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Making moth identification guides

Names are important. They identify who we are and where we come from. But sometimes, names don’t tell the whole story. For example, the Oxford Dictionary defines ‘moth’ as an insect with two ...

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ARTICLE

Ahi Pepe MothNet – an introduction

Moths are members of the order Lepidoptera, but these mostly nocturnal creatures are often in the shadow of the brighter, day-flying butterflies. New Zealand has fewer than 20 butterfly species ...

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ARTICLE

Vegetable caterpillar

Imagine a creature that turns moths into mummies by trapping them in an underground grave before emerging out of their neck to begin the cycle again. Not only does this creature exist, it’s part ...

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ACTIVITY

Establishing butterfly transects

In this activity, students set up and walk a transect to observe and record butterfly sightings. They act as citizen scientists to monitor changes in the local environment. Modify this activity ...

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ACTIVITY

Māori knowledge of animals – local contexts

Aotearoa New Zealand is rich in animal life – from tiny pepeketua and giant wētāpunga to ngā manu a Tānemahuta and ngā ika a Tangaroa. Some of these animals are unique to particular locations ...

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ACTIVITY

Tagging monarch butterflies for science

In this activity, students place small stickers (tags) onto caught or newly emerged monarch butterflies and release them into the environment. The tag number, information about the butterfly and ...

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Explore related citizen science projects

CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT

iNaturalist

iNaturalist logs hundreds of thousands of photos of flora, fauna and fungi. There are even sound recordings too. Each is described and geo located. iNaturalist is used by citizens and scientists ...

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CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT

Big Butterfly Count

This New Zealand-based citizen science project collects data about butterflies in our gardens, schools, parks and farms – any location in the country or on the outer islands. This annual event – ...

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CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT

The Pieris Project

This project involves the pesky Pieris rapae (better known as the white butterfly or white cabbage butterfly), which is very common in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is believed to have originated in ...

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TEACHER PLD

Butterflies (lower primary) – unit plan

This unit plan is designed for students in years 1–5. When someone mentions the word ‘butterfly’, what image pops into your head? Chances are it’s the monarch or the white butterfly, as these are ...

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TEACHER PLD

Teachers using the Hub – Butterflies and citizen science ...

In this online PD session recorded on 30 July 2015, primary school teacher Angela Schipper describes how she used the Butterflies resources from the Science Learning Hub in the classroom. In ...

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TEACHER PLD

Living World – Insects

Here are links to Science Learning Hub resources for primary teachers related to insects in the Living World strand of the New Zealand Curriculum. Investigate insects found in New Zealand to ...

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VIDEO

Naming organisms

Dr Peter Buchanan and Dr Robert Hoare, of Landcare Research NZ Ltd, introduce the classification system that scientists use to identify and name organisms.

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VIDEO

The moth identification guide

Find out why and how the Ahi Pepe MothNet project created the Puka Whakamārama o Te Pepe Nui – Beginners’ Guide to Macro Moths. Dr Barbara Anderson from Ahi Pepe MothNet, Dr Robert Hoare from ...

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VIDEO

A passion for moths

Dr Robert Hoare, of Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, talks about why he loves moths – a fascinating story of how an entomologist grew to love these night-time fliers. Points of interest ...

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INTERACTIVE

Ahi Pepe MothNet: Gateway to ecology and science

Exploring moths as ecological indicators of health and connectedness in our natural world. Select here for further information, transcript and copyright.

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SLIDESHOW

New Zealand butterfly families – slideshow

Most of New Zealand's butterflies belong to the Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae families. Use the Slideshow menu for further options, including view full screen, and go here for the download option.

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SLIDESHOW

New Zealand native butterflies – slideshow

Use this Aotearoa New Zealand native butterflies slideshow to learn more about native butterfly habits and behaviour, then go butterfly hunting! Use the Slideshow menu for further options ...

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