Following the restoration of Roto Kawau, Zealandia’s lower reservoir, visitors may have noticed that this year in particular the place is absolutely buzzing with dragonflies and damselflies! As Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne shines a light on their freshwater ecosystems there is no better time to discuss these incredible creatures.
Join Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne for a kōrero/talk led by dragonfly ambassadors Ruary Mackenzie Dodds and Kari de Koenigswarter to learn what species they have living there in the sanctuary, what makes some of them particularly special, and why they are so important to our freshwater ecosystems.
Venue: ZEALANDIA Eco-Sanctuary, Waiapu Road, Karori, Wellington
For more information: https://www.visitzealandia.com/Events/ArtMID/2271/ArticleID/457/Conservation-K%C5%8Drero-Delving-into-Dragonflies
Bush giant dragonfly
Uropetala carovei or kapokapowai (water snatcher) is New Zealand's largest dragonfly with a wingspan up to 130 mm, and it can be up to 86 mm long. It is relatively common and its favourite habitat is damp areas of native forests. Dragonfly larvae tunnel into soft earth by water to make their home in a chamber half-filled with water and emerge at night to seek prey near the entrance. They are long lived (estimated to be 5–6 years) and are very sensitive to disturbance so they are rarely observed. As adults, they are extremely effective aerial predators. They’re loud fliers, so you may hear one buzzing if you’re out near freshwater on a sunny day.
Image by Nick Goldwater, CC BY-NC 4.0. Sourced from iNaturalist NZ.
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