Bug day!
15 February 2025 - 15 February 2025
10 am – 3 pm
Region(s): Otago
Type(s): presentations, experiences
Get ready for a bug bonanza at Tūhura Otago Museum! Celebrate the wonders of bugs as the museum supports the velvet worm in the race for New Zealand Bug of the Year.
Peripatus/ngāokeoke
New Zealand peripatus (Peripatoides novaezealandiae), commonly called velvet worms, are unusual in that they are little changed from 500 million years ago and have their own phylum: Onychophora. They can be found throughout New Zealand, mostly in cool, shady and damp areas, and only come out at night to prey on other invertebrates, which they catch with jets of sticky fluid.
For more information on peripatus, see this Predator Free NZ article Peripatus is a sharp-shooting ‘living fossil’.
This family-friendly day out is packed with exciting activities, hands-on workshops and fascinating bug science!
What’s On
Bug Poetry: Enjoy readings from New Zealand’s first-ever Bug Poetry Competition.
Meet the Experts: Learn from local bug scientists about the vital role bugs play in our world.
Hands-On Fun
Craft a Valentine's Day card for your favourite bugs!
Make your own robotic bug
Create seed bombs for pollinators
Feed a real honeybee
Face painting with bug designs!
Let’s give a big cheer for bugs—we can’t live without them!
Venue: Tūhura Otago Museum , 419 Great King Street, Dunedin
For more information and to book, see: www.tepapa.govt.nz/visit/whats-on/events/bug-year-collection-tour
Related content
In the Connected article City of bugs, students teamed up with a scientist to find out which ecosystem in their city had the most invertebrates and to find a peripatus (ngāokeoke or velvet worm).
For more on insects, see these key articles:
All about insects – PLD webinar
Discover how insects use their antennae in this fascinating article.
Our article Living World – Insects, provides links to the wide range of Science Learning Hub resources for teachers related to insects in the Living World strand of the New Zealand Curriculum.
Visit our We love bugs! Pinterest board for links to more resources and community activities.