Selwyn Times: March 18, 2020

SELWYN TIMES Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday March 18 2020 13
News
BACKYARD CRITTERS
Kenshin Hayashi
Jacinda Riley ​
Lincoln High School’s
top academics named
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 www.inaturalist.org/
projects/backyard-biodiversity-bugs-in-my-lincoln-section
Magpie moth often
mistaken for butterfly
A STUNNING looking day-flying
moth that is often mistaken for
a butterfly is the magpie moth,
Nyctemera annulata.
This moth has black wings
with white markings on the
them. The thorax and abdomen
are striped black and orange,
with a wingspan of 35-45mm.
The magpie moth is a New
Zealand endemic and is found
throughout both islands.
Females lay yellow eggs on
undersides of native and exotic
Senecio species, ragwort and
cineraria.
Larvae, or woolly bears as they
are often called, are very hairy,
black and yellow in colour, and
about 35mm when fully grown.
The alkaloids used by plants
as defence against herbivores are
sequestered by larvae and utilised
for their own defence against
birds.
The striped orange and black
markings on both larvae and
moths is a warning of their toxic
bitter taste.
Only the shining cuckoo is
capable of eating the caterpillars.
Magpie moth pupae are also
parasitised by a native wasp
species.
LINCOLN HIGH School has
named its top academic year 11
and 12 students for last year.
The Maureen Drayton Cup
for Excellence in year 12 went to
Kenshin Hayashi while the Pauline
Miller Cup for Excellence in
year 11 was awarded to Jacinda
Riley.
The students achieved the
overall highest academic standard
in their year levels.
Deputy principal Stephen
Rout said they hold the awards
off until the following year
until the final NCEA results are
known.
Along with Jacinda, Seamus
Moran-Tanner, Daniel Dachs,
Megan Gibbs, Amy Wheeldon,
Caroline Richards, Ellie Walker
and Sophie Parker were awarded
the year 11 elite scholar awards
for students who achieved at least
80 excellence credits.
Kai Wong, Reuben Maddock,
Rosie Bicknell, Aliya Mottus,
Haig Bishop, Cassandra Ngo and
Kenshin all received year 12 elite
scholar awards for also achieving
at least 80 excellence credits.
Mr Rout said they also
acknowledged students who
achieved a merit or excellence
endorsement and first in a
subject.
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