Northern Striped gecko
Handled with permits
Northern (Coromandel) Striped gecko.
Official research undertaken in partnership with the Auckland Zoo.
Spotlight search. Gecko processed for svl, tl, w etc and catalogued.
Absolutely tiny lichen-like growing on fallen branch. No more than 1mm tall and growing in a small area about 25mm in diameter, within NZ native forest of all types of foliage and moss.
maybe?
Many on Veronica obtusata leaves.
This same wasp is still here guarding this Orthodera novaezealandiae ootheca. I'm assuming that she's laid her eggs and is not protecting the ootheca from any other parasitoids. She's remained here day and night.
Red horn Caterpillar
Its body was about the width of a pencil
Nest on the ground at the base of a tree in long grass
COMPARISON OBS PLZ LEAVE AT GENUS LEVEL.
Comparison between:
Vespula vulgaris QUEEN.
V. vulgaris WORKER.
V. germanica WORKER.
For comparison with:
V. germanica QUEEN see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/35298484
For the two different QUEENS side by side see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42534542
Complete set of castes germanica vs vulgaris see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42536795
Complete set of germanica castes see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42536794
Complete set of vulgaris castes see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/41663384
For ID of Vespula MALES see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42040174
Also (with dissection):
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/116510663
For ID of Vespula WORKERS see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/41667758
And:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/69245344
For germanica QUEEN and MALE mating see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42534531
I've found this once before in this location - but have never found an ID. Video of it moving here: https://youtu.be/fDfI8xc-w3U
Caught in a Malaise trap
Oligosoma aff. longipes “southern” - Roamatimati or southern long-toed skink
On coastal cuttygrass, streamside
Three tailed gecko!
Found lizard on road and relocated to garden. Was losing its tail.
Partly albino. Have seen it a few times briefly this past week. It was with 2 normally coloured birds that both responded to my 'calling' but not the white bird. I believe that may be a young bird.
ID is not 100%, as I didn't excavate to find the cicada pupa. Morphology also seems a little off to be C. Sinclairii, so interested to hear other peoples suggestions.
Whacking a lizard all around. I hope it's a Rainbow Skink.
the kingfishers were cleaning the skinks out today with three sightings of adults with lizards for nearby chicks, Old Woolshed, SOS