Lichen Tuft Moths



The genus Izatha only occurs in New Zealand. It is one of our special and diverse groups of endemic moths, with 40 species now recognized. Most of them are beautifully camouflaged when resting on the trunks of our forest trees so that they resemble bark or lichen, and they have been popularly named ‘lichen tuft moths’ as a result. Some Izatha species are apparently rare and may be in need of special conservation.



Caterpillars of Izatha almost all tunnel in dead wood, where they probably digest the fungal element; others appear to feed on bracket fungi or lichens. Izatha species thus play an essential role as decomposers, responsible for recycling the nutrients in New Zealand’s forests and shrublands.



Despite their interesting form and ecological significance, the study of these moths has been neglected and 15 new species are described in this volume, which represents an increase of 60% over the 25 previously known.



This Fauna covers the classification, distribution, ecology and biology of Izatha. It includes information about new species, keys, sexual selection and sexual antagonism. The adults of all species are described and illustrated in colour.

Pages: 201

Publication Date: 04-03-2014

The armoured scale insect family Diaspididae is one of ten families of plant-sucking scale insects present in New Zealand, and this family has three unique features. The first feature is that the stomach of armoured scale insects is not directly connected to the hind gut, so they do not produce honeydew; the second is their armour or scale cover, in which they incorporate the cast skins of their juvenile moults; and the third feature is the fused segments of the posterior part of the abdomen called the pygidium.



In this Fauna the adult females of all 49 species of Diaspididae known from New Zealand, except the Leucaspidini, are described and illustrated. Four new genera and seven new species are described, and nomenclatural changes are noted. The 1st- and 2nd-instar nymphs of all the endemic species and of four Australian species that are of systematic interest are also described and illustrated. Keys to allow separation of adult females of all genera and species are included.



Additional features of this Fauna include: a brief review of earlier work on the Diaspididae in New Zealand; discussion of the biology and life cycle, scale cover formation, natural enemies, distribution, host plant associations including galls, and economic importance; a guide to methods for slide-mounting Diaspididae as used in the NZ Arthropod Collection.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 275

Publication Date: 04-03-2014

Fanniids are a small family of flies that are known mainly because many of the species are associated with humans and are of medical and forensic importance. Most of the species of Fanniidae have been described from the Holarctic region, but recently many new species have been described from the Neotropical region. The Fanniidae are inhabitants of forested areas, and are relatively rare in open landscapes. Males of almost all species form swarms in shaded areas and females may be attracted to decaying organic matter and excrement. Fanniidae can be most readily distinguished from other calyptrate flies found in New Zealand by the shape of the subcostal vein, which runs straight in its apical half, without any sinuous bend.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 91

Dimensions: 180 x 242 mm

Publication Date: 29-07-2014

Pick up virtually any textbook on vertebrate evolution and you will find mention of the curious reptile known as tuatara (Sphenodon). The special evolutionary status of tuatara as the last of the rhynchocephalians - one of the four orders of living reptiles - is unquestioned. Wild members of the sole living species are now restricted to a few dozen remote islands around the New Zealand coast, where for several centuries they have been observed and studied by humans. But are tuatara really unchanged 'living fossils', or close relatives of dinosaurs, as sometimes portrayed?

This is the first detailed monograph for decades about this enigmatic reptile, and the first to be illustrated in colour throughout. The evolution, natural history and conservation of tuatara are covered in comprehensive detail, providing a valuable resource for the specialist yet in a style accessible to a wide readership. The special place of tuatara in Maori and popular culture is also considered. Tuatara have survived alongside humans for more than 700 years, though with their numbers much reduced; what are their future prospects in a globally changing world?

Bind: hardback

Pages: 600

Dimensions: 190 x 258 mm

Publication Date: 20-08-2014

To judge the quality of a soil for production and environmental goals, the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil need to be compared against the desirable condition for that land use. Ideally, a response curve is needed that shows the relationship between a quantitative soil characteristic and the quality ranking. Currently, soil quality response curves are poorly defined and there are no internationally agreed standards. This report explains how response curves were obtained for a number of key soil properties used for soil quality assessment in New Zealand, and presents the curves in graphical and numeric form.

Pages: 64

Publication Date: 04-03-2014

he Fauna of New Zealand series has been widely acclaimed for its role in presenting New Zealand's unique invertebrate fauna to the world.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 106

Publication Date: 04-03-2014

The Fauna of New Zealand series has been widely acclaimed for its role in presenting New Zealand's unique invertebrate fauna to the world.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 142

Publication Date: 04-03-2014

The Fauna of New Zealand series has been widely acclaimed for its role in presenting New Zealand's unique invertebrate fauna to the world.

Pages: 140

Publication Date: 04-03-2014

The Fauna of New Zealand series has been widely acclaimed for its role in presenting New Zealand's unique invertebrate fauna to the world.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 188

Publication Date: 04-03-2014

Periegopid spiders



There are only three species known in the family Periegopidae and all are in one genus, Periegops. These rare spiders have only ever been found in relict forests at limited locations in New Zealand (Banks Peninsula, Riccarton Bush, the Aldermen Islands, and East Cape) and in Queensland, Australia.



Periegopids are only found in forest with a deep leaf litter layer and well-drained soil. They do not build a web, but hunt on the forest floor. Periegopids can be most readily distinguished from other spiders found in New Zealand by having six eyes arranged in three widely spaced diads.



Two species of Periegopidae, both in the genus Periegops Simon 1893, are found in New Zealand; P. suterii (Urquhart, 1892) and a newly described species. In this new Fauna of New Zealand contribution the genus and both species are described or redescribed, with information on synonymy, type data, material examined, and geographical distribution. Habitus images of adults, illustrations of important morphological features, and distribution maps are provided, and a key is given. A molecular phylogenetic analysis examining the relationships between eight specimens of P. suterii and three specimens of the new species using COI data is presented

Bind: paperback

Publication Date: 04-03-2014