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Bug signs: Increasing awareness of the diversity of and other invertebrates

Nicholas Martin 15 Rutland Road, Mt. Wellington, Auckland 1051 Email: [email protected])

Abstract

One of the activities of the Auckland Branch of the Entomological Society of New Zealand is to encourage an interest in insects and other terrestrial invertebrates. Our current project is to produce better signs about these organisms that will go in reserves and parks. Four signs have been produced and another set of four are planned. The next challenge is to get them out into the reserves.

Introduction

As entomologists we all know that there are more insects in New Zealand than any other group of organisms and that is before we have included all the other terrestrial invertebrates (Ahong & Gordon 2010). We also know that they are a dominant component of the biodiversity in terrestrial native ecosystems. However, my impression is that most people in New Zealand generally consider native terrestrial biodiversity to mean birds and plants and perhaps butterflies and dragonflies. The relatively low value placed on invertebrates came home to me this year when I participated in an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing about a request to import an that is a generalist predator that could have caused the extinction of native species, or at least serious reductions in the populations of some species. In answer to a question an EPA staff member said that the loss of a native invertebrate did not rank as highly as the loss of a species of bird, because the public did not care so much about invertebrates. The application to import the predatory mirid was declined, but I was left with 4 Nicholas Martin the thought that we must do more to educate people about insects and other invertebrates.

The Auckland Branch of the Entomological Society has already been making efforts in this direction. We developed a web page about encouraging insects in the garden (ento.org.nz/tools-and-resources- 2/garden-insects/), and have embarked upon a new venture, outdoor signs about insects and other invertebrates. You may have read about them in a society email in the New Year. However, I am aware that some members of our Society missed it, so I will explain more about the philosophy behind the signs, how we design and produce them and what needs to be done to get them out into parks and reserves.

Philosophy behind the Bug Signs

Some reserves have signs about insects, but they rarely show people what they can actually see, and they tend to illustrate museum specimens (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. sign in Tahuna Torea Reserve, Glendowie, Auckland.

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This sign about puriri moth is typical. It shows a moth with its wings spread out in an unnatural position and although it mentions the holes made by the caterpillar in the nearby tree, the distinctive looking holes are not illustrated. The upshot is that people reading the sign would not be able to recognize this night flying moth if they saw one and they probably would not be able to recognize the presence of puriri moth on other trees even if the distinctive holes were present.

Our approach is to illustrate the plant damage symptoms that people can see and to show what the live insect or invertebrate looks like (Fig. 2).

Figure 2. Puriri moth, large sign (100 x 200 mm) designed by Auckland Branch of Entomological Society of New Zealand and Metal Images Ltd.

We also provide details of the link to a web site with a factsheet, nzacfactsheets.landcareresearch.co.nz/index.html, about the invertebrate and for those with a smart phone or a tablet computer a QR code that goes directly to the factsheet. This way we hope that people will learn how to look for the signs of invertebrate activity and in the case of scale insects, 6 Nicholas Martin the organism itself. At present we are limiting ourselves to subjects for which there is an internet factsheet.

Design of the signs We are developing the Bug Signs with an Auckland company, Metal Image, recommended by Auckland Council Staff. They have a standard format for plant and bird signs that we are using (Fig. 2). For each subject there is a large and small format, which means that more detail can be included in the large sign.

For the first batch of signs, four subjects were selected after discussion with a member of Auckland Council staff who liaises with community groups. For each subject photographs or drawings were selected to illustrate the plant damage that people would see and the main life stages of the insect or mite. Words for the sign were also drafted. The company’s artist drew the images and after consultation with myself and our Branch committee, made changes if required. Auckland Branch funded the artist’s time, Metal Images covered other development costs.

The first four subjects were:

Coprosma white erineum mite, Phyllocoptes coprosmae (Acari: Eriophyidae),

Pohutukawa leafminer, Neomycta rubida (Coleoptera: Curculionidae),

Cabbage tree moth, Epiphryne verriculata (: Geometridae),

Puriri moth, virescens (Lepidoptera: ).

The signs are printed on a metal plate. They can be bought mounted on a stand ready to put in the ground or just the sign, www.metalimage.co.nz/bushbirdandbug.html.

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What needs to happen next

In order to promote the signs, the Auckland Branch purchased a set of four and at a meeting of Auckland and Northland Forest & Bird Branches, donated them to South Auckland Branch.

This year the Auckland Branch will fund the design of four more signs. The subjects will probably be: Lacebark gall mite, Eriophyes hoheriae (Acari: Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae), Mahoe leafminer, Liriomyza flavolateralis (Diptera: Agromyzidae), Pittosporum psyllid, Trioza vitreoradiata (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae), Poroporo fruit borer, Sceliodes cordalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

The next challenge is get more signs out into parks and reserves. Our funds are not large, so we are applying to charities to help purchase signs to be donated to suitable groups who manage reserves. We will also assist these groups with the placement of the signs. We hope this will inspire these groups to purchase more signs when they become available.

In your area, you could encourage groups to which you belong to acquire these signs. They can be purchased from Metal Images, www.metalimage.co.nz/bushbirdandbug.html. We would also like to have suggestions for subjects for signs. If there is no Internet Factsheet someone will need to write one. Contact me for more details about the Factsheet series, Interesting Insects and other Invertebrates.

Reference Ahyong S, Gordon DP. 2010. Phylum Arthropoda: Introduction jointed . Pp. 40-44. In: Gordon DP. (Ed.) New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. Volume two: Kingdom Animalia, Chaetogmatha, Ecdysozoa, Ichnofosils. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch, New Zealand.