Selwyn Times: October 17, 2018

SELWYN TIMES Wednesday October 17 2018 25
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Backyard Critters
Is it a midge or mozzi?
Mike Bowie is
an ecologist
who specialises
in entomology
(insects
and other
invertebrates). Each
week he introduces a
new species found in
his backyard at Lincoln.
His column aims to raise
public awareness of
biodiversity, the variety
of living things around
us. Check out the full list
of invertebrates found at
http://naturewatch.org.
nz/projects/backyardbiodiversity-bugs-in-lincoln
A NON-BITING midge that
is commonly mistaken for
a mosquito is the lake fly
(chironomus zealandicus).
Often seen in spring and
summer, the lake fly can swarm
in huge numbers around Te
Waihora/Lake Ellesmere and can
resemble a miniature tornado.
Likewise, the larvae are
thought to be one of the most
dominant sediment fauna in the
lake, providing an important
food source for fish and wading
birds.
Adults are about 10mm long
and have a slender, striped
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HARMLESS: A lake fly is a non-biting midge commonly
mistaken for a mosquito. ​
abdomen. Males have feathery
antennae, while the females do
not.
The sole purpose of the adults
is to mate, so they only live
between one and five days and do
not feed.
Up to 3000 eggs can be laid in
a gelatinous mass which helps it
adhere to the bank or to sticks.
Eggs take two to seven days
to hatch and larvae burrow into
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This helps them live in
stagnant, oxygen-poor water,
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• By Louis Day
PAST AND present pupils
and staff will come together as
Springston School marks 150
years.
The jubilee will officially start
on Friday with afternoon tea at
the Springston Community Hall
and continue on Saturday with
the Springston country fete at
the school.
Neville Benny, who attended
the school in the 1940s, will open
the celebrations by cutting the
cake at the afternoon tea with his
grandson, Stirling.
Mr Benny is a member of the
125th jubilee committee. He
said he was looking forward
to celebrating and catching up
with old friends. “I was never
very keen on going to school like
most people, but looking back, it
was a great place to go to school.”
Mr Benny said things had
changed for the better since his
schooling days. “I think teachers
are more with the kids today.
Back in the old days, if you didn’t
do something right, you got the
strap or got lines.”
The 150th celebration started
last term with pupils’ performing
The Accidental Time Machine.
Principal Dianne Prendergast
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Springfield School to
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JUBILEE: Poppy, Neville
Benny, Charlotte and Brian
Everest are looking forward
to the 150th celebration.
said the jubilee was an opportunity
to celebrate how far
the school has come since the
earthquakes. “We are in a place
where we are feeling more settled
and consistent. Now we’re just
hoping for good weather and a
good turn out from the public in
celebrating our school.”
Mrs Prendergast said the fete
provides an opportunity for
people to get their Christmas
shopping under way. The fete
will feature 80 stalls, with a
range of quality gifts, fresh food
and wine, and entertainment for
children such as bumper boats
and a bouncy castle.
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