Discover a range of creatures found in a typical New Zealand garden.
Learning Intentions
Students will be able to:
- appreciate the diversity of creatures in a garden
- begin to recognise and name some of them.
Garden creature spotter
Spot creatures found in a garden
- Use the spotter guide below to find and name some New Zealand garden creatures. To do this, find a garden that has a variety of plants, especially ones that are in flower. Another option is to search a wasteland area, a mixed native tree shelter belt, or the unkept margins of fields.
- Carefully search high and low to find as many creatures as you can.
- Record what you find by ticking the boxes and recording your observations by writing about them, drawing, or taking photos.
Garden creatures spotter pdf download (optimised for colour printing on A4).
Hints and tips
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Supporting information
| English name | Māori name | Native / Introduced | Pest / Helpful | Adult able to fly (Yes/No) |
| wolf spider | pūngāwerewere | native | helpful | no |
| hover fly | ngaro paira | native | helpful | yes |
| red admiral | kahukura | native | helpful | yes |
| ladybird larva | uhu mumutawa | introduced | helpful | no |
| ladybird | mumutawa | introduced | helpful | yes |
| NZ blue blowfly | ngaro iro | native | pest | yes |
| drone fly | ngaro paira | introduced | helpful | yes |
| European earwig | hiore kakati | introduced | pest | yes (rarely) |
| spittle bug | tātaka hūare | introduced | pest | yes |
| aphids | weo | introduced | pest | yes |
| NZ vegetable bug | tākaka huawhenua | native | pest | yes |
| NZ praying manits | rō | native | helpful | yes |
| bumble bee | pī rorohū | introduced | helpful | yes |
| monarch | kahuku | native | helpful | yes |
| honey bee | pī miere | introduced | helpful | yes |
| white butterfly | pere mā | introduced | pest | yes |
| garden snail | ngata | introduced | pest | no |
| orbweb spider | pūngāwerewere | introduced | helpful | no |
| grass grub | tūtaeruru | native | pest | yes |
| ground beetle | pāpapa | native | helpful | no |
| harvestman | pūngāwerewere | introduced | helpful | no |
| centipede | weri | native | helpful | no |
| woodlice | pāpapa | introduced | helpful | no |
| slug | putoko | introduced | pest | no |
The table information is based on species shown in the 'Garden Creatures Spotter' and is necessarily simplified for young students. It should be noted that some species can be considered pests or helpful in different circumstances.