Seasonal activity and habitat associations ofMecodema howittiandMegadromus guerinii,two endemic New Zealand ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

The activity patterns of a resident population of 15 feral cats (Felis catus L.) on New Zealand farmland were investigated from March 1984 until February 1987 by radiotelemetry. Females could be divided into two separate groups: (1) those denning in barns and (2) those denning in the swamp and willows. Females denning in barns were mainly nocturnal except in spring and summer when rearing kittens. Barn cats moved significantly further between dusk and dawn, except in autumn-winter, than those denning in swamp and willows which were active over 24 h. When not breeding, related females occupied the same barn. In both groups, the home range of female relatives overlapped. Males ranged over all habitats, and dominant adult males moved significantly further and had larger home ranges than other males in all seasons, except in summer when they rested, avoiding hot summer days. Only adult males were active during the day in spring and autumn-winter. The importance of a Zeitgeber in synchronising cat activity with that of the prey is examined. The significance of female den site is discussed in relation to proximity of food, predators, social behaviour and male defence.

Download Full-text

Habitat associations of juvenile shortfinned eels (Anguilla australis) in shallow Lake Waahi, New Zealand

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1080/00288330.1996.9516711 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 233-237 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Benjamin L. Chisnall

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Shallow Lake ◽

Habitat Associations ◽

Anguilla Australis

Download Full-text

Untangling the Lactifluus clarkeae - Lf. flocktoniae (Russulaceae) species complex in Australasia

Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi ◽

10.3767/persoonia.2021.47.01 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

T. Lebel ◽

J. Douch ◽

L. Tegart ◽

L. Vaughan ◽

J.A. Cooper ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

New Zealand ◽

Species Complex ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Habitat Associations ◽

Species Level ◽

Range Extension ◽

Cryptic Diversity ◽

Identification Of Species

The Lactifluus clarkeae complex is a commonly observed, generally brightly coloured, group of mushrooms that are usually associated with Nothofagus or Myrtaceous hosts in Australia and New Zealand. For this study collections labelled as ‘Lactarius clarkeae’, ‘Russula flocktoniae’ and ‘Lactarius subclarkeae’ were examined morpiperatphologically and molecularly. Analyses of molecular data showed a high cryptic diversity, with sequences scattered across 11 clades in three subgenera within Lactifluus, and a single collection in Russula. We select epitypes to anchor the currently accepted concepts of Lf. clarkeae s.str. and Lf. flocktoniae s.str. The name Lf. subclarkeae could not be applied to any of the collections examined, as none had a lamprotrichoderm pileipellis. Lactifluus clarkeae var. aurantioruber is raised to species level, and six new species are described, three in subg. Lactifluus: Lf. jetiae, Lf. pagodicystidiatus, and Lf. rugulostipitatus, and three in subg. Gymnocarpi: Lf. albens, Lf. psammophilus, and Lf. pseudoflocktoniae. A new collection of Lf. russulisporus provides a significant range extension for the species. Untangling this complex will enable better identification of species and increase understanding of diversity and specific habitat associations of macrofungi.

Download Full-text