Animals

06
Jan
2021
Raemaru Biodiversity Expedition

Raemaru Biodiversity Expedition

Gerald McCormack, CINHT  06 Jan. 2021

Joseph on cliff to the top.

The invertebrate biodiversity expedition on Raemaru encountered three unique Rarotonga insects, one undescribed, and of the seven locally-unrecorded species, only one was able to be identified.

In December, Maja Poeschko and Kirby Morejohn joined the author and Joseph Brider of the Trust on an expedition to the top of Raemaru. The plan was to survey insects and spiders with a primary goal of finding and photographing the small psyllid insect that was found locally for the first time on a single shrub in 2017.

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Posted by Gerald in Animals, Terrestrial, 0 comments
06
Jan
2021
Walking on water – taking it in their stride

Walking on water – taking it in their stride

Joseph Brider, Natural Heritage Trust
First published CI News (19 Sept 2020)

Previously recorded Riffle-bug (Microvelia oceanica) for the Cook Islands

The Cook Islands Biodiversity and Ethnobiology Database lists nearly 650 species of insect and it is estimated we have around 1,300 species. We have found about 300 of the unrecorded insects, and are working to find and record the rest. Although most our insects are already known somewhere in the world, at present we have only a dozen that are unique to the Cook Islands, known as endemics.

Over the last few weeks, Natural Heritage Trust has been looking at our freshwater insect life, specifically the bugs that live on top of the water surface.

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Posted by Joseph in Animals, Ecology, Freshwater, 0 comments