Written by a leading authority on poisonous plants and an expert in human poisonings, Plants that Poison: a New Zealand Guide is a guide to a selection of plants and mushrooms with toxic properties that can be found in New Zealand – in back yards, public gardens, school playgrounds, on roadsides and in waste ground. With a particular focus on plants that are of concern for children, the emphasis is on safety through education, to help you understand the risks so that you can avoid them. There is advice on what to do if you think you or your child has eaten something poisonous, and a section on toxic mechanisms – how the poisons act on the human body, the signs and symptoms of poisoning, and the treatment likely to be necessary. Enlivened with historical background and interesting folklore, and comprehensively illustrated with colour photographs to aid identification, this book provides a practical and measured response to demand for information about poisonous plants in New Zealand.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 112

Dimensions: 189 x 260 x 8 mm

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.

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Pages: 91

Dimensions: 180 x 242 mm

Publication Date: 29-07-2014

The tiny ‘jaw-moths’ of the family Micropterigidae hold a special place in our understanding of the evolution of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) because of their antiquity and their status as the most primitive type of surviving Lepidoptera. Almost perfect fossils preserved in amber from places as remote as the Baltic Sea, Burma and Lebanon indicate that these moths had reached their zenith before the end of the Jurassic (140 million years ago—the age of dinosaurs) and have survived almost unchanged all over the world. Modern jaw-moths retain the basic jaws that characterise so many insect groups (hence the common name) whereas all the higher moths and butterflies have evolved a coiled tongue which gives them the ability to specialise on the nectar of flowering plants (Angiosperms), thereby gaining access to an energy-rich source of food from the commonest type of plants. Micropterigid larvae are unique, so unlike the familiar caterpillars of other moths that even entomologists can be baffled as to what sort of insect they represent. In New Zealand, all but one of the jaw-moth caterpillars feed on liverworts.



New Zealand’s micropterigid moths are best described as little jewels of the insect world. With a size range from 5 to 12 mm wingspan, their wings shine with golden or purple iridescence as they flit about amongst ferns, low shrubs and sedges in shady places alongside tracks, forest roadways, and around the edge of forest clearings. They are recognisable from their metallic colouring and the tent-like position of the wings over the body. Their antennae are held more or less erect and diverging, and the head and thorax are exceptionally hairy. Identification of most New Zealand species can be made directly from their colour patterns.

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Pages: 127

Dimensions: 180 x 242 mm

Publication Date: 29-07-2014

This book provides a new synthesis for the large body of information collected since the 1950's. It represents the best attempt, given the state of knowledge at the time, to classify and provide a comprehensive overview of New Zealand soils.



Features of the book include a key to orders, subgroups and groups; an indepth discussion on the diverse types of soil orders; and an appendix listing the meanings of each classification code.

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Pages: 136

Publication Date: 22-10-2010

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

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Pages: 123

Publication Date: 19-12-2013

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

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Pages: 62

Publication Date: 19-12-2013

Describes the rock type classification used in the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI) since 1987.



Rock types are recognised on the basis of their erosion susceptibility and physical characteristics, which are relevant to soil conservation and land use planning.

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Pages: 123

Publication Date: 19-12-2013

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: 73

Publication Date: 19-12-2013

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: 37

Publication Date: 19-12-2013

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: 70

Publication Date: 19-12-2013