Thursday 26 September 2019

My New Zealand Ladybird report

We have been learning about minibeasts  in our class as part of science. We have been creating imformation reports on a minibeast of our choice. The minibeast we chose had to live in NZ/Aotearoa. Here is my writing. I worked with Alaska for this work.

    Amazin
Aotearoa/New Zealand
  Mumutawa/ladybirds             


 What are Mumutawa/ladybirds?
Mumutawa/ladybirds are little kata/insects. They were brought to New Zealand.
Mumutawa/ladybirds are also called Farmers’ Friends because they help farmers
get rid of pests. The orange spotted ladybird is also known as Mumutawa and
Coccinella leonine. The Harlequin ladybug is native to NZ. They kaiao/live up to
2-3 years. They’re named Mumutawa/ladybirds after Lady Mary
( Mother of Jesus ) because off her red cloak that she wore in kōwhaiwhai/paintings.
There are many different types of Mumutawa/ladybirds. The Harlequin ladybug is
A.K.A Harmonia axyridis. The orange spotted ladybird is not threatened.
The Harlequin Mumutawa/ladybirds are 5 to 8 mm. 

                                                Habitat
 Mumutawa/ladybirds live in both North and South Island. Sometimes you
can see them in your mahi mara/garden rerere/flying around and being free.
Remember don’t hurt them because they help you. Som
LADYBUGS!!!e live in warmer places than others. 
Mumutawa/ladybirds live in shrubs, trees, mahi mara/gardens, fields, huahake/crops,
parks. Some even live in wharepuni/houses. They also live in native habitats. 






                  
                           Social Behaviour
Some mumutawa/ladybirds are takitahi/individual.
They only pāhikohiko/interact with others of their kind during breeding.
Each kind of mumutawa/ladybirds has its own odor for attracting  a mate.
Some are partly takitahi/individual and gather in large groups. This is during
takurua/winter or while hekenga/migrating. Mumutawa/ladybirds mate in
aroaromahana/spring and early matiti/summer. The male grips the
tuawahine/female from behind and holds on kita/tight.


                                    Feeding time
Mumutawa/ladybirds love to eat just like us. Tuatahi/First of all
Mumutawa/ladybirds are mostly carnivores (Carnivores only eat meat) but
some can also be omnivores ( Omnivores eat both meat and plants ). Carnivores
Mumutawa/ladybirds eat mites, white flies, kuturiki/aphids and scale kata/insects.
Mumutawa/ladybirds that are omnivores eat  mites, white paturongo/flies,
kuturiki/aphids and scaled kata/insects and they eat /pollen and mushrooms.
Mumutawa/ladybirds eat their pārurenga/prey alive. Mumutawa/ladybirds love
kuturiki/aphids.

                                 





                          How do they breed
Mumutawa/ladybirds lay up to 40 eggs at a time. Mumutawa/ladybirds lay
once or more times a year. The eggs of the ladybug is either orange or yellow.
These eggs will hatch within 4-10 days. Ladybirds lay their eggs in clusters or rows
on the underside of a leaf, usually where kuturiki/aphids have gathered.
Mumutawa/ladybirds usually  breed in May but they mate in Koanga/spring and
early Raumati/summer. 
                                                   Threats
The kapatau/threats of the Mumutawa/ladybirds are 11 spotted ladybugs,
poraka/frogs,wasps,spiders,dragonflies,birds. Manu/Birds are the main predators.
Mumutawa/ladybirds will hide in shrubs, trees, grass,and more.The bright colours
of the ladybug are telling predators to tua o tāwauwau/back off!! Also
Mumutawa/ladybirds ooze yucky smelly  toxic liquid that will also tell predators to
tua o tāwauwau/back off!!! Other konihi/predators are assassin bugs, parasitic
wasps, and ants. 

                              
Ending
This is some pārongo/information about Mumutawa/ladybirds.
Remember they help your mahi mara/garden so don’t uruhua/hurt them.
We hope you now know more about Mumutawa/ladybirds and make sure you
kaikanohi/look after them!


Image result for ladybugs

Ladybug life cycle
 Image result for harlequin ladybird nz eggsLadybug eggs
Image result for ladybirds nzLadybug Larvae
Image result for harlequin ladybird nz pupaladybug pupa
Image result for ladybugs








Mumutawa/ladybirds!!!!


1 comment:

  1. Some very interesting information Indi. I liked learning about how they got their name from Lady Mary wearing the red cloak and that they help farmers by controlling pests. Great job using so much te reo in your report. Perhaps next time, once you have introduced the Maori name, Mumutawa, you could keep using this instead of always writing both; Mumutawa/ladybirds. Your reader will understand what you mean since you have told them earlier in the report and it will flow better to read. Great job!

    ReplyDelete

Thank-you for your positive, thoughtful, helpful comments.