Flax weevil, Tararua Forest Park

Discuss natural history subjects not strictly related to birds. Reports of interesting mammal, reptile, and invertebrate sightings are welcome.
Colin Miskelly
Posts: 937
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:31 pm

Flax weevil, Tararua Forest Park

Postby Colin Miskelly » Sun Mar 23, 2025 10:13 pm

Kia ora,

I was surprised to find abundant flax weevil feeding sign spread along more than 8 km of Neill Ridge, Tararua Forest Park, and so ventured out at night (from Winchcombe Biv) to find this one.

Mike Meads (Forgotten Fauna, published 1990) stated that flax weevils had recently been found in the Tararuas, implying the late 1980s. I have not heard of any being seen since, and there are no other records in iNaturalist.

Colin
20250322_201921.jpg
Flax weevil, Tararua Forest Park
20250322_201921.jpg (443.59 KiB) Viewed 445 times
Colin Miskelly
Posts: 937
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:31 pm

Re: Flax weevil, Tararua Forest Park

Postby Colin Miskelly » Mon Mar 24, 2025 4:03 pm

The most recent Tararua specimen in the NZ Arthropod Collection was collected in 1984.

Colin

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