410:. Some of the beetles were found north of the town in 1968, next to a nine-hole golf course, but that population was destroyed when the course was expanded to 18 holes. A block of undeveloped habitat surrounded by streets existed in the town of Cromwell itself by the 1970s; two residents used pitfall traps to catch and relocate the beetles from this block over 1975–76, before it was levelled for housing. Much of the rest of the beetle's original 500-hectare range was destroyed by the construction of the
433:
331:
97:
348:
52:
33:
396:
72:
418:. The remaining surviving population of the Cromwell chafer was a 95 hectare triangular area of undeveloped land immediately south-west of Cromwell. In 1979, an 81 ha area was fenced off to protect the population, and in 1983 it was gazetted as the Cromwell Chafer Beetle Nature Reserve: at the time, the only reserve in the world created solely for an invertebrate.
471:, conducted by taking 670 core samples of sand in the reserve and checking them for beetle larvae. Numbers found are usually very low, just a few individuals per survey. The current population of Cromwell chafers is estimated to be approximately 3000 individuals.
309:
The beetles live underground. They spend at least one year as larvae, living buried in the sand and feeding on plant roots. Adults emerge on humid nights on spring and summer for a few hours to feed on lichens and plants – mostly speedwell
1078:
861:
456:, which became established in Central Otago in the 1980s. Redback spiders shelter in rabbit holes in the reserve, and may kill hundreds of chafer beetles a year. The
1027:
302:
which are strongly convex and with deep groves passing along their length. Females are longer and wider than males, but males have a longer hind foot and
894:
364:
The habitat of this beetle is an area of low sand dunes on the
Cromwell river terrace, known as the “Cromwell shallow sand”. The dunes are formed by
1103:
1001:
464:
457:
59:
1088:
1098:
425:. It currently has the Department of Conservation status Nationally Endangered. The main threats to the Cromwell chafer were formerly
904:
835:
806:
351:
796:
1108:
662:
376:
seems to be adapted to burrowing in these inland dunes, its entire natural range was probably never more than 500 hectares.
76:
480:
271:, from "three mutilated individuals found by Mr. J. H. Lewis on the sand-hills of the Molyneaux River." Although its
96:
421:
In 1996, after years of being classed as
Vulnerable, the Cromwell chafer was declared Critically Endangered on the
1032:
485:
380:
255:, New Zealand, which is now a nature reserve. The population of the “Cromwell chafer beetle” is 13 as of 2023.
967:
272:
915:
432:
953:
387:. Regular surveys of the beetle suggest they are only using 12% of the habitat available in the reserve.
1083:
449:
407:
384:
330:
191:
686:
Habitat requirements, translocation and management of the critically endangered
Cromwell chafer beetle
1042:
988:
613:
575:
426:
41:
216:
91:
773:
1050:
975:
802:
658:
1055:
698:
768:
694:
587:
463:
There is an annual survey of
Cromwell chafer numbers – on "Cromwell chafer beetle day" – by
1019:
32:
1093:
657:. Science for Conservation. Vol. 123. Wellington, NZ: Department of Conservation.
453:
395:
1072:
1014:
759:
548:
422:
322:) – and to mate. Males emerge slightly earlier in the year than females, on average.
303:
280:
252:
81:
750:
539:
980:
812:
415:
369:
264:
248:
207:
158:
947:
591:
468:
445:
168:
938:
720:
379:
The species is currently restricted to an 81 hectare nature reserve, between
411:
128:
108:
452:. Recently, the species of most concern has been the introduced Australian
406:
The river terrace the beetle occupies is also the location of the town of
932:
508:
441:
693:(MSc Zoology thesis). Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
1006:
299:
460:
are controlling rabbits and destroying rabbit burrows in the reserve.
962:
244:
148:
138:
118:
909:
684:
576:"Descriptions of new genera and species of New Zealand Coleoptera"
431:
394:
365:
329:
993:
913:
899:
Cromwell chafer and introduced redback spider discussed on RNZ
862:"Endangering the species - whether beetles or dedicated staff"
614:"Morphological variation in adult Cromwell chafer beetles
334:
Cromwell Chafer Beetle Nature
Reserve, south of Cromwell
651:
Conservation monitoring of the
Cromwell chafer beetle (
922:
340:
749:World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996).
