Bug of the Year 2024
Across
- 4. This bug lives up to its name, able to grow bigger than a large fist
- 6. This bug climbs trees to hunt in the Chatham Islands
- 8. Larvae of these fungus gnats draw in millions of dollars for NZ tourism each year (Te Reo)
- 9. This bug is a member of some of the loudest invertebrates in the world
- 14. These bugs live in the soil where they help to cycle nutrients
- 15. This bug relies on native nettle, on which it lays its eggs (Te Reo)
- 17. This nocturnal predator relies on smells and vibrations produced by its prey to hunt
- 18. This small bug's Latin name was dedicated to small heroes from The Lord of The Rings
- 19. This voracious predator paralyses its prey with jets of sticky liquid spewed from its mouth (Te Reo)
Down
- 1. This obligate parasite shares an intimate evolutionary history with its host and namesake
- 2. These bugs are some of the most efficient predators in the world, catching prey even better than lions or sharks (Te Reo)
- 3. This predator controls pest insect populations, hunting and feeding pests to their larvae (Te Reo)
- 5. This spotted garden-helper can eat more than 100 aphids in a single day
- 7. This bug can make sounds heard kilometers away by stridulating its legs
- 10. This region features the only protected land dedicated to an insect in the world, the beetle who shares its name
- 11. This bug is only found in alpine regions of the South Island
- 12. This bug's relatives overseas can carry nasty diseases, but in Aotearoa they are disease-free
- 13. These enigmatic lovers are renown for sexual cannibalism
- 15. This is one of the most venomous animals found in Aotearoa (Te Reo)
- 16. This flying bug is the only member of its genus