This week Phil has photographed a creature so rare that it has only been seen a few times.
Flatworm (Platyhelminths).
"The image is not quite as good as I would like," says Phil, "but this flatworm is so rare that it has only been seen a few times all north of Taupo."
This species that Phil has photographed is so rare that it does not yet have a name. "I have now seen it four times in the last two years all in the same place. This one was about 250mm long with a red brown pointed head. Just last week I found a black one with a white strip down its back and white around the edges which had a long narrow neck to its head, this one seem to be a bit different to anything I can find on the net."
Maungatautari Ecological Island has 47kms of predator proof fencing encircling some 3400 hectares and is largely pest-free. "By keeping the pest off Maungatautari we are now starting to see some unusual insects," says Phil.
