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Poor Knights -Islands 53 SOMERFmLU; INSECTS FROM TIn: POOR KNIGHTS -ISLANDS 53 INS E C T 5 FRO M THE P 0 0 R K N I G H T 5 I 5 LAN D 5, NEW ZEALAND K. G, SOMERFIELD Department of Zoology, University of:Auckland* SUMMARY; Insects are listed from the- Poor Knights IslandS of New Zealand. Few records have- been previously published, and these are bnefly reviewed. The list contains 27 species; 23 are new records. Dispersal mechanisms are discussed in relation to published information on insect and other invertebrate distribution on offshore islands of the east coast of the North Island. INTRODUCTION direction from Whangarei (Fig. 1). There are two main islands-Tawhiti Rahi (Northern Knight) The Poor Knights Islands of north.eastern New and Aorangi (Southern Knight), as shown in Zealand were visited from 29 October to 3 Novem. Figure 2-and several smaller islands also occur in ber 1965. Present on the expedition were: Associ- the area. Tawhiti Rahi is about 2,4 kill long and ate-Professor J. Robb (University of Auckland), 1.2 km in maximum width; Aorangi is about 1.6 Mr D, Merton (Wildlife Service, Department of km long and 1.3 km in width. The topography and Internal Affairs) and the author. Studies were other geological features of the islands are de~ made of the insect fauna, and of the birds, lizards ' scribed by Sumkh (1956). Fraser (1925) states and tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus Gray) . that the area of Tawhiti Rahi is 318 acres (129 The islands are srtuated approximately 21 km from the mainland, in a north-easterly FIGURE 2, The principal islands of the Poor Knights group, to an enlarged scale. FIGURE1. Map of northern North Island showing * Present Address: Plant Health Diagnostic Station, locality of the Poor ,Knights and other areas Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Private Bag, referred to in the text. Christchurch. 54 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY, VOL. 20, ]973 ha), and the area of Aorangi is 163 acres and Watt (1962) states that CtenogTlathus novae- (66 ha), Whitaker (1968) gives a short recent ~elandiae, Chr)lsopeplus expolitus and Xylotoles account of the geography and vegetation of the grise us occur on the Poor Knights. islands. The specimens have been deposited in the col- lections of Entomology Division, D.S.I.R., Nelson. PRE VIO US RECORDS Specialists who made or confirmed identifica- Few published records exist of insects from the tions are named; other identifications are by the Poor Knights, Miller (1956) lists only one publica- \\Titer. tion, that of Spiller (1942), for the period from ORDER BLATTODEA t 775-J 952. In this, Spiller describes a weevil FAMILY BLATTIDAE (Phaeophanus turbotti) collected by Mr E. G. Platyzosteria novaeseelandiae (Brunn V. Watt.) Turbott on Aorangi during a visit to the Poor (Det: p, M, Johns), Occurs among grasses and Knights in November 1940, Richards (1962) de- beneath rotten logs: three specimens. scribes a new species of raphidophorid, Gymno- plectron giganteum, from the Islands. Salmon ORDER ORTHOPTERA ( 1950) gives the first published description of the FAMILY RHAPHIDOPHORlDAE giant tree \veta (Deinacrida fallai) on the Poor One unidentified species (examined by A. M. Knights; Richards (1962) and Watt (1963) also Richards) fairly prevalent, especially towards the mention this species. 'V'att (1962), in recording northern end of Tawhiti Rahi. Coleoptera from Hen Island, Northland, mentions FAMILY STENOPELMATIDAE six species also occurring on the Poor Knights. Deinacrida {allai Salmon. Common on branches of low trces at night; less COLLECTING LOCALITIES frequently on vegetation in swamp. No specimens Collecting was mainly done by hand during the were collected. daytime and at night during birdbanding and ORDER HEMIPTERA other operations. Habitats which were examined FAMILY DELPHACIDAE included areas of grass and regenerating scrub and Ugyops rhadamanthus Fennah, (Det: A, C, Eyles), forest, areas of flax (Phormium tenax) J the bark On low ,"egetation; two spedmens. of \voody shrubs and trees, branches of larger trees (particularly pohutukawa--Metrosideros excelsa), FAMILY PENTATOMlDAE rotten logs and stumps, the underside of stones Rhopalimorpha lineolaris Pendergrast. (Det: A. C. and the surface of bare earth in the vicinity of Eyles), communal nesting areas of sea-birds (mainly On low vegetation; one specimen. Buller's shearwater~Puffinus bulleri). ORDER COLEOPTERA FAMILY CARABIDAE SPECIES LIST Mecodema sp, (Det: p, M, Johns), Beneath rotten logs, particularly in the vicinity of Six orders of insects and 19 families, represented Buller's shearwater burrows; two specimens. by 25 genera and 27 species, are recorded in the list below. The distribution of the species \vithin Ctenognathus novaezelandiae (Fainnaire). (Det: orders is as follows: Blattodea (1 species), Orthop~ J, C, Watt), tera (2 species), Hemiptera (2 species), Coleop~ JvIainIv, taken from tree branches at night..