My Native Kaytdid NZ Writing

We have been learning about minibeasts in class as part of science. We have been creating information reports on a minibeast of our choice. The minibeast we chose had to live in Aotearo/NZ. Here is my writing I worked with luken for this topic.

Physical Features

The NZ Katydid is green and it jumps very high. The Katydid is related to weta. They’re also a type of bush cricket and grasshopper. The grasshopper is a type of insect. The Kikipounamu/katydid are moeao(nocturnal) and are also able to fly. Their life span can be a little bit shorter than a year.

Habitat

The Kikipounamu like to live down low and not up high. They’re sometimes found where there are lots of plants around. They’re mostly found in Shrubs. They live(wahi noho) in shrubs and near plants so they can move underneath the leaves (rau) and not be seen. They also can live in gardens.

What They Eat

KikiPounamu’s favourite food(kai) to eat is flowers(puaka) and flower stems. Their most common food to eat is fruit because it lives in gardens and in the gardens there is lots of fruit growing. Their least favourite food is other little types of insects(mu) like aphids (aphids are a type of little green insect). Out of all the insects they mostly eat aphids because they’re the tastiest insect that’s smaller than them.

Reproduction

The Kikipounamu lay their eggs (heki) at night because they’re moeao (nocturnal). Plants are a very important role in the reproduction and lifecycle. The eggs are laid on the ground in the soil in the gardens. The females have a long straight organ that comes out of their body and lays the eggs (heki in the soil. 

Social Behaviour
The Kikipounamu doesn’t often live in groups but if they do live in groups they will be very small groups. They don’t talk to each other if they are not in a group. Only the ladies (wahine) are in groups. Only the ladies (wahine) are social, unlike the male (tane) Kikipounamu. The girl (wahine) katydids are very playful unlike the  male (tane) katydids.The Kikipounamu makes a chirping sound.

Threats

Cats are predators to Kikipounamu, also possums,rats and stoats. Us humans have to stop destroying their homes by picking flowers off bushes. We need to stop wrecking their habitat. “It’s the

right thing to do.”

                         By Kayden And Luken [ZB]