Flora and fauna | Matuku Link

Species Spotlights: Fungi

Leah Nielsen — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 22:14:49 +0000

We’ve been highlighting some of the amazing plants, animals and fungi you can find at Matuku Link on our social media. From well-hidden birds to unique flowers and mushrooms, here are a few of our favourites. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more!

🍄 Basket Fungus / Tūtae kēhua 🍄

The basket fungus (Ileodictyon cibarium) is a strange and striking species, known for its ghostly white, latticed structure that looks like a delicate basket or a collapsed net. Native to Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, this fungus belongs to the stinkhorn family – and it lives up to the name!

Find out more amazing facts about the basket fungus in the full post here.

📸: Jacqui Geux

🐛 Vegetable Caterpillar / Āwheto 🐛

One of Aotearoa’s strangest native fungi isn’t found on rotting logs or tree trunks – it’s found growing out of caterpillars. Starting life as a tiny spore, this fungus infects the caterpillars of two native species of moth, effectively mummifying them. This fungus was traditionally used to make pigment for tā moko.

Discover more about this fascinating fungi in our full spotlight here!

📸: iNaturalist: Brendan Costello

👂 Woodear fungus / Te Hakeke 👂

Wood ear fungus can be found clinging to the trunks of trees. With a soft, flexible shape, this edible fungus doesn’t have much taste, although it does have a gentle crunch when cooked. Te Hakeke is the only fungus in Aotearoa New Zealand that was exported overseas – in fact almost 2,000 tonnes were exported between 1872–1883!

Find out more about the ecological, cultural, and economic history of Te Hakeke in our full spotlight.

📸: Jacqui Geux

Plant grid survey

admin — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 01:16:48 +0000

Some of our keen-eyed wetland volunteers may have recently noticed a mysterious cordoned off square in Totara Glade in recent months! You may also have heard, some months ago, something about a plant survey. This first weekend in March, this project has begun, and will be taking place (hopefully) over the next many years. I am doing this to study the changes in this 10x10m², as the trees and plants we have planted near the area grow, and potentially change the abundance of light and water in the study area.
The area in question is currently an ‘edge zone’, which is where, in nature, two different habitats meet, and biodiversity is often at its highest among many other things. Think coasts, forest edges, stream and lake edges and the snowline on a mountain. We find some of nature’s most talented survivors and outliers in these areas. As our planted trees grow and the edge zone moves and changes in the coming years, I anticipate changes to the plant life as a result and so I will be making a full record of what can be found there currently. Then, once a year, we will use that record and note any changes.

As you can see in the pictures, I have created a grid of 1m squares within the larger square to split the work into smaller, more manageable chunks. These smaller squares are temporary, while the top line is permanent to prevent disturbance of the area, whether it is a well-meaning volunteer or an excited school holiday programme participant looking for building materials for their huts!

Starting next year, this project will be suitable for all knowledge levels, and I will be inviting you all to join me if you’re keen to learn about plants and trees, and how to identify them! If you’re interested in learning more about the project, I’m always keen to chat with and involve any fellow plant enthusiasts, see below.

Ngā mihi nui! Joshua Stobart – contact via the Matuku Link office: hello@matukulink.org.nz or 0226922016

Species Spotlights: Flora

Leah Nielsen — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:03:18 +0000

We’ve been highlighting some of the amazing plants and animals you can find at Matuku Link on our social media. From well-hidden birds to unique flowers and insects, here are a few of our favourites. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more!

🌳 Kahikatea: A Jurassic Giant 🌳

Kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides) is a towering native tree, with a lineage stretching back to the Jurassic period. These ancient giants, which can live up to 600 years, thrive in wetland ecosystems, providing habitat, stabilising soil, and producing vibrant berries loved by native birds.

Learn more about their unique adaptations, cultural significance, and conservation challenges in our full post here.

📸: Jacqui Geux

🧹 Mākaka / Common Broom 🧹

Mākaka is Auckland’s only native broom, playing an important role in enriching soil through nitrogen fixation. As it grows, it sheds its leaves and develops wide, flattened stems for photosynthesis. Its unique seed pods look like oval spectacle cases with 1-3 seeds hanging in the frame.

Discover more about this fascinating plant in our full spotlight here!

📸: Leah Nielsen

🌭 Raupō 🌭

Raupō, or bulrush, is a vital part of New Zealand wetlands, providing habitat for native species like the matuku-hūrepo (Australasian bittern). Known for its iconic “hotdog-shaped” seed heads, raupō helps purify water and supports wetland ecosystems by trapping sediments and nutrients. Discover the cultural significance and ecological benefits of raupō in our full spotlight here.

And find out more about how raupō could help revive our wetlands and lakes here.

📸: Jacqui Geux

🌾 Kuta 🌾

Kuta is a tall, grass-like plant that thrives in shallow freshwater habitats, playing an important role in maintaining healthy waterways. Found mainly in the North Island, it helps stabilise sediments, improves water clarity, and provides shelter for aquatic life. Kuta has also been traditionally used by Māori for weaving, with its fine stems creating mats, clothing, and more.

Learn more here.

📸: Jacqui Geux

🌱 Toatoa 🌱

Toatoa, a hardy shrub with serrated leaves and reddish stems, is often overlooked but vital to the ecosystem. It attracts pollinating moths and butterflies while providing habitat for insects, including the specialised Haloragis weevil.

Learn more here.

