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Phaulacridium Marginale
''Phaulacridium marginale'' is a small species of short-horned grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is endemic to New Zealand where it is found in low elevation open habitat throughout North Island, South Island, Stewart Island and on many smaller islands. Distribution and habitat ''Phaulacridium marginale'' is widespread throughout New Zealand. It is commonly found on open lowland grassy flats and sand dunes. It is also found on the sub-alpine zone to an altitude of on the Ragged Range (). It is not uncommon on roadsides in exotic grass and in built-up areas near Wellington and Christchurch. This ''Phaulacridium'' genus prefers open spaces where they are able to thermoregulate their bodies through basking (also known as sunning). This common lowland short-horned grasshopper species is also present on many of New Zealand's offshore islands. It has been reported on Little Barrier Island (Hauturu), Great Barrier Island (Aotea), and the Hen and Chicken Islands (is also lik ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phaulacridium Marginale P1140442b
''Phaulacridium'' is a genus of grasshoppers in the tribe Catantopini from Australia and New Zealand. These short-horned grasshoppers have a single generation each year Species There are five known species of ''Phaulacridium'': * '' Phaulacridium crassum'' * '' Phaulacridium howeanum'' * ''Phaulacridium marginale'' - type species (as ''Caloptenus marginalis'' Walker) * '' Phaulacridium otagoense'' * '' Phaulacridium vittatum'' Two species ''Phaulacridium crassum'' and ''Phaulacridium vittatum'' are endemic to the Australian mainland and ''Phaulacridium howeanum'' occurs only on Lord Howe Island. ''Phaulacridium'' grasshoppers require open space for thermoregulation through basking and forage in natural and modified grasslands. Females are larger than males in all five species, and size variation within ''Phaulacridium vittatum'' is associated with rainfall. Of the two New Zealand ''Phaulacridium'' grasshoppers, ''Phaulacridium marginale ''Phaulacridium marginale'' is a smal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pronotum
The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum ( dorsal), the prosternum ( ventral), and the propleuron ( lateral) on each side. The prothorax never bears wings in extant insects (except in some cases of atavism), though some fossil groups possessed wing-like projections. All adult insects possess legs on the prothorax, though in a few groups (e.g., the butterfly family Nymphalidae) the forelegs are greatly reduced. In many groups of insects, the pronotum is reduced in size, but in a few it is hypertrophied, such as in all beetles (Coleoptera). In most treehoppers (family Membracidae, order Hemiptera), the pronotum is expanded into often fantastic shapes that enhance their camouflage or mimicry. Similarly, in the Tetrigidae, the pronotum is extended backward to cover the flight wings, supplanting the function of the tegmina. See also * Glossary o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
House Sparrow
The house sparrow (''Passer domesticus'') is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of and a mass of . Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings. One of about 25 species in the genus '' Passer'', the house sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and a large part of Asia. Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australasia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird. The house sparrow is strongly associated with human habitation, and can live in urban or rural settings. Though found in widely varied habitats and climates, it typically avoids extensive woodlands, grasslands, and deserts away from human development. It feeds mostly on the seeds of grains and weeds, but it is an opportunistic eater and commonly eats insects and many ot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Zealand Pipit
The New Zealand pipit (''Anthus novaeseelandiae'') is a fairly small passerine bird of open country in New Zealand and outlying islands. It belongs to the pipit genus ''Anthus'' in the family Motacillidae. It was formerly lumped together with the Richard's, African, Mountain and Paddyfield pipits in a single species: Richard's pipit, ''Anthus novaeseelandiae''. Many authors split the Australasian pipit further into two species: Australian pipit (''Anthus australis'') in Australia and New Guinea and New Zealand pipit (''Anthus novaeseelandiae''), also called pihoihoi, in New Zealand. Description It is a slender bird, 16 to 19 cm long, and weighs about 40 grams. The plumage is pale brown above with dark streaks. The underparts are pale with streaks on the breast. There is a pale stripe over the eye and dark malar and moustachial stripes. The long tail has white outer-feathers and is often wagged up and down. The legs are long and pinkish-brown while the bill is sle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian Magpie
The Australian magpie (''Gymnorhina tibicen'') is a black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. Although once considered to be three separate species, it is now considered to be one, with nine recognised subspecies. A member of the Artamidae, the Australian magpie is placed in its own genus ''Gymnorhina'' and is most closely related to the black butcherbird (''Melloria quoyi''). It is not closely related to the European magpie, which is a corvid. The adult Australian magpie is a fairly robust bird ranging from in length, with black and white plumage, gold brown eyes and a solid wedge-shaped bluish-white and black bill. The male and female are similar in appearance, but can be distinguished by differences in back markings. The male has pure white feathers on the back of the head and the female has white blending to grey feathers on the back of the head. With its long legs, the Australian magpie walks rather than waddles or hops and spends ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Starling
