#leptoceridae

One of two species in the genus, endemic to Aotearoa.

The larvae are common in gravelly, stony, or muddy streams, preferring good water quality. Both species build long narrow cases - Hudsonema alienum attachs rectangular plant fragments in neat spirals along the case, and the stripy-legged Hudsonema amabile uses sand grains.

It's not sure whether they're predators or herbivores - they might be both.

Circling around the volcanoes we came to a very small town named after the Pepper Tree Pseudowintera colorata, a 'primitive' flowering shrub with powerful antifungal uses amongst other things. There may well have been some growing around the area, but I didn't recognise it alas.

Still, the place we stayed had some very nice stuff growing around the yard, and a geologically slightly worrying amount of boulders filling the creek. But then Ruapehu did loom at the end of the road, and it's notorious for its lahar landslides.

As previously, here's some of the species I've covered before. Some turned up when I set up an LED lamp near the wall of the house that evening.

Bug of the Day

Tough to crop the photo when the darned antennae are longer than the body :-)