huhu beetle whose grub fed generations of Māori

Size
Length: 3–5 cm, Weight: 5–10 g
Lifespan
2–3 years
Diet
Larvae (huhu grubs) feed on decaying wood of native and exotic trees, particularly pine. Adults do not feed. Larvae are a traditional Māori food source.
Habitat
Anywhere with dead or decaying wood. Adults are nocturnal and biologically obsessed with bright lights. The demolition crew of pine plantations and native forests.
Range
Found throughout the North and South Islands in native forests and exotic pine plantations. Most common in lowland areas with abundant dead and decaying wood.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
None significant. This native species is widespread and abundant. Larvae are considered a pest in pine plantations, but the species is secure and culturally significant.
Population
Huhu beetles have thrived by pivoting from native timber to exotic pine forests. Their populations are stable and abundant wherever dead wood exists.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
The heavy transport of the New Zealand air reaches up to five centimetres in length, not including the long, segmented antennae. These impressive, mahogany-coloured beasts have wing covers (elytra) with a distinct, vein-like reticulated pattern, looking a bit like a topographical map of a rugged hillside. Their flight mechanics are what really stick in the memory. They are not precision fliers. They are momentum-based. Once a huhu gets up to speed, it struggles to steer, which is why they tend to double-park themselves directly into your forehead or your beer glass. The life of a huhu is a classic ninety-nine percent preparation, one percent party scenario. The grub spends up to three years deep inside a log, chewing through solid wood with massive, black mandibles. They are the primary recyclers of the forest, breaking down fallen giants and turning them back into soil. By the time they pupate and emerge as adults, they have stored up a massive amount of energy. The adult huhu beetle does not eat. Its mouthparts are non-functional for feeding. They are purely for defence, and they can give you a very sharp, indignant nip if you handle them poorly. Because they cannot eat, the adult's entire existence is a road trip that never ends. They have roughly two weeks to find a mate and lay eggs before their battery runs out. That creates a frantic, clumsy desperation to their nighttime antics. They are biologically programmed to navigate by the moon, which is why a sixty-watt porch light completely ruins their internal GPS. They fly towards the light, hit the wall, recover, and do it again until they either succeed in their mission or become a midnight snack for a ruru (morepork). The clumsy, heavy-set regulars of every Kiwi summer night keep the forest floor clean one mouthful of wood at a time.