The common starling or European starling (''Sturnus vulgaris''), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer; young birds have browner plumage than the adults. It is a noisy bird, especially in communal roosts and other gregarious situations, with an unmusical but varied song. Its gift for mimicry has been noted in literature including the '' Mabinogion'' and the works of Pliny the Elder and William Shakespeare. The common starling has about 12 subspecies breeding in open habitats across its native range in temperate Europe and across the Palearctic to western Mongolia, and it has been introduced to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa and Fiji. This b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black-billed Gull
The black-billed gull (''Chroicocephalus bulleri''), Buller's gull, or tarāpuka ( Māori) is a Near Threatened species of gull in the family Laridae. This gull is found only in New Zealand, its ancestors having arrived from Australia around 250,000 years ago. Taxonomy Originally named ''Gavia pomare'' in 1855 by Carl Friedrich Bruch, the name was rejected by the New Zealand ornithologist Sir Walter Lawry Buller because it was already being used for another species. He then took up Prince Napoléon Bonaparte’s "playful" genus name ''Bruchigavia'' (literally, "Bruch's seabird") as a provisional name for New Zealand gulls. But because Buller's proposed species name ''melanoryncha'' (literally, "black-billed") had already been given to another gull species, Frederick Hutton suggested the name ''bulleri'', in honor of Buller, in 1871. Buller accepted the offer and followed others in adopting the "larger and better-defined genus" of ''Larus''. The alternative common name Bulle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gizzard
The gizzard, also referred to as the ventriculus, gastric mill, and gigerium, is an organ found in the digestive tract of some animals, including archosaurs (pterosaurs, crocodiles, alligators, dinosaurs, birds), earthworms, some gastropods, some fish, and some crustaceans. This specialized stomach constructed of thick muscular walls is used for grinding up food, often aided by particles of stone or grit. In certain insects and molluscs, the gizzard features chitinous plates or teeth. Etymology The word ''gizzard'' comes from the Middle English ''giser'', which derives from a similar word in Old French ''gésier'', which itself evolved from the Latin ''gigeria'', meaning giblets. Structure In birds Birds swallow food and store it in their crop if necessary. Then the food passes into their glandular stomach, also called the proventriculus, which is also sometimes referred to as the true stomach. This is the secretory part of the stomach. Then the food passes into the gizzard ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central Otago
Central Otago is located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference". The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River and tributaries. The wide flat plateau of the Maniototo which lies between the upper reaches of the Taieri River and the Clutha's northern tributary the Manuherikia is also part of Central Otago. Characterised by cold winters and hot, dry summers, the area is only lightly populated. First significant European occupation came with the discovery of gold at Gabriel's Gully near Lawrence in 1861, which led to the Central Otago goldrush. Other towns and villages include Alexandra, Bannockburn, Clyde, Cromwell, Millers Flat, Naseby, Omakau, Ranfurly, Roxburgh, St. Bathans, and Wedderburn. Since the 19th century, most of the area's economic activity has centred on sheep, stone fruit, and tourism. In recent years, deer farms and vineyard ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mackenzie Basin
The Mackenzie Basin (), popularly and traditionally known as the Mackenzie Country, is an elliptical intermontane basin located in the Mackenzie and Waitaki Districts, near the centre of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest such basin in New Zealand. Historically famous mainly for sheep farming, the sparsely populated area is now also a popular tourism destination. The basin was named in the 1850s by and after James Mckenzie (or in his native gd, Seumas MacCoinnich), a shepherd and would-be farmer of Scottish origin. Mckenzie was captured for allegedly stealing sheep; he herded his flocks in what was then an area almost totally empty of any human habitation, though Māori previously lived there intermittently. After his capture, the area was soon divided up amongst new sheep pasture stations in 1857. Geography The basin extends approximately north to south, and east to west. The Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana constitute its western edge. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phaulacridium Otagoense
''Phaulacridium otagoense'' is an endemic New Zealand grasshopper found at low elevation throughout the central South Island ( Mackenzie Basin and Central Otago).Morris, S.J. 2002. Identification guide to grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in Central Otago and Mackenzie Country. DOC Science Internal Series 26. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 17 p. Distribution and habitat The New Zealand ''P. otagoense'' is found on very dry slopes & riverbeds between an elevation of on the Earncleugh Historic Tailings Reserve () and on the Benmore Range (). The most southern known location is found at Lake Roxburgh () and the most northern known location is found on the Richmond Range (). The distribution of ''P. otagoense'' is being reduced by expansion and hybridization with '' P. marginale.'' Where these two grasshopper species meet populations consist of individuals with mixed phenotype, intermediate between the two parental taxa. Species description The wings on ''P. otago ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland Port Macquarie, northeast of Sydney, and about southwest of Norfolk Island. It is about long and between wide with an area of , though just of that comprise the low-lying developed part of the island. Along the west coast is a sandy semi-enclosed sheltered coral reef lagoon. Most of the population lives in the north, while the south is dominated by forested hills rising to the highest point on the island, Mount Gower (). The Lord Howe Island Group comprises 28 islands, islets, and rocks. Apart from Lord Howe Island itself, the most notable of these is the volcanic and uninhabited Ball's Pyramid about to the southeast of Howe. To the north lies a cluster of seven small uninhabited islands called the Admiralty Group. The first reporte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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