- Thir- tera (17 species), Diptera (3 species) and Hynlen- teen specimens. optera (2 species). Emphasis in colJecting was FAMILY MELYRIDAE (Det: J. C. Watt) given to the Coleoptera: further species of all in- Dasytes sp. sect groups undoubtedly await collection and re- On low vegetation and inside tent; five specimens. cording. Deinacrida fallai has been previously re- H alyles sp, corded (Salmon 1950, Rirhards 1962, Watt 1963), One specimen, SOMERFIELD: INSECTS FROM THE POOR KNIGHTS ISLANDS 55 FAMILY SILVANIDAE On vegetation; also common on walls of tents; Cryptamorpha brevicornis (White) (Det: J. C, 13 specimens. Watt), FAMILY CURCULIONIDAE One specimen. Aneuma rubricalis (Broun). (Del: G. Kuschel). FAMILY COCCINELLIDAE One specimen. Coccinella leonina (Fabricius). ORDER DlPTERA On low vegetation and in tent; two specimens. FAMILY CULICIDAE FAMILY TENEBRIONIDAE (Det: J. C, Watt) apifex fuscus (Hutton), Mimopeus elongatus (Breme). The identity of this species was confirmed by the In and under logs, and on bare ground at night, Commonwealth Institute of Entomology. Larvae often near the entrance of shearwater burrows. very common in high tidal saltwater pools; adults Also on islets between Tawhiti R'ahi and Aorangi; common in vicinity. 15 specimens. FAMILY ASILIDAE Mimopeus sp. novo near opaculus. Neoitamus varius (Walker), (Det: H. Oldroyd), A large undescribed species. In rotten logs and On larger vegetation of ground cover; also in tent. stumps; 13 specimens. Two specimens. Chrysopeplus expolitus (Broun). Mainly collected on branches of trees at night; FAMILY LAUXANIIDAE also found in tent, and on islets between Tawhiti Sapromyza neozelandica (Tonnoir and Malloch). Rahi and Aorangi; 16 specimens. (Det: B. H. Cogan), On vegetation, and waIls of Omedes nitidus (Broun). tent; three specimens. One specimen. ORDER HYMENOPTERA Artystona sp. FAMILY ICHNEUMONIDAE Probably a geographical fonn of A. erichsoni Diadegma sp. (Det: E. W. Valentine). (J. C. Watt, pers. comm.). Taken from branches E. W, Valentine (pers, ~omm,) states that the of trees at night; nine specimens. genus Diadegma is parasitic on a variety of leaf FAMILY OEDEMERIDAE mining or similarly internally feeding caterpillars. Thelyphassa sp, (Del: J. C. Watt), One specimen. One specimen. A second species of an undetennined genus of Ichneumonid was collected. FA11ILYCERAMBYCIDAE (Det: J. C, Watt) Hybolasius sp. FAMILY VESPIDAE One specimen. Polistes tasmaniensis (Saussure). Xylotoles sp. near parvulus. Fairly common in sunny situations. A nest 2.5 cm Three specimens. in diameter, attached to a flax leaf, was found by Xylotoles grise liS (Fabricius). D. Merton. Three specimens. The Poor Knights specimens are probably a geo- graphical fonn of X. grise us. The patches of DISCUSSION yellow pubescence on the elytra are bigger than in any mainland population (J. C. Watt, pers. The species listed represent only a small frac- comm.). Three specimens. tion of the total fauna of the Poor Knights. Be. FAMILY CHRYSOMELIDAE cause of this, detailed consideration of the relative Eucolaspis sp. novo near brunneus (Det: J. C. abundance and other statistics of species in the Watt). '.'arious habitats would be premature. Most of the The microsculpture of Poor Knights specimens is insects are from families which frequently occur much strOnger than in any other known popula- in the type of habitats sampled, with some mobile tion of E. brunneus (J. C. Watt, pen;, comm,). fonns occurring in several habitats. 56 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY, VOL. 20, 1973 A number of wecies are unique to the islands. myza neozelandica, and Polistes tasmaniensis) also The giant weta (Deinacrida fallai) is endemic to occur over relatively large areas of the mainland. the Poor Knights (Richards 1962, Watt 1963), A Dispersal of aerial species to the islands by pre. giant Rhaphidophorid, Gymnoplectron giganteum, vailing \\'estcrly winds probably accounts for their is recorded only from there (Richards 1962). occurrence. In discussing the origins of the White Richards states that G. giganteum is the largest Island fauna, Wise (1970) states that the west- representative of the j\lacropathinae she has ex- wind drift over New Ze'aland was probably im- amined, and considers that ". this increase in portant in the derivation of the fauna of that size is possibly due to isolation, and the absence island from the mainland. In recent times some of predatqrs and competitors". She also states that species may also have been transported to the the larg~st specimens of Gymnoplectron edwardsii, Poor Knights by man. a common cave \veta in the Nelson and Welling- The presence of flightless species (e.g. the ton districts, occur on the adjacent- Trio Island carabs Ctenognathus novaezelandiae and Mew. and Stephens Island. The giant weevil (Phaeo- derna sp.) is of interest, particularly as the islands ph anus turbotti) is known only from the Poor are, as Sumich (1956) says, ". steep to precipi- Knights Islands (SpiIJer 1942), A large undescrib- tous with cliffs from 50 It [I5m] to 400 ft ed species of Mimopeus exists there, and is prob. [122m] high", These cliffs, being adjacent to ably endemic (J, C. Wattpers, comm,). The tend- the sea, provide a barrier to the establishment of ency for individuals of island populations to aver- terrestrial species arriving via the ocean.
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