New Zealand Invertebrates

DSC_8706 Huhu beetle, or tunga rere (Prionoplus reticularis) adult female. An endemic member of the longhorn family, and our largest and heaviest beetle. Often attracted to lights, crashing against windows at night in spring and summer. These beetles have powerful mandibles, which can produce a painful bite, however as adults they eat no food and only survive long enough to find a mate and reproduce, then after about a fortnight they die. Dunedin *

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DSC_8706 Huhu beetle, or tunga rere (Prionoplus reticularis) adult female. An endemic member of the longhorn family, and our largest and heaviest beetle. Often attracted to lights, crashing against windows at night in spring and summer. These beetles have powerful mandibles, which can produce a painful bite, however as adults they eat no food and only survive long enough to find a mate and reproduce, then after about a fortnight they die. Dunedin *

DSC 8706 huhu beetle huhu beetle Prionoplus reticularis female endemic longhorn largest heaviest native Dunedin