My picks for NZ Bug of the Year 2024
Celebrating our little critters, and our campaign for the unique kahukura
Not wanting our manu (birds) to get ALL the attention, the Entomological Society of New Zealand started the NZ Bug of the Year in 2023, which was won by the ngaro huruhuru native bee.
Even if youâre not in New Zealand - you can still vote!
Like Forest & Birdâs Bird of the Year nominees, every single one of these 20 critters are so worth voting for.
I found it interesting to look at their conservation status. Of the 20 species included this year, only TWO are classified as âNot Threatenedâ: the Kapowai/CarovĂ©âs Giant Dragonfly (Uropetala carovei) and the Mt. Cook Flea (Pharmacus montanus). Almost more concerning is the fact that SEVEN do not even have a conservation status, so we donât actually know how much help they need.
You can vote for three âbugsâ, and this week I thought Iâd share my picks with you.
#1 Red Admiral Butterfly
As many of you know, I am a member of the Moths & Butterflies of New Zealand Trust (MBNZT) and we are running a campaign to get votes for the kahukura, or New Zealand red admiral butterfly. It coincides with the Red Admiral Project which is working to bring this pĆ«rerehua (butterfly) back to TÄmaki Makaurau/Auckland where its numbers have drastically decreased in the last couple of decades.
Itâs also the only âbugâ on the list of nominees that I have seen in my garden.
If you live in TÄmaki Makaurau, the MBNZT have some ways you can help bring the red admiral back to the city:
Plant nectar species! There is information about nectar flowers here.
Plant Urtica ferox or other nettles in safe places. Seeds of U. australis are available here.
Control any predatory and parasitic wasps. The paper wasps and Vespula species, pests that have arrived in NZ, are decimating our native butterflies.
Donations towards the project are always welcome. You can donate here.
#2 Forest Ringlet Butterfly
Pepe pouri, the forest ringlet, is the only other butterfly in this yearâs list of nominees. It is an endemic species that was once widespread but is now at risk of extinction - probably due to wasp predation.1
Unsurprisingly, the forest ringlet butterfly lives in forests, though they prefer clearings and edges, and are usually found at altitudes above 600m.2 So, unfortunately, thereâs no chance of this one visiting my garden! If you happen to be in a high-altitude beech forest during summer - you might just spot one.
#3 NZ Velvet Worm
The third bug that got my vote is ngÄokeoke, the New Zealand velvet worm (also called peripatus). I learned about them a few years and they got my vote simply because they look so interesting. Iâve never even glimpsed them in real life, but whenever I see a photograph of them I am reminded of van Goghâs Starry Night painting.
Their other-worldly appearance is probably because they are ancient critters, dating back 500 million years to the time of the dinosaurs.3
They can be found in gardens, especially if you live near forested areas, so the Department of Conservation have some ways you can help them thrive:
Protecting forest areas by fencing out stock, and controlling browsing and predatory animal pests and weeds
Enhancing forest areas by planting local native plants, e.g. tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata)
Considering the need for corridors, linkages and riparian strips
Retaining fallen trees, logs and forest floor debris, and avoiding breaking apart old rotten logs
Considering legally protecting the land by gift or sale to create a reserve, or retaining ownership but creating a QEII Trust or Reserves Act covenant
Volunteering on revegetation projects
Reporting any sightings to the Department of Conservation
Happy voting!
Zenobia x
https://www.nzbutterflies.org.nz/project/forest-ringlet-project/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_ringlet
https://bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/2024-bug-of-the-year-nominees/ngaokeoke-nz-velvet-worm/
Thanks for sharing đŠ
You made the Velvet Worm my favourite thing I never knew about...