📸: Leah Nielsen

Species Spotlights: Fauna

Leah Nielsen — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:38:59 +0000

🦇 Pekapeka tou roa / Long tailed bat 🦇

Did you know bats are Aotearoa’s only native land mammals? This post spotlights the pekapeka tou roa (long-tailed bat), a tiny but impressive native bat, just 60mm long with a wingspan of 180mm. These Nationally Critical bats face numerous threats, from predators to habitat loss. They’re insect-eating experts, using echolocation to hunt and consuming up to 1,000 mosquitoes a night! Learn more about their amazing lives in our full post here.

📸: Ben Paris (NZ Batman)

🐉 Odonata: Damselflies and Dragonflies

Did you know dragonflies and damselflies belong to the ancient order Odonata, dating back over 250 million years? Aotearoa has only 14 species, most of which are endemic. Despite their similar appearance, damselflies are typically smaller with wide-set eyes and closed wings when resting, while dragonflies are larger with close-set eyes and outstretched wings. Known for their hunting skill, Odonata capture up to 97% of their prey by intercepting it mid-flight with impressive precision. Find out more about Odonata here.

Bonus spotlights: Kapokapowai / Carové’s Giant Dragonfly and Kihitara / Red Damselfly.

📸: Eric van Essen

🕊️ Kererū

Kererū, also known as kukupa or kuku, are iconic New Zealand pigeons with an impressive wingspan of up to 75cm. These large, fruit-loving birds play a crucial role in our native forests by spreading the seeds of big fruits like karaka and tawa – something only they can do since the extinction of the moa. You might hear their distinctive wing beats as they fly or spot males performing their dramatic ‘nuptial dives’ to attract mates. Kererū usually nest between September and April, with both parents caring for a single chick.

Wetland Nightlife: Insects and Arachnids

Leah Nielsen — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 22:00:38 +0000

Tonight we are hosting a “Bug Hunt” at Matuku Link. Along with expert entomologists and visitors, we’ll be searching the wetlands for many legged critters and trying to identify them. Over the last week, we’ve let te aitanga pepeke (the insect world, including spiders, lizards, and other small creatures) take over our social media. Here are a few fascinating creatures we might encounter tonight:

Wētā

There are over 100 species of wētā in Aotearoa New Zealand, and all are endemic (only found in NZ). They are grouped into five categories: the tree wētā, cave wētā, ground wētā, tusked wētā, and of course the giant wētā, or wētāpunga!

Wētā have been around for 190 million years (longer than tuatara!) and filled the role of rats and mice as seed dispersers and food for other creatures. Like many of New Zealand’s native species, wētā are threatened by introduced predators and habitat loss.

Mayflies

The mayfly is the oldest surviving winged insect on the planet and is found throughout Aotearoa New Zealand and the world. In fact, they can be found on every continent except Antarctica!

Juvenile mayflies, or nymphs, reside in water, favouring cool, clean environments. Their presence signifies clean water. They play a vital role in freshwater ecosystems, aiding in nutrient cycling and serving as a vital food source for fish, birds, and bats. Mayflies only have s short adult lifespan, just long enough to find a mate. After mating, the female mayfly falls to the water, lays her eggs, and both males and females die.

Harvestmen

Ever heard of a harvestman? These unique creatures, often mistaken for insects or spiders, are actually arachnids! Found in wet forests and caves, they possess a fascinating defence mechanism: they can shed their legs to distract predators, akin to lizards, although they don’t regrow them.

These long-legged creatures are opportunistic omnivores, and will eat a variety of insects, and have even been seen hanging out under spider webs and collecting discarded pieces of prey that the spider has dropped!

Did you know: The forsteropsalis pureora species of harvestman has three types of male! The alpha and beta types use their large jaws, or chelicerae, to fight and win a female mate, while the much smaller gamma males search for undefended females to sneakily mate with.

More information on these fascinating creatures here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/…/06/27/arachnid-males.html

Pūriri moth

The pūriri moth is Aotearoa New Zealand’s biggest moth, with females growing up to 15cm wide! Males, like the one in the photo, are a little smaller. These stunning creatures start their journey as eggs laid in leaf litter. Once hatched, the juvenile moths, known as pepe tuna, burrow into pūriri tree trunks (or a few other tree species), creating distinctive ‘7’ shaped burrows where they reside for 5-7 years. Upon emerging as adult moths, their lifespan is brief, just long enough to mate and lay eggs.

Fun fact: Pūriri moths also inhabit putaputawētā trees, named for the holes (puta) left by emerging moths where wētā seek shelter. Interestingly, in the South Island/Te Waipounamu, where pūriri moths aren’t found, the putaputawētā tree is known as piripiriwhata!

Tunnelweb spiders

Aotearoa New Zealand is home to an estimated 20,000 species of spiders, with over 90% being endemic. While the spiders we commonly encounter around the house are usually introduced species, most endemic species inhabit native habitats, from forests to alpine regions. All spiders are carnivorous, playing a vital role in maintaining insect populations and serving as prey for other native species.

Today, let’s shine a light on tunnelweb spiders. Worldwide, there are 85 known species of tunnelweb spider, with 25 found in New Zealand. The endemic banded tunnelweb spider, a harmless relative of tarantulas and the venomous Australian funnelweb, is an ambush predator. It constructs tunnel-shaped webs with a broad entrance that acts as a detection mechanism for prey. Once captured, the insect is dragged into the spider’s tunnel for consumption. Tunnelweb spiders prey on various arthropods and have even been observed consuming snails.