Distribution, Habitat and Conservation Status of Hemideina Ricta and H. Femorata on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand

The Banks Peninsula tree weta, Hemideina ricta Hutton, is the rarest of the seven species of tree weta. Prior to our study it was known from only two locations on Banks Peninsula: Okains Bay (R. Bigelow, formerly Canterbury University, pers. comm.) and in totara (Podocarpus totara (G. Benn ex D. Don.)) logs near Purple Peak (P. Johns, Canterbury University, pers. comm.). The only other published localities were given as “Banks Peninsula” and “South Canterbury” (Hutton, 1897). The Canterbury tree weta, H. femorata (Hutton), also occurs on Banks Peninsula but its range extends over a large area north and west of this (Meads, 1990). Hemideina ricta was ranked at the top of the New Zealand Department of Conservation protected animal species list by Molloy and Davis (1992) because of its very restricted known distribution and because virtually nothing was known about its population status. In 1992 the Department of Conservation commissioned a detailed survey of the distribution, population status and habitat of H. ricta on Banks Peninsula and the results of this are given here. The study included both Herbert and Akaroa Ecological districts as described by McEwen (1987). This paper reports on the occurrence and habitat of H. ricta and H. femorata, because the latter was also present in some of the survey sites. Methods