The Wairarapa, a geographical region of New Zealand, lies in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay Region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest. It is named after its largest lake, Lake Wairarapa.
The Tararua Range, often referred to as the Tararua Ranges or Tararua, is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand.
Mecodema is a genus of large flightless ground beetle (Carabidae) endemic to New Zealand. The genus is very diverse in comparison to the other three New Zealand genera within the subtribe Nothobroscina. Mecodema is geographically widespread across both the North and South Islands, as well as numerous offshore islands, including the Three Kings Is., Poor Knights Is., Aotea and Hauturu, Kapiti Is., Stephens Is., Stewart Is., Chatham Is., Snares Is.
Mecodema oconnori is a large-bodied species of ground beetle endemic to the lower half of the North Island, New Zealand. It is mainly found in native forest habitats on the western side of the Tararua and Ruahine Ranges, but is also found in the Manawatu Gorge and some other eastern localities.
Tararua Forest Park, often called the Tararuas is a protected area in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its area is 1,150 square kilometres (440 sq mi), and its highest point, a peak called Mitre, is at 1571 m above sea level. It was established in 1954, as New Zealand's first Forest Park, and is managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) under the Conservation Act. Tararua Forest Park includes more than three-quarters of the Tararua Range, and its boundaries extend north from New Zealand State Highway 2.
Megadromus antarcticus, also known as the “Alexander beetle”, is a member of the Carabidae family and only found in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Megadromus antarcticus are easily recognized by their iridescent green coloration.
Mecodema aoteanoho is a medium-sized ground beetle, the only such beetle endemic to Great Barrier Island (Aotea), Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand. Mecodema aoteanoho is a sister species to M. haunoho and is closely related to the Coromandel (mainland) species, M. atrox, all of which are species within the monophyletic curvidens group. There are a number of other characters that distinguish M. aoteanoho from all other North Island Mecodema, especially the pattern of the striations on the elytra.
Mecodema chaiup is a large-bodied ground beetle species found in Mohi Bush Scenic Reserve, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. A single specimen was found beneath a large log in 2008. Since then a number of intensive pitfall trap surveys of Mohi Bush have failed to collect further specimens.
Mecodema manaia is a medium-sized ground beetle species found in the native forests of Bream Head and Mt Manaia, Northland, New Zealand. This species shares the forests of Bream Head with a large-bodied species, Mecodema tewhara, with both inhabiting slightly different forest type.
Mecodema argentum is a large-bodied ground beetle found in the northern region of the Coromandel Range, New Zealand and relatively abundant in the hills above Coromandel town. Mecodema argentum is more closely related to Mecodema species found in Northland, than other species found in the Coromandel Ranges. The entire body is black, but the legs and coxae may be reddish brown, plus M. argentum can be distinguished from other North Island Mecodema by the form of the apical portion of the penis lobe.
Mecodema atrox is a medium-sized ground beetle species that is closely related to Mecodema curvidens. Mecodema atrox is relatively rare in comparison due to its preferred habitat, the coastal broadleaf forests of the Coromandel Peninsula, a forest type that is in decline. The body of Mecodema atrox is black and the legs are dark reddish-brown. They can be distinguished from other Mecodema species by a number of characters, including the pattern of asetose punctures along the elytral striae.
Mecodema crenaticolle is a medium-bodied ground beetle that is endemic to New Zealand. It is one of the three species within the ducale species group and is the only species of this group found in the North Island, New Zealand. Its range extends from the Wellington Region to Hunua Range, southeast Auckland, and is relatively common in most native forest habitats.
Mecodema longicolle is an endemic New Zealand ground beetle, and one of the few Mecodema species found in both the North Island and South Island.
Mecodema genesispotini is a species of ground beetle found in a small native forest remnant, between paddocks and pine forest, in the Waimata Valley, northwest of Gisborne, New Zealand.
Mecodema godzilla is a large-bodied ground beetle endemic to the North Island, New Zealand. It was described from two specimens, which are housed in two different entomological collections, the Auckland Museum and Lincoln University.
Mecodema jacinda is a large-bodied ground beetle endemic to Maungatautari Sanctuary, Waikato, New Zealand. It is the largest species of Mecodema found on Maungatautari, which also has the medium-sized M. curvidens inhabiting the forest. It is named after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Mecodema howitti, termed the Large Banks Peninsula ground beetle, is a carnivorous forest ground beetle in the genus Mecodema. It is endemic to Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, New Zealand, and is the largest of the 16 carabids found in the area.
Ichneutica falsidica is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is widespread in the South Island but can only be found in the Tararua Range and Mount Taranaki in the North Island. This species is similar looking to I. panda but I. falsidica has dark dashes on their hind-wings. This species can be found open high country and has been seen flying during the day in sunny warm weather. At night adults are attracted to light. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of the larvae.
Mecodema crenicolle is an endemic species of ground beetle from New Zealand.
Mecodema scitulum is a species of endemic New Zealand flightless beetle in the family Carabidae. It was first described by Thomas Broun, in 1984, from a single specimen that he received from the Edwin Mitchelson. This species then became a junior synonym of Mecodema spiniferum after Everard B. Britton completed his revision of the New Zealand Broscini in 1949. Like Broun, Britton based this synonymy on the only specimen available, the holotype, because of the confusion surrounding the type locality where M. scitulum was collected from. However, D.S. Seldon and T.R. Buckley (2019) reinstated the species M. scitulum based on the morphological comparisons of 30+ specimens with the holotype and molecular analyses.
