Hunt for the Tekapo tiger (… beetle)

ABSTRACT

The tiger beetle Zecicindela tekapoensis was described in 2018 from three specimens collected on the river flats of the lower Tekapo River, Canterbury, New Zealand. An extensive 2019 survey of various habitat types around the lower Pukaki and Tekapo Rivers resulted in the collection of additional specimens. Zecicindela tekapoensis was absent from degraded tussock lands and areas dominated by exotic pasture grasses, preferring open uncultivated shrubby herb field dominated by Rosa rubiginosa, Pilosella officinarum/praealtum, Styphelia nesophila, Muehlenbeckia axillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum and Carex breviculmis. Relative abundance was estimated at 0.042 beetles per pitfall trap night over the Tekapo river flats.

KEYWORDS:

• Zecicindela tekapoensis
• Neocicindela
• Carabidae
• Cicindelinae
• Mackenzie Basin | Te Manahuna
• habitat
• threat classification

Acknowledgements

Nicole and Duncan Lang Pukaki Flats Farming provided support for the initial work at Simons Pass. Darren Ward and John Marris kindly provided access and identification of specimens in the NZAC and LUNZ collections, respectively.

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.