Favoritos de christopherstephens

Went to Dansey's Pass to look for this moth and was delighted to find one resting on a snow tussock at night near some areas of Sphagnum moss. Discovered by Brian Patrick near Dansey's Pass in 1979. @butterfly4

Caught in c.1 m of tannin-stained water using a minnow trap baited with cheddar cheese. Trap caught 10 individuals in c.30 minutes. Staff working for the Taiko Trust have reported these fish as 'common' in this lake.

Today was a great lesson on how to stay composed as a tour guide in front of 37 paying passengers, but it wasn't hard for them to share my excitement either... 13th record for NZ by my count, including the Chatham bird in a burrow a few years back that wasn't submitted. Interesting too is the single white feather on the upperwing.

Meterana grandiosa (female?) photographed on white paper and host plant Olearia odorata and then released in an odorata shrub. Drawn to light, two individuals coming in at about 7:45 pm. Dark, relatively mild night. About 10 degrees.

Two ticks seen on a mature female near the entrance to the tuatara enclosure at Zealandia. Note that Zealandia staff are aware of these and are not concerned - even excited - that some ticks had "survived the translocation".

First time I've had this species come to light. Mind you, I had my lights set up on a rock bluff, so likely put my lights right on top of its habitat - waking this diurnal species from its slumber perhaps...

My next batch of moths comes from a couple of days/nights in the Piano Flat, Waikaia Bush, and Titan Rocks area. Some stunning moths. I still have a lot of photo-sorting to do, but to start with here are three gorgeous Meterana pauca from the first night. I think I have a new favourite! Absolutely mesmerizing (at least for a moth nerd!).

[Great night of spring mothing on the Maniototo. About 45-50 species seen in total. A lot of species that I had not seen since last spring turned up e.g. Meterana exquisita (7!), Orophora unicolor, and Ichneutica paracausta. First Physeticas and porinas for this spring. Also another location recorded for Theoxena scissaria]

Meterana grandiosa photographed on white paper and host plant Olearia odorata and then released in an odorata shrub. Drawn to light, two individuals coming in at about 7:45 pm. Dark, relatively mild night. About 10 degrees.

Mahogany skink (O. aff. inconspicuum "mahogany"). A species that is part of the unresolved northern group of the Oligosoma inconspicuum (cryptic skink) complex. Long toes and tail. The later of which is fully keeled. Adapted to climbing around on vertical (or near vertical) rock walls.

Day-flying on wetlands. Very small. Two individuals pictured. Burgan skink monitoring in a remote part of the Lammermoor Range provided good opportunities for a little mothing. First of 3 uploads. Moths starting with 'A' (lots of moths seem to start with 'A').

Drawn to 10W UV LED light at Moturau Hut on the Kepler Track. Beautiful large moth - several bombed me, this was the only one of them captured. Blue tinge and distinctive hindwings. Not alpine and not particularly bouldery.

Thanks to @christopherstephens and @emmarowell_214 for initially finding these wee gems and being kind enough to share. After a good scratch around about 100 specimens were found growing mostly in isolation with just a few in clumps as recorded by Christopher. The association is not clear as there was Rimu, Kohekohe, Tawa, and nearish mature Nikau, but only seedlings amongst the orchids, as well as a lot of Icarus filiformis on the ground and Metrosideros perforata... Plants were fruiting, flowering and budding, suggesting a very much staged maturity in this location... very cool!!! =)

In the process of being formally described. A distinct and separate species from the black eyed gecko. This sub adult is the 22nd of the species recorded. Found at 1500m in a rough boulder field. Assisting Mr Knox on a herpetological survey.