Huhu Beetle/Grub

The Huhu Beetle/Grub

The huhu beetle is the largest endemic beetle in NZ, these guys are big and nasty and like crashing into your windows at night while trying to get to the light.

These beetles are very common around NZ and they are generally the size of an adults pinky finger. These guys also don't like being handled and will often bite if you treat them too rough.

The grubs are also very large and usually feed on rotting or fallen conifers.

Once a year at the Hokitika wild foods festival, people pay to eat the grubs, they are described as having a peanut butter flavour or some kind of butter chicken flavour - EWW

Stick Insect

Stick Insect

The Stick insect is another really cool insect, i have a tree at my home where at this time of year you can always find a couple of them lazing about.

These guys are nearly always brown but on occasion i find a green one. These guys get up to 10-15cm and are pretty awesome to watch.

These stick insects move in a really awkward way, it is suspected they move like this to appear as if they are a stick swaying in the breeze, this is used to avoid predators. That is also why they are brown and look like a stick, it is so they can blend into their environment and avoid predation.

If camouflage fails, don't worry that's not their only defence, if a predator gets too close, they spray a white or yellow milky substance at them, the smell of this goop is usually enough to get rid of them, Didn't work on me though, the one in the video tried to spray me when i was filming hehe.

These guys are vegetarians and wouldn't hurt a fly - literally! There are 21 different species in NZ that have been identified. The one i have recorded in the video is one of the more common species within NZ but still really cool.

Cave Weta

Cave Weta

Cave Weta have always fascinated me, my cousins own a farm in Ahaura on the West Coast of NZ and the farm is on top of what used to be a gold miners town. After some exploring my cousins found some old tunnels that the miners used and in these tunnels are some of the coolest insects: the cave weta!

Try to picture ducking through a small cave that you have to crouch to walk through, and as you walk through, literally hundreds of weta are jumping in front of you from one wall to another and quite often they land on your face, arms, body, basically everywhere! HOW COOL!

There are over 60 types of cave weta in NZ and just at a quick glance i could tell that there was at least 3 species in these tunnels.

Cave weta have extremely long back legs and even longer antennae. if you hold out your hand, palm facing up, some of these weta's legs will extend your entire hand, now that's awesome!

Cave weta are completely harmless, the only reason they jump everywhere is simply because they are sensitive to vibrations in the air. These weta are only usually active within their cave and a few that are closer to the entrance of the cave will go and forage outside at night.

The cave at my cousins farm has a constant stream of water running through it, this make it a perfect habitat for the cave weta as vegetation drops into the stream and gets carried through the cave and the weta can eat it.

Unfortunately there are 16 species of cave weta at risk in NZ, caused by introduced predators and of course us humans! These weta can be frightening but they are harmless, so if you ever see them i urge you to remember that and to let them go and to try not to harm them.

Welcome to "Ento"tain Me

Welcome to my blog!

NZ Huhu Beetle (Prionoplus reticularis)

New Zealand is often known overseas for its beautiful scenery and its quiet isolation in the world, you often hear people talking about the kiwi and tuatara and other precious animals the NZ has to offer, but you never hear about the smaller creatures within NZ's beautiful scenery, yes i am talking about creepy crawlies: Insects!

Insects are the biggest group of animals but are often forgotten about by the general public, or people see them as being "yuck". Maybe if you people are reading this blog you will start to see why i think they are soo cool! and for all you other "Buggers" out there, just enjoy the ride!

Over 90% of the insects in NZ are ONLY in NZ, this means that you cannot find them anywhere else in the world, this is why i think it's so important that people overseas can read this blog and see how awesome are insects really are.

Entomology is the study of insects, hence the carefully chosen word play in the title of this blog. If there is anything you don't understand or if you want more information, please comment and let me know, never be afraid to ask questions!