cpainting's Favorites

Two males apparently contesting access to a female. Although not apparent from the photo, the male on the right was noticeably smaller than the other male. They briefly pressed their heads together ('face-to-face') as if pushing each other before the smaller male backed away and, shortly after, scuttled away. The larger male then appeared to copulate briefly with the female and remained with her.

This was on the lichen-encrusted side of an old wooden trailer. The only other places I've found these are on lacebarks and mallow. After two photographs it disappeared — didn't see whether it dropped off or flew away.

These two were on the underside of a lacebark trunk that was growing sideways from a bank. The female appeared to be ovipositing (see second photograph).
This is an old record, but I'm adding it because this species appears not to have been recorded on NatureWatch NZ.
Incidentally, I have photographs taken indoors of a male collected from (and later released back onto) the introduced mallow. I've found them before on mallow.

Male, on dead twigs of lacebark (Hoheria sp.). Saw two males, but this was the only satisfactory photograph I managed. Beating these branches produced two females, one of which I managed to photograph (photograph 2). I was intrigued to see she was able to jump, rather like a flea beetle. The males can fly, as I found out when trying to encourage one to a more convenient position for photographing.