Science & Nature (251)

Fauna of New Zealand 66 : Diaspididae

ISBN: 9780478347265

Author: R Henderson    Publisher: Manaaki Whenua Press

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 feat...


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.


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Pages: 275


Publication Date: 04-03-2014


$89.00
Fauna of New Zealand 71 : Fanniidae

ISBN: 9780478347456

Author: M Cecilia Dominguez    Publisher: Manaaki Whenua Press

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. Mo...


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


$49.00
Tuatara

ISBN: 9781927145449

Author: Alison Cree    Publisher: Canterbury University Press

Pick up virtually any textbook on vertebrate evolution and you will find mention of the curious reptile known as tuatara (Sphenodon). The special evolutionary s...


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


$89.99 $39.99
Provisional Targets for Soil Quality Indicators in New Zealand

ISBN: 9780478093964

Author: Graham Sparling    Publisher: Manaaki Whenua Press

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 ...


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


$25.00
Fauna of New Zealand 7 : Cryptostigmata

ISBN: 9780477067621

Author: M Luxton    Publisher: Manaaki Whenua Press

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


he 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: 106


Publication Date: 04-03-2014


$29.95
Fauna of New Zealand 4 : Eriophyoidea

ISBN: 9780477067454

Author: D Manson    Publisher: Manaaki Whenua Press

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


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: 142


Publication Date: 04-03-2014


$29.95
Fauna of New Zealand 24 : Therevidae

ISBN: 9780477026321

Author: L Lyneborg    Publisher: Manaaki Whenua Press

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


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


$34.95
Fauna of New Zealand 13 : Encyrtidae

ISBN: 9780477025171

Author: J Noyes    Publisher: Manaaki Whenua Press

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


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: 188


Publication Date: 04-03-2014


$44.95
Fauna of New Zealand 70 : Periegopidae

ISBN: 9780478347401

Author: C Vink    Publisher: Manaaki Whenua Press

Periegopid spiders



There are only three species known in the family Periegopidae and all are in one genus, Periegops. These rare spider...


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


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Publication Date: 04-03-2014


$29.00
Fauna of New Zealand 68 : Simuliidae

ISBN: 9780478347340

Author: Douglas Craig    Publisher: Manaaki Whenua Press

Black flies, sandflies, te namu



Known in New Zealand as ‘sandflies’ or ‘te namu’ and elsewhere in the world mainly as ‘black ...


Black flies, sandflies, te namu



Known in New Zealand as ‘sandflies’ or ‘te namu’ and elsewhere in the world mainly as ‘black flies’, Simuliidae are iconic New Zealand insects. Virtually every New Zealander has been bitten by female simuliids, as have many overseas tourists. Worldwide, simuliids are notorious for their disease transmission, in particular river blindness in Africa and South America. New Zealand simuliids are not known to transmit any diseases to humans, but many people react badly to bites of species to which they have no previous exposure.



Simuliids of New Zealand belong to the genus Austrosimulium known only from New Zealand, Tasmania, and mainland Australia. Simuliid larvae require running water and in New Zealand are more or less ubiquitous, occurring in almost all running water habitats. There are 19 species of Austrosimulium in New Zealand, but only three species found here are serious biters of humans and it is only the females that bite; they bite to get the nutrients to produce eggs. In this Fauna keys are provided for larvae, pupae, adults, and ecological habitats. All known stages are described and illustrated for each species, together with information on their bionomics and biogeography. There are 72 full page colour plates and a total of 540 figures. Molecular analysis indicated that New Zealand Austrosimulium arrived by dispersal about 5 million years ago.



Elsewhere in the world simuliids in the genus Austrosimulium may be considered to feed on birds or mammals, depending on the presence or absence of a tooth on the tarsal claw. New Zealand simuliids are opportunistic and females will generally take blood meals from whatever is available, though there is one species that attacks Fiordland crested penguins while studiously avoiding humans.



What did New Zealand simuliids feed on before humans arrived? Of little doubt it would be on the vast number of birds, now greatly depleted, and probably also the large numbers of seals present then. Indeed, searching along beaches for a blood meal from either birds or seals still appears inherent behaviour of New Zealand adult female simuliids — and probably the reason for their name ‘sandflies’.


Bind: paperback


Pages: 336


Publication Date: 04-03-2014


$95.00
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