The First New Zealand Insects Collected on Cook's

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The First New Zealand Insects Collected on Cook's Pacific Science (1989), vol.43, 43, nono.. 1 © 1989 by UniversityUniversity of Hawaii Press.Pres s. All rights reserved TheThe First New Zealand Zealand InsectsInsects CollectedCollectedon Cook'sCook's Endeavour Voyage!Voyage! 2 J. R. H. AANDREWSNDREWS2 AND G.G . W. GIBBSGmBS ABSTRACT:ABSTRACT: The Banks collection of 40 insect species, species, described by J. J. C.C. Fabricius in 1775,1775, is critically examined to explore the possible methods of collection and to document changesto the inseinsectct fauna andto the original collection localities sincsincee 1769.The1769. The aassemblagessemblageof species is is regarded as unusual. unusual. It includes insects that are large large and colorful as well as those that are small and cryptic;cryptic; some species that were probably common were overlooked, but others that are today rare were taken.taken. It is concluded that the Cook naturalists caught about 15species with a butterfly net, but that the majority (all CoColeoptera)leoptera) were discoveredin conjunction with other biobiologicallogical specimens, especially plantsplants.. PossibPossiblele reasons for the omission ofwetwetasas,, stick insects, insects, etc.,etc., are discussed. discussed. This early collection shows that marked changesin abundance may have occurred in some speciespeciess since European colonizationcolonization.. One newrecord is is revealed:revealed: The cicada NotopsaltaNotopsaltasericea sericea (Walker) was found to be among the Fabricius speci­speci­ mens from New Zealand,Zealand, but itsits description evidentlyevidently hhadad been overlookedoverlooked.. THE FIRST CCOLLECTIONSOLLECTIONSofof animals from New were generalistgeneralistss wwhosehose task wwasasto collect all ZealandZealand byby naturalistsnaturalists on Cook'sCook's EndeavourEndeavour sortssorts of naturalnatural history specimens.specimens. JosephJoseph voyagevoyagehad, had , inmost casescases,, to survive a vvariedaried BanksBankshimself himselfwas was primarilyprimarily intereinterestedsted inthe hihistorystory before becoming becoming part ofthe permanent terrestriterrestrialal flora,flora, and none of them could be scientificscientificrecord or of an institutional institutional collec­collec­ described asas entomologists.entomologists. However,However, they tion.tion . That the insects, insects, as a group,group, did some­ some­ were equipped for catching and preserving what better than most is a fact owed in part to insect specimens,specimens,and certainlycertainly retained some some their relatively relatively easy preservation preserva tion and in part of the specimens they encountered.encountered. No com­ to the industry industry ofthe DanishDanish taxonomist J.J.C. ments about the insects were recorded in their Fabricius,Fabricius , who described them. them . It might also diaries,diaries, nor were there indicationsindications of collec­ be said that the insectsinsectssurvived because they tion localitieslocalities attached to the specimenspecimens.s. So,So, werelargely inedinedibleible and tthathat to some degree apart from the descriptionsdescriptions of FabriciusFabricius andand they had value value as "collectibles," even in the thethespecimens themselves, themselves, weare leftwith very eighteenth century.century. More detailed historicalhistorical littlelittle documentary evidence ofmuch note. note . Yet background is given in Andrews (1986).(1986). tthehe earliest assemblage of insects from New The nature of the voyage undertakenundertakenby ZealandZealand is,is, in fact, fact, fullfull of interest.interest. It includes Cook, Banks,Banks, Solander,Solander, and the others others was some unusual and unexpected species,species, it holds such that in nonoway couldit be regarded as a key to tthehe actactivitiesivities of the the first naturalists,naturalists, supportsupportinging a systematic attempt ata repre- repre- and ithints hints at some important changes that _~ . ~_____septative~~n t a t i ve collectioncollection of theNew Zealand Zealand insect probably havehave occurred since 11769.769. fauna.fauna . The naturalists on board EndeavourEndeavour -In- In order to consider these issues, i we have examined the list of insects collected and now pose the following questions:questions: 1. Who collectedthe insects, insects, andwhat tech­ 1I ThisThiswork workwas wassupported supportedin part part bbyy ththee IntInternalernal Re­Re­ niques were used for their preservation? preservation? searchsearch CommitteeCommittee of VictoriaVictoriaUniversity. University. ManuscriptManuscript acceacceptedptedI May May 1988.1988. 2.2. How were theycollected: collected: deliberatelydeliberately or 2 VictoriaVictoria UniversityUniversity of Wellington,Wellington, ZoologyZoology inadvertently?inadvertently? Department,Department, PrivatePrivate Bag,Bag, Wellington,Wellington, NewNew ZealZealand.and . 