Larva

Yesterday I visited my favourite puriri tree near the top of Mount Eden. Its deeply furrowed bark is a haven for all kinds of creatures. It must have been a day out for numerous white critters like the one shown here. A larva of some kind of ladybug (hyperaspis sp?). In case you are wondering: less than 2 cm long, and the head is near the bottom left in the picture; the white ‘fur coat’ is a waxy extrusion; they hunt scale insects. (The picture below was taken on another occasion, when no such larvae were about.)

Puriri Trunk