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View Full Version : Entomologists - What the Duece?


sAsLEX
3rd February 2008, 20:54
Is this?

Was thinking Huhu beetle? About the size of a normalish thumb.
Big Dave
3rd February 2008, 21:05
No no no - The Deuce was a popular Harley-Davidson from the Dyna range.
Hitcher
3rd February 2008, 21:06
Your diagnosis is correct. That is indeed Prionoplus reticularis.
James Deuce
3rd February 2008, 21:07
That's the adult Huhu mate. Those pincers freaking hurt too.
sAsLEX
3rd February 2008, 21:19
That's the adult Huhu mate. Those pincers freaking hurt too.

Would hate to meet one at pace at night on the bike thats for real!

The two that have decided to live in my lounge over the past couple of nights are ok once they land and sit out of the way, deadly flying around though!
Swoop
3rd February 2008, 21:21
Spray it with flyspray. If it dies, it's one of the types of bug that are on the label of the can.
Mikkel
3rd February 2008, 21:38
My sister and her boyfriend caugt a sparrow owning a huhu beetle on video over by Fox Glacier township as they were travelling around the Sth Island here in January.

Clever little bird just took it apart limb by limb and antenna by antenna :D

But yeah they apparently make quite a racket - haven't had the pleasure of making their acquintance yet.
sugilite
3rd February 2008, 23:26
Yep, adult huhu, we have loads round here, some on the window right now. They can pinch ya, but generally they are just really harmless and clumsy. They never seem to recover their senses after being exposed to a light, they usually die the next morning, seemingly unable to move, weird.
Steam
4th February 2008, 07:38
We should start an Insect Sub-forum. FIrst there was the wood-wasp, then the weta thread, now the huhu beetle thread.
Hitcher
4th February 2008, 08:50
We should start an Insect Sub-forum.

I could write the "Truth about painted apple moth" chapter...
Beemer
4th February 2008, 08:55
Yuck, hate them! We live in the country and as soon as we put our lights on at night they start banging on the windows. We used to have a cat who would bring them inside, but thankfully the ones we have now just go outside and play with them instead.

They are pretty dumb, and tend to end up on their backs where you find them days later, still waving their legs in the air.

We get some huge ones here - about 8-10cm long not including the feelers. Ugh!
Finn
4th February 2008, 09:03
I could write the "Truth about painted apple moth" chapter...

The truth is already out. It was a national campaign to eradicate NZ of West Aucklanders. It back fired and only managed to cause respiratory problems with 12 beneficiaries. Apparently their reproductive organs are still functioning.
jrandom
4th February 2008, 09:05
I could write the "Truth about painted apple moth" chapter...

I heard that they never actually existed, and were actually just MAF propaganda created as an excuse to dose West Auckland with carcinogenic mind-control chemicals.

:yes:
kiwibryn
4th February 2008, 09:22
I heard that they never actually existed, and were actually just MAF propaganda created as an excuse to dose West Auckland with carcinogenic mind-control chemicals.

:yes:

As if they would notice over the effects of the dope, hash, P, smack..... YEAH, RIGHT!!! :2guns::beer:
Hitcher
4th February 2008, 09:44
As if they would notice over the effects of the dope, hash, P, smack..... YEAH, RIGHT!!!

But they did. I have many favourite stories from those times, including a pet rabbit that allegedly contracted diarrhoea from the spray; an "at-risk" woman who, while rehoused at tax-payers expense in Whangaporoa for the duration of the programme (complete with broadband internet and spa pool), leased her home in Henderson and pocketed the proceeds; etc.