3.3. What,What, if anything,anything, does the collection tell 102102 New Zealand Insects Collected on Cook'sCook's Voyage-ANDREwsVoyage-ANDREWS AND GIBBS 103 USus about changes to the insect fauna that have taken place in the past 200years? 4.4. What changes have taken place at the col­ col­ lection localities?localities? 55.. Can specific specificlocalitieslocalities be assigned to any of the specimens(type localities)? There are areas of overlap among these questions, and it was clear fromthe outset that some of theanswers would contain at least a degree of speculation.speculation. Nevertheless, it was hoped that the present studywould provide some insight into the workings of the early naturalists, as well as usefuusefull entomological information.information. Previouswork relating specifically to insect material from Cook voyagesincludes Dug­ Dug­ dale andFleming Fleming (1969) onthe cicadas and Kuschel (1969(1969,, 1987) onthe CurculionidaeCurculionidae.. Andrews (1986)provides some historical background to the original collections and their subsequent descriptiondescription.. Unpublished material from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) (DSIR) EntomologyEntomology Division also was found useful in the present work (Kuschel, (Kuschel , personal communication).communication). It has been noted previously (Dugdale and FIGUREFIGURE 1.I. LandingsLandings mademade from thethe Endeavour,Endeavour, 1769­ Fleming 1969) that thejournals ofboth Banks 11770.770. A,A, PovertyPoverty Bay,Bay, 9-10.10.1769;9- 10.10.1769; B,B, Anaura Bay,Bay, and Cook contain very little detailed informa­ 2020.10.1769;.10.1769; CC,, TTolagaolaga Bay,Bay, 23-29.10.1769;23-29.10.1769; D,D , MercuryMercury Bay,Bay, 4-15.11.1769;4-15.11.1769; E,E, WaihouWaihou(Thames) (Thames)River, River,20.11. 20.11. tion on their collecting. Nor does it appear 1769;1769; F,F, BayBay of Islands, Island s, 2929.11.1769-5.12.1769;.11.1769-5.12.1769; GG,, Ship that the Solander manuscripts make any ref­ CoveCove,, Queen Charlotte SSound,ound, 16.1.1770-6.2.1770;16.1.1770-6.2.1770; erence to New Zealand insectsinsects.. The impres­ H,H , D'UrvilleD'Urville Island,Island, 27-30.3.70.27-30.3.70. sion received is that Banks thought the New Zealand insectfauna rather sparse ("a few logistic reasons and partly becausebecause of the un­ butterflies and beetles"), beetles"), with some of it re- re- likelihoodlikelihood of their having taken anything of miniscentof the Northern Hemisphere speciesspecies.. significance from this locality (see below)below).. Our So, for our interpretations of the Endeavour collections of insects were madeat each 10­ voyage insect collection, collection , we rely upon the in- cality by using nets, beating trays, and search­ search­ sects themselves, together with other informinforma-a- ing driftwood and forest logs. logs. The edited jour­jour­ tion more specific to the voyage and the per- nals of Cook and Banks were examined, as sonsonalitiesalities on board. was the Solander manuscript MS.Z4MS.Z4 [(Afair In an attempt toseek some answers to the copy of the descriptions of animals observed ___ questionsquestions_raised_above,raised abo_ve,_we_weundertook_undertook sepas.epa--__ duringrpt.during Cpt. ._Cook'sCook's first _voyage; 512512 folio rate visits to eachof the localities where pages) Zoology Library, British Museum Cook's naturalists were presumed to have col- (Natural History»).History)].We were also assisted by lected. Each visit was timed to coincideas photographs of specimens in the British Mu­ closely as possible (at least within a few dadays)ys) seum (Natural History),History), and one ofthe authors with the dates of the original expedition (see (GWG) had the opportunity to examine some Figure 1 and caption for dates and locations ofthe New Zealand insects from the Fabricius oflandings). DD'Urville'Urville IslandIsland,, their last port of collectionheld held at the Zoologisk MuseumMuseum,, call in New ZealandZealand,, was excluded, partly for Copenhagen.Copenhagen. 104 PACIFICPACIFIC SSCIENCE,CIENCE, Volume 43, 43, JanuaryJanuary 19198989 THE COLLECTORSCOLLECTORS states thatthat theythey took with them ""allall sorts of machinesmachines for catching andpreserving preserving insects."insects." Potentially,Potentially, the entire entireship's ship'screw could ThiThiss iiss probablyprobably lessless than it appearsappears for .the.the havehave collected insects.insects. TherTheree was plenty plenty of reasonreason thatthat the termterm "insects""insects"was wasat atthat thathme time eevidencevidence to suggesuggeststthat that tthehe ssailorsailorscollected collected ststretchedretchedto include marine invertebrates.invertebrates.
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