Coastal Restoration Trust of New Zealand

Coastal Dune Ecosystem Reference Database

Recommendations for marram control, Tahakopa Bay, Otago Technical Report

Author
Barnes, P.; Bergin, D.; Hilton, M.; Morgan, T.; Nottage, R.
Year
1999
Pages
22
Species
Ficinia spiralis, pingao, pikio, golden sand sedge, Desmoschoenus spiralis, Ammophila arenaria, marram, marram grass
Keywords
invasion ecology, geomorphology, inventories, survey, ecology
Summary
Data are presented on the life cycles of eight species of Neolimnia, an endemic New Zealand genus of snail-killing flies. Habitats, geographical distributions, biological features of adults and immature stages, including adult and larval behaviour and feeding habits, and phenology are discussed. Larvae of subgenus Pseudolimnia live in aquatic environments; those of N. (P.) repo, N. (P.) sigma, and N. (P.) ura prey on aquatic pulmonate snails, but those of N. (P.) tranquilla prey on aquatic prosobranch snails. Larvae of Neolimnia (Neolimnia) castanea, N. (N.) irrorata, N. (JV.) obscura, and N. (N.) striata live in terrestrial environments, and apparently prey overtly on terrestrial snails in nature, but will also attack aquatic snails in laboratory rearings.