example, the tenebrionid subfamily Zolodininae, known by two extant monotypic genera distributed in Tasmania and New Zealand, is represented by an extinct species present in Burmese amber dated to 99Ma. We conclude that T-seA-NZ lineages may have been originally distributed on a continental block composed of VanDieland (seAustralia/Tasmania/ South Tasman Rise) and the Challenger Plateau/South Zealandia which remained contiguous until the Late Cretaceous separation of Zealandia from Gondwana. The VanDieland block had been geographically isolated from both East Antarctica and Australia as early as the Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous by rifts associated with the opening of the Southern Ocean between Australia and East Antarctica and spreading along the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS). Some T-seA distributions may be as recent as the Pleistocene when Tasmania and southeast Australia were reconnected during the LGM. The remaining T-NZ groups are relict.
The tomato potato psyllid (TPP, Bactericera cockerelli) feeds on solanaceous crops such as potato, tomato, and capsicum. After TPP was first recorded in New Zealand in 2006, several control methods have been evaluated, including conventional insecticides, physical barriers, and biocontrol. This study investigated the TPP repellent properties of aqueous leaf extracts from two Australian and five New Zealand tree species using laboratory and glasshouse trials. Eucalyptus viminalis leaf extracts produced consistent repellent effects against TPP across all trials. Leaf extracts of Tasmannia lanceolata, Piper excelsum (kawakawa), Pseudowintera colorata (horopito), Pittosporum eugenioides (tarata), and Sophora microphylla (k & omacr;whai) also resulted in statistically significant avoidance effects. Kunzea ericoides (k & amacr;nuka) was the only leaf extract not to significantly reduce TPP settling in any trial. Given that botanically-derived crop protection agents are generally considered less environmentally harmful than conventional biocides, the results we obtained suggest that several of these plant extracts warrant further evaluation as potential TPP management tools.
This is the first record of an established colony of Thrips hawaiiensis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) found on mainland New Zealand. The established population was discovered on gorse (Ulex europaeus) in Auckland, North Island. Thrips hawaiiensis is highly polyphagous and feeds and breeds in many ornamental flowers, fruit and vegetable plants including several of economic importance to New Zealand. The DNA sequences of the New Zealand specimens shared 92-99% identity with those of T. hawaiiensis in the BOLD database, indicating high intraspecific variation. The sequence analysis revealed three distinct sub-clades of T. hawaiensis, with the New Zealand specimens being in the same sub-clade as those from Australia. A comparison of COI sequences across nine congeneric species demonstrated that the COI sequence can be used to separate these species.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CF0F6AD1-D752-4FEE-8BA4-E9CCF8D3FDB4
The use of pesticides in beehives constitutes an important health issue for honey bees (Apis mellifera). Miticide treatments are not lethal to bees but could still impose significant sublethal costs. This study examined the impacts of amitraz, a commonly used miticide, on the bacterial communities of the honey bee gut and Varroa destructor mites. We sequenced and compared gut 16S rDNA composition pre - and post-amitraz treatment. Amitraz did not significantly influence bacterial gut communities in either honey bees or mites during the first six weeks following treatment. The gut bacterial community of bees was mainly dominated by the commonly observed microbiota in bees, which included species in the genera Gilliamella, Snodgrassella, and Frischella. Deformed wing virus (DWV) loads were analysed but were also unaffected by amitraz treatment over the six-week period studied. The bacterial community of Varroa destructor mites was heavily dominated by Bartonella spp., in contrast to results observed elsewhere. Our results indicating that amitraz does not appear to affect honey bee microbiota should be helpful for beekeepers who rely on this pesticide for mite control.
The South American Flores weevil (Floresianus sordidus Hustache, 1939) and little fringed weevil Atrichonotus taeniatulus (Berg, 1881) (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) are now common in northern areas of the North Island of New Zealand. Historic records were investigated to determine the distribution and prevalence of these flightless weevils during five decades following their initial establishment in the Hawke's Bay region in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Both were slow dispersers: the first detection outside Hawke's Bay was in the 1990s and they were only confirmed present in Taranaki from 2017 onwards. Dispersal between regions likely occurred via human transport, with both detected for the first time in the South Island in 2000 at Christchurch airport. Based on the number of sites where the weevils have been collected, both species have been found more often in the warmer regions but will eventually colonise most of New Zealand. Parasitism by Microctonus aethiopoides Loan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was detected in A. taeniatulus adults but not in F. sordidus.
Porina (Wiseana spp.) are endemic to New Zealand with some species adapting to exotic pastures, where they cause significant damage. Porina larvae cannot be identified to species level in the field so the relative impact of each porina species is not known. Greater knowledge of foraging behaviour by different porina species will help to determine species-specific impacts. The nocturnal foraging behaviours of W. cervinata and W. copularis larvae were investigated in the laboratory using videos recorded under infrared conditions. Foraging behaviours were characterised, and videos analysed using BORIS software found species differences in the number of burrows constructed and in foraging choices. Behavioural sequences were similar for both porina species, with W. cervinata larvae foraging exclusively on white clover while W. copularis foraged on white clover and ryegrass. W. cervinata larvae constructed one horizontal burrow whereas W. copularis constructed 2-3 horizontal burrows to reach their food plants. By constructing several horizontal burrows, W. copularis larvae have access to more plants without exposing themselves above ground to adverse weather conditions or predators. This may be an advantageous strategy for W. copularis larvae, particularly at high population densities when food becomes scarce, and may increase the degree of pasture damage caused by this species relative to other Wiseana spp. Porina management should target the most damaging species within the complex and this study provides further evidence that W. copularis is more likely to cause pasture damage.
