Photos / Sounds
What
European Woolcarder Bee (Anthidium manicatum)Observer
amosDescription
A type of bee or wasp I haven't seen before in my backyard. About 5-10 hovering, visiting rosemary flowers, Are these a Wool carder bee? Are they seen this far south? Are they a pest?
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus PhellodonObserver
amosDescription
The texture was silky smooth shiny black. It was dry to the touch (not slimy) and quite stiff, even though it looks fleshy. And surprise surprise, it was very firmly attached to the ground. And there were a number of these 'colonies' near the track, in about 4 or 5 areas, over about 100 meters - 150 meters.
Photos / Sounds
What
Common Bag Moth (Liothula omnivora)Observer
amosDescription
Is this a Bag Moth? I measured the case at ~130mm in length. Is that very long for a Common Bag Moth?
What
Manu (Birds) (Class Aves)Observer
amosDescription
Bird chatter. Unknown species. Possibly nesting.
Photos / Sounds
What
Kārearea (New Zealand Falcon) (Falco novaeseelandiae)Observer
amosDescription
Is this a kārearea? Is it male or female? It landed on the cross of the convent at Hiruharama | Jerusalem just as we arrived. I think I heard another one calling nearby.
Photos / Sounds
What
Kawakawa Looper (Cleora scriptaria)Observer
amosDescription
Observed hanging by a thread from a kawakawa leaf. Is this the caterpillar that eats all those holes in kawakawa leaves? It had a dark brown patterned back - is that usual for kawakawa looper caterpillar?
Photos / Sounds
What
Common Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax)Observer
amosDescription
A large fly (or bee?). It's hovering behavior drew my attention, as it hovered staring at my car for periods of up to 10 seconds, before flying away and then returning to stare at the car. Maybe it was attracted to the red colour? Maybe it was attracted to the headlights or reflective surfaces? At first I thought it was a bee - but I believe it has a single pair of wings - which would make it a fly, correct?
Photos / Sounds
What
Salps (Order Salpida)Observer
amosDescription
A 'school' of roundish transparent creatures. Some were joined together into chains of up to 20-30 or so. They seemed to be able to move through the water, but maybe they were being moved by turbulence.
Photos / Sounds
What
Plague Skink (Lampropholis delicata)Observer
amosDescription
A group of skinks. Please help ID. Sorry the photos are such low res. It looked to be a 'nest' of skinks at a high point on the Matamataharakeke track. I have tried to use D R Towns 'A field guide to the lizards of NZ' but without success - when I think I have ID-ed I then find photos of the sp. online but they look very different to my observation.
Thanks so much.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus MacrochlamysObserver
amosDescription
We saw this snail in a forest park in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It's shell appears to sit parallel to the ground, similar to Powelliphanta, and so we wonder: is this similarity in shell orientation a sign of close taxonomic relationship?
Photos / Sounds
Observer
amosDescription
Walking in Singapore rainforest we saw this amazing worm crawling over a rock. Black and white stripes on its body and a red/orange 'hammer-head' shaped head.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus LeioproctusObserver
amosDescription
I saw ~30-50 small black insects flying close to a clay bank. It was very warm, still, and sunny. Looking more closely, I followed the behaviour of one individual in the group. It entered a small hole in the bank for less than a second, then flew to another small hole and entered that one for again less than a second. It did this one or two more times and then entered another hole, this time for 3-4 seconds before reappearing. But this time it did not fly away, instead it just sat with its head at the entrance to the hole, looking out.
Can someone ID this insect and explain the behaviour?
Nga mihi,
Amos
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus ProcyliosomaObserver
amosDescription
When walking in King Park, Greymouth, I spotted what looks to be a large slater sitting on the foliage of a tree. On closer inspection, and on slightly moving the foliage, the brown looking slater fell away and landed upside-down, revealing what looked to be another slater rolled-up into a tight ball and coloured green and gold.
Could it be that the brown slater is actually the shed exoskeleton of the green and gold one found underneath?
Can anyone help identify this observation and the relationship between the two 'slaters'?
Nga mihi
Photos / Sounds
What
Hound's Tongue Fern (Microsorum pustulatum)Observer
amosDescription
Fern frond
Photos / Sounds
What
Lion's Mane Jellies (Genus Cyanea)Observer
amosDescription
Jellyfish floating at the surface. Light-orange in colour. Long thin strands floating out from it. A 'ruffled' look to the main bulk of its tissue. Can someone ID it for me?
