Learn about Ngaokeoke/Peripatus

Earth and SoilBugs/ Invertebrates
Written By Kim Manunui

Is it a caterpillar or a worm? Let’s learn about the incredible lives of ngaokeoke, one of Aotearoa’s living fossils that has been around for more than 500 million years!

Ngaokeoke play an important role in the decomposition of dead and dying trees. If you are in the right place you might be able to find ngaokeoke living inside logs.

These incredible creatures are predators that shoot a sticky substance to trap other bugs , then use their spit/saliva to dissolve their prey so that they can drink their internal fluids. Some of them lay eggs, and others have live young. They come in a range of colours including indigo, blue and purple with orange spots! Their pores are always open and they dry out quickly, so you are most likely to find them in damp leaf litter (especially under nikau fronds) and rotten logs. If you do find ngaokeoke during the day, be careful to cover them over as quickly as possible to prevent them drying out. They are nocturnal, so you may spot them on trees and logs at night, especially on a wet night after a long dry spell. The pictures below are all ngaokeoke that have been found by Kids Greening Taupō students on bug hunts. We think they are beautiful!

Ngaokeoke are so special that they even have their own phylum: Onychophora. They are believed to be a missing link between caterpillars and worms, but not much is known about these unique and elusive creatures!

Learn more about ngaokeoke/peripatus in this information from DOC

Or, in this great Predator Free New Zealand article 

Students from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Whakarewa I Te Reo Ki Tuwharetoa discovered these beautiful taonga at one of our local community planting days in 2020.

The pamphlet below is from DOC and has some great information. You can go to the original source here for a pdf: https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/conservation/native-animals/invertebrates/peripatus-facts-brochure.pdf

Kim Manunui

Hi, I’m Kim and I work with a great team to help individuals, as well as small and not so small businesses get their message, product and services to the world using digital media and creating wonderful websites that don’t cost the earth.

I was born in Canada, and grew up around Vancouver and the mountains of British Columbia. My love of pristine environments led me to New Zealand and eventually to the mountains, lakes and rivers of the central North Island which is home. My family’s heritage is here, and it’s from here that Korio traverses the planet.

The digital world is never static and neither are we.

And I say ‘we’ because I work with an awesome group of talented people who I gather together as required to complete a project.  Whatever your business, not-for-profit or individual needs are we gather the best team to get the job done.

Collaboratively we are creative, share sustainable values and work hard for great outcomes because that’s the buzz of satisfaction that drives us.

If you have an audience and market to reach, we can make that happen. Creative design, words that work and smart behind the scenes stuff that cuts through the online noise. We’ll design your website and then build it. We’ll manage the content as well as all your hosting needs. We can handle your online advertising so you get noticed,
and we’ll manage your social media presence so you get the clicks, likes and engagement to grow your business. All within the budget you set, because none of this needs to cost the earth.  And the job doesn’t stop when your website goes live. We are your virtual business partner.

https://www.korio.co.nz
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