publishedrecords's Identifications

Locality: NEW ZEALAND AK, suburb of Saint Johns, University of Auckland Tamaki Campus.

Habitat: Fraxinus sp., probably Fraxinus angustifolia. Three trees planted together in carpark. On foliage in sunshine, at about 1045 hrs. About to deposit an ootheca.

Identification: Balta bicolor Hebard, 1943. Female.

NOTES: This is the first specimen of this species that I have ever encountered. There can be little doubt that this is the same species as was reported, validated new to N.Z., by MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (2009), under the name Balta bicolour [sic!]. MPI has material from two properties in Saint Heliers (AK), submitted in January 2008 and March 2009 (D. Gunawardana, pers. comm.) There is another species of Balta present on campus here, which is very similar, but far more abundant. It is nocturnal, whereas B. bicolor is diurnal. Females have short tegmina. It has no black markings on the legs. The taxonomy of these Australian species is not well sorted out, so identifications should be considered somewhat tentative at present.

REFERENCES
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand 2009: Biosecurity magazine, (91) Whole issue (PDF) [See p. 27; validated new to N.Z., as Balta bicolour]