538:World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996).
8:
801:. Wellington: Ministry for the Environment.
798:The State of New Zealand's Environment, 1997
1079:IUCN Red List critically endangered species
774:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T18271A7949610.en
910:
649:Ferreira, Sam M.; McKinlay, Bruce (1999).
601:– via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
70:
50:
31:
22:
772:
631:. Department of Conservation, Wellington.
298:This large beetle has pale reddish-brown
414:in 1979 and the subsequent formation of
497:
291:are used in the scientific literature;
721:"Conservation of the Cromwell Chafer,
612:Ferreira, S. M.; McKinlay, B. (1999).
580:Annals and Magazine of Natural History
440:The beetle is preyed on by introduced
337:
834:Ballance, Alison (17 February 2016).
503:
501:
7:
1043:c7c0fe43-039c-4561-8e9a-1fd429f96253
714:
712:
710:
708:
678:
676:
674:
644:
642:
640:
638:
429:, but now are introduced predators.
760:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
625:Conservation Advisory Science Notes
549:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
251:. It is found in just one spot in
14:
399:A male Cromwell chafer beetle on
860:Armstrong, Dave (1 April 2013).
346:
95:
1104:Endangered biota of New Zealand
699:10179/5464#sthash.TJ4fMfI6.dpuf
436:Illustrated by Lesley Alexander
1089:Endemic beetles of New Zealand
732:New Zealand Journal of Ecology
1:
243:) is a species of flightless
368:originally deposited by the
725:(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)"
481:Conservation in New Zealand
354:(2007 TVNZ video, covering
1125:
458:Department of Conservation
263:This species was named by
1099:Beetles described in 1904
592:10.1080/03745480409442966
345:
295:is slightly more common.
222:
215:
197:
190:
92:Scientific classification
90:
68:
48:
39:
30:
25:
683:Curtin, Emma R. (2012).
486:Hedgehogs in New Zealand
326:Habitat and distribution
889:Cromwell chafer on RNZ
655:) between 1986 and 1997
259:Description and biology
26:Cromwell chafer beetle
795:Taylor, Rowan (1997).
437:
403:
335:
318:), and cushion plant (
237:Cromwell chafer beetle
1109:Cromwell, New Zealand
435:
398:
333:
77:Critically Endangered
56:Nationally Endangered
767:: e.T18271A7949610.
719:Watt, J. C. (1979).
891:Critter of the Week
427:habitat destruction
314:), sheep's sorrel (
42:Conservation status
901:Our Changing World
836:"Beetle vs spider"
688:Prodontria lewisii
653:Prodontria lewisii
574:Broun, T. (1904).
438:
404:
336:
269:Prodontria Lewisii
241:Prodontria lewisii
201:Prodontria lewisii
1066:
1065:
1051:Open Tree of Life
968:prodontria-lewisi
954:Prodontria lewisi
924:Prodontria lewisi
916:Taxon identifiers
840:Radio New Zealand
815:on 9 October 2009
753:Prodontria lewisi
723:Prodontria lewisi
616:Prodontria lewisi
542:Prodontria lewisi
511:Prodontria lewisi
401:Raoulia australis
362:
361:
320:Raoulia australis
312:Veronica arvensis
279:, the modernised
233:
232:
226:Prodontria lewisi
85:
63:
16:Species of beetle
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905:17 February 2016
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811:. Archived from
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450:European earwigs
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316:Rumex acetosella
203:
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79:
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57:
54:
53:
35:
23:
1124:
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987:
979:
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931:
918:
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858:
854:
844:
842:
833:
832:
828:
818:
816:
809:
794:
793:
789:
779:
777:
748:
747:
743:
727:
718:
717:
706:
682:
681:
672:
665:
648:
647:
636:
620:
611:
610:
606:
596:
594:
573:
572:
568:
558:
556:
537:
536:
532:
522:
520:
507:
506:
499:
494:
477:
448:, and possibly
393:
358:in second half)
352:Meet the Locals
347:
341:External videos
328:
283:of Lewis, both
273:species epithet
261:
211:
205:
199:
186:
183:P. lewisii
94:
86:
75:
71:
64:
55:
51:
44:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1122:
1120:
1112:
1111:
1106:
1101:
1096:
1091:
1086:
1081:
1071:
1070:
1064:
1063:
1061:
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1047:
1037:
1024:
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998:
985:
972:
959:
944:
928:
926:
920:
919:
914:
908:
907:
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885:
884:External links
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879:
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826:
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663:
634:
604:
566:
530:
496:
495:
493:
490:
489:
488:
483:
476:
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454:redback spider
392:
389:
360:
359:
343:
342:
327:
324:
260:
257:
247:in the family
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28:
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15:
13:
10:
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3:
2:
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866:Dominion Post
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808:0-478-09000-5
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586:(14): 41–59.
