Category: Invertebrates

Cermatulus nasalis

This cluster of tiny (2 mm) bugs was on a leaf of Tetragona. I disturbed them accidentally, but they reconvened on the same leaf very quickly. They were such a contrast with their shiny black against the fresh light green of the native spinach leaf.

I’d have got nowhere on this one without the helpful people on iNaturalist: these bugs are the first instar of the Brown Soldier Bug. The adults survive the winter and the females lay their eggs in spring. The hatched nymphs then go through 4 moults over the summer. The first instar bugs stay close to where they hatch, often next to their egg cases, although I did not see any of those. They drink water with their piercing mouthparts and may take plant juices. From the second instar onwards they become predators. You can read more at Landcare’s Interesting Insects website. I’ll add photos of older animals if I see them over summer.

Family Thomisidae

These smaller spiders- about 10 mm- are said not to catch their prey with webs, but rather “sit and wait”. They did all seem to be associated with small, untidy webs though. Perhaps a bit of ambush and a bit of slowing down the prey with a rudimentary web too. Anyway, they were pretty successful, with nearly all the crab spiders I found this Spring having a larger animal they had caught and bound up somewhat with silk so they could eat it at leisure.

There are 30 or more crab spider species in New Zealand and some can change their colour depending on their surroundings. I think you will agree that some of these ones are well camouflaged against the leaf they are on. This all means that identification can’t really be taken further than Family level.

The spider below is guarding her egg sac closely: