Lincoln University
Faculty of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Department of Ecology
Bayerboost Project Summaries
These projects are suitable for Year 12 and 13 high school biology students. Applications must be
made via the Bayerboost website http://www.bayerboost.co.nz/hosts.html. If you would like any
further information on the following projects, please contact Mike Bowie at Lincoln University,
Mike.Bowie@lincoln.ac.nz.
Student Project Summary 1
Significant Natural Areas (SNA) in Selwyn District will be monitored for the presence of rare or
threatened invertebrate species using a number of collection techniques.
Related Science Topics/Areas
Entomology, biodiversity, ecology
Brief outline of what student would be doing
 Collecting invertebrates from different habitats using several entomological
techniques
 Sorting invertebrates into taxonomic families
 Curation of invertebrate material for identification and display
Staff who would supervise the student
Mike Bowie and Rowan Emberson
Student Project Summary 2
Resampling ground beetles at Ahuriri Scenic Reserve, Port Hills 30 years after it was last
sampled. This will give a measure of how the invertebrate fauna has fared over this time.
Related Science Topics/Areas
Entomology, biodiversity, restoration
Brief outline of what student would be doing
 Collecting ground beetles from pitfall traps
 Sorting invertebrates into taxonomic families
 Curation and analysis of invertebrate material
Staff who would supervise the student
Mike Bowie and Rob Cruickshank
Student Project Summary 3
Abundance, behaviour and distribution of the Mt Somers Bluff weta. The Mt Somers area will
be searched for the presence of the weta and the ecology and behaviour will be studied using
radio tracking equipment to try to understand more about this rare species.
Related Science Topics/Areas
Entomology, conservation, behaviour, ecology
Brief outline of what student would be doing
 Searching for the weta
 Recording locations using a GPS and inserting onto digital map
 Observing behaviour and ecology in the field
Staff who would supervise the student
Mike Bowie and Warren Chinn
Student Project Summary 4
The Canterbury knobbled weevil (Hadramphus tuberculatus) was recently rediscovered at
Burkes Pass 80 years after it was thought to be extinct. Numbers of weevil in the Burkes Pass
population are critically low making this species extremely vulnerable. The weevil lives on
speargrass (Aciphylla) in the presence of native predators (lizards) and introduced predators
(rodents). This project aims to determine the threat that these predators have on this rare
weevil.
Related Science Topics/Areas
Entomology, conservation, ecology
Brief outline of what student would be doing
 Visual searches and tracking tunnel analysis of predators
 Electronic monitoring of weevil predators
 Analysis of habitat, diet and movement of weevil predators
Staff who would supervise the student
Mike Bowie and Warren Chinn
Student Project Summary 5
The eastern part of Banks Peninsula has some significant patches of remnant bush that has
not been surveyed for rare invertebrates, some species that have not been collected for
decades and presumed extinct e.g. Megacolabus sculpturatus. The aim is to search for these
species at several sites in the hope that we can find some of these missing or some other
unknown species.
Related Science Topics/Areas
Entomology, biodiversity, ecology
Brief outline of what student would be doing
 Collecting invertebrates from different habitats using several entomological techniques
 Sorting invertebrates into taxonomic families
 Curation of invertebrate material for identification and display
Staff who would supervise the student
Mike Bowie and Rowan Emberson