Waiparuru Nature Trail, Grafton Gully/Symonds St Cemetery, Grafton, Auckland. Two live male beetles resting by day on the lower surface of different leaves on a mahoe tree, in a shaded native bush remnant. Although this is the first time that I have observed this species at this location, that is probably only because I have overlooked it until now.
Rhagodima cf. nigrocincta
Cincta (cinctus, cinctum) in latin means "surrounded by". So the portmanteau "nigrocincta" can mean "surrounding by black color". This might refer to colors and patterns on the abdomen of this species. Or it may not refer to black patches on some legs which does not form full circle/ring as in R. Annulata.
But these informations are not clear to me as per the description by Henry Meyners Bernard who described the species as Rhax nigrocincta along with Rhax Howesii (currently assigned as Rhagodes melanopygus). Another information I can find is that as per Simon's 1885 description R. annulata has body length of 18mm and as per Bernard's description of R. nigrocincta is around 1.25 to 2 inches. T̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶m̶e̶n̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶s̶a̶w̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶1̶.̶2̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶1̶.̶5̶ ̶i̶n̶c̶h̶e̶s̶ ̶l̶o̶n̶g̶.̶ (The specimen was just 2 cms long after I re-checked the video where it climbed to my friend's hand. Videograb is attached as last photo.)
Henry Meyners Bernard's 1894 article on the species called "On two new species of Rhax. Journal of Linnean Soicety London" can be read here: https://ww.rcin.org.pl/dlibra/publication/88759/edition/67942/content?ref=struct
The illustrations on the book has been digitized and uploaded to Wiki Commons over here:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhagodima_nigrocincta.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhagodima_nigrocincta_cutted.jpg
Comparing the images above I can see similar black patches on the legs. Also the white moustache pattern has good resemblance on the individual. But I don't see the spurs specified in illustrations.
Note: I am not conforming on the species level identification here. I have just added my notes here for future reference for anybody who wants to take this subject for research.
Not sure what is going on but this is the fourth birder that I know of who has had a phoebe perch on their binoculars or on their person at Commons Ford.
I chose the Chinese Hibiscus based off the similarity in the stamen. The sepals and petals lead me to think it’s something else.
Crowded and scattered stalked sporangia 2-3.5 mm high with iridescent peridium.
Common at Birralee, especially on large logs covered with bryophytes.
Registro de L. schismatica, en un area de selva inundable cerca del CE Tres Lagunas en la Selva Lacandona, Chiapas
Small group of stalked sporangia on a bryophyte-covered log ramp in wet eucalypt forest.
Raríssima e pouco conhecida, essa planta parasita fungos micorrízicos. São conhecidos apenas dois indivíduos que estão depositados em uma coleção cientifica do Rio. Essa é a primeira foto na natureza dessa espécie.
Remarkable roosting group of dragonflies found early morning along the Nature Trail in the WII Campus.
Araña Lince protegiendo sus huevos en posicion boca abajo
http://macronatura.es/2020/01/13/arana-lince-peucetia-viridis/
Osmylops sp., probably Osmylops sejunctus (Walker), larva extracted from Eucalyptus leaf litter, Aranda, ACT, 5 May 2019
beautiful black Moroccan color form "legionis" (former ssp.legionis)
3rd day at REGUA and I managed to get quite some interesting species photographed, including two different Flatwings (Heteragrion sp). This Long-tailed Bromelia Guard was another amazing find, perched on the bromelia plant where the larva lives in the accumulated water. The species is extremely long.
6th January, REGUA, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.