Download Mt Somers scene of Weta search

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Mt Somers scene of Weta search
By Julie Hammond - Mt Somers residents will be interested to know that their area is home to a large, rare dinosaur-like
insect with a penchant for peanut butter that would look equally at home on the set of Jurassic Park. Discovered in the
1950s, the bluff weta is found only in the Mt Somers and Marlborough-Kaikoura areas.
Lincoln University Bachelor of Science student Al Check is spending 10 weeks at Mt Somers this summer searching for
the exotic and colourful beasties that have red, white and black legs and an olive-coloured body. Although Mr Check has
never been bitten by a weta, it might be a different story by the end of his sojourn.
As the recipient of a $5000 Lincoln University bio-protection and ecology division summer scholarship, Mr Check will
search night and day for the shy nocturnal creatures that easily cover the palm of an adult's hand when fully grown. "To
me the prehistoric characteristics of such a large insect are just awesome. It's like a miniature dinosaur running up your
arm."
The elusive weta favour inaccessible bluffs and rocky outcrops so finding them will be no mean feat and will necessitate
some abseiling. Mr Check will try to catch any weta he finds without harming them or getting bitten himself. He will also
note their location and measure, weigh and band them so they can be easily identified if they are caught again. He will
also examine the gut and excrement of local predators for telltale signs that weta is on the menu.
The wetas tended to migrate to new sites to avoid predation, he said. "So we set out tracking tunnels in likely spots to
help us identify if this species of weta is present." The tunnels had tempting blobs of peanut butter at their exits and inkimpregnated cards at their entrances so that any weta walking across them left their footprints behind, he said.
"I don't know how many we will find but for the specie's sake I hope it's lots. Very little is known about this species and its
behaviours so hopefully we can make a difference by assessing the risk of the population and making some
recommendations for its future survival." He said insects had fascinated him since childhood. "It's like a different world."
Interested in all aspects of the natural environment and the conservation and restoration of New Zealand's vulnerable
flora and fauna, he said he is excited about the project that will allow him to drawn on knowledge gained during his
studies. "Having the opportunity to be part of a research project that includes field work in a cool place, some laboratory
work and getting the old grey matter linking what I have learnt during my studies to this project is exciting."
Mt Somers residents can do their bit by keeping their eyes peeled for the big insects and reporting any encounters to the
university.
Lincoln University-based entomologist Mike Bowie said he would be happy to hear from anyone who has come across
them.
<<<< The rare Mt Somers bluff weta that is currently the subject of a search by Lincoln University Bachelor of Science
student Al Check. Photo: Entomologist Mike Bowie, Lincoln University.
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