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430:
428:
424:
423:IUCN Red List
419:
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409:
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377:
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258:
256:
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253:Central Otago
250:
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227:
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223:
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209:
204:
202:
196:
193:
192:Binomial name
189:
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176:
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83:
78:
67:
61:
47:
43:
38:
34:
29:
24:
21:
19:
1084:Scarabaeidae
923:
900:
895:17 June 2016
890:
869:. Retrieved
865:
855:
843:. Retrieved
839:
829:
817:. Retrieved
813:the original
797:
790:
778:. Retrieved
764:
758:
752:
744:
735:
731:
722:
689:
685:
654:
650:
628:
624:
615:
607:
595:. Retrieved
583:
579:
569:
557:. Retrieved
553:
547:
541:
533:
521:. Retrieved
516:
513:Broun, 1904"
510:
462:
439:
420:
416:Lake Dunstan
405:
400:
391:Conservation
378:
373:
370:Clutha River
363:
355:
319:
315:
311:
308:
297:
292:
288:
284:
276:
268:
262:
249:Scarabaeidae
240:
236:
234:
225:
200:
198:
182:
181:
169:
159:Scarabaeidae
20:
18:
948:Wikispecies
780:16 November
597:19 December
446:little owls
381:Bannockburn
267:in 1904 as
1073:Categories
819:6 December
664:0478218494
492:References
469:Agresearch
374:P. lewisii
170:Prodontria
149:Coleoptera
129:Arthropoda
442:hedgehogs
412:Clyde Dam
356:P. lewisi
177:Species:
115:Kingdom:
109:Eukaryota
933:Wikidata
738:: 22–29.
475:See also
408:Cromwell
385:Cromwell
281:genitive
217:Synonyms
155:Family:
125:Phylum:
119:Animalia
105:Domain:
82:IUCN 3.1
1056:1012030
1007:1058687
994:5010045
939:Q142468
871:16 June
845:17 June
293:lewisii
285:lewisii
277:lewisii
165:Genus:
145:Order:
139:Insecta
135:Class:
80: (
58: (
1040:NZOR:
963:ARKive
805:
661:
559:6 June
523:6 June
519:. 2010
300:elytra
289:lewisi
245:beetle
210:, 1904
60:NZ TCS
1094:Otago
1033:50570
1020:18271
981:4MQDT
728:(PDF)
690:Broun
621:(PDF)
517:NZTCS
372:. As
366:loess
304:tibia
265:Broun
208:Broun
1028:NCBI
1015:IUCN
1002:GBIF
873:2016
847:2016
821:2011
803:ISBN
782:2021
765:1996
659:ISBN
599:2016
561:2020
554:1996
525:2020
467:and
383:and
287:and
275:was
235:The
989:EoL
976:CoL
769:doi
695:hdl
629:227
588:doi
465:DOC
1075::
1053::
1030::
1017::
1004::
991::
978::
965::
950::
935::
903:,
893:,
864:.
838:.
763:.
757:.
734:.
730:.
707:^
673:^
637:^
627:.
623:.
582:.
578:.
552:.
546:.
515:.
500:^
444:,
306:.
875:.
849:.
823:.
784:.
771::
755:"
751:"
736:2
701:.
697::
667:.
618:"
590::
584:7
563:.
544:"
540:"
527:.
509:"
310:(
239:(
84:)
62:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
