NEW INSECT FOUND
Visit To Great Barrier Is.
“The Press” Special Service WELLINGTON, April 22.
An insect so new that it does not even have a name has been collected by a Dominion Museum entomologist, Mr R. Ordish, during a fortnight’s visit to Great Barrier Island. The insect is an unidentified species of fruit fly, about half the size of a housefly. Mr Ordish said he had suspected the existence of the fly, and had tried unsuccessfully last year to capture a specimen.
This year he took advantage of the insect’s sense of smell. He placed a cut pe.ar in a jar and the small fly was attracted by the scent. Mr Ordish said the fly had probably been on the island for some time—“but it’s new to us.”
He did not know what it would be called. “It will get a scientific name in due course,” he said He said several “interest-ing-looking” spiders captured on the island would also be sent to Dunedin. “I am afraid I do not know much about spiders, but I will send these down to Dr. R. R. Forster at the Otago Museum,” Mr Ordish said. “He is the spider expert.”
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CV, Issue 31042, 23 April 1966, Page 23
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197NEW INSECT FOUND Press, Volume CV, Issue 31042, 23 April 1966, Page 23
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