Occurrence in New Zealand

Echthromorpha intricatoria is evidently a somewhat recent immigrant into New Zealand. Ashmead (1900) was the first to record this species from New Zealand. (Hudson in 1926 records this species from several localities in New Zealand.) He records a specimen captured in Wellington in February, 1922. Four species taken at Farewell Spit in November, 1923, and during March, 1925, his daughter took five specimens flying over nettle bushes (Urtica ferox) near Sinclair Heads, Wellington. Hudson considered that this species was a recent arrival in New Zealand, as he had never captured it before, although he had been actively collecting since 1880. Gourlay (1926) in the same year published further records of this species' occurrence in New Zealand, and from the records given showed that it was well distributed over the South Island. The first record of its occurrence in New Zealand, according to Gourlay, dated from January, 1915, when Mr. C. C. Fenwick captured a specimen at Longwood Range, near Orepuki. The next record is from Invercargill in February, 1916. In 1920 it was common in the Nelson District and in 1926 specimens were taken from Roxburgh, Central Otago. The Fields Instructor of Agriculture, Invercargill, reported this species in considerable numbers in gardens and on buildings at Morton Mains, Invercargill, on 9th February, 1949. From the above records it would appear that E. intricatoria has become established in New Zealand within the last 60 years.