the tufted capuchin ( sapajus apella ) , also known as brown capuchin , black-capped capuchin , or pin monkey is a new world primate from south america .

as traditionally defined , it is one of the most widespread primates in the neotropics , but it has recently been recommended considering the black-striped , black and golden-bellied capuchins as separate species in a new genus , thereby effectively limiting the tufted capuchin to the amazon basin and nearby regions .

the tufted capuchin is an omnivorous animal , mostly feeding on fruits and invertebrates , although it sometimes feeds on small vertebrates ( e.g. lizards and bird chicks ) and other plant parts .

it can be found in many different kinds of environment , including moist tropical and subtropical forest , dry forest , and disturbed or secondary forest .

like other capuchins , it is a social animal , forming groups of 8 to 15 individuals that are led by an alpha or dominant male .

tufted capuchin

the oldest tufted capuchin was held in captivity and survived for a whopping 45 years .
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spinozzi g , castorina m , truppa v . hand preferences in unimanual and coordinated bimanual tasks by tufted capuchin monkeys (
cebus apella of the cebidae family is better known as the tufted capuchin . the tufted capuchin is a new world primate located in south america . tufted capuchins spend most of their time within the mid - canopy of rain - forests ; however they do sometimes move to the ground to play and forage .
the black capuchin monkey ( cebus nigritus ) , is a capuchin monkey from south america . it is found in brazil and argentina . the robust tufted capuchin ( cebus nigritus robustus ) , is a subspecies of the black capuchin endemic to brazil . conservation status – vulnerable .
cooperative problem solving by tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus apella ) : spontaneous division of labor , communication , and reciprocal altruism .
other names : black - capped capuchin , brown capuchin , guianan brown capuchin , tufted capuchin ; gekuifde kapucijnaap ( dutch ) ; sajon apelle ( french ) ; macaco prego ( spanish ) ; tjockhuvudtamarin , brun kapucin , gulbröstad kapucin , mösskapucin ( swedish ) ; c . a . apella : mono capuchin pardo ( spanish ) .
tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus apella ) wash their feet and hands in urine to get comfort or sex , research now suggests .
analysis of tufted capuchin ( cebus apella ) courtship and sexual behavior repertoire : changes throughout the female cycle and female interindividual differences .
rylands ab , kierulff mcm , mittermeier ra ( 2005 ) . notes on the taxonomy and distributions of the tufted capuchin monkeys (
linomgelli l , sonetti mg , visalberghi e . hand preference of tufted capuchins (
cooperative problem solving by tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus apella ) : spontaneous division of labor , communication , and reciprocal altruism . - pubmed - ncbi
spinozzi , g . , and cacchiarelli , b . ( 2000 ) . manual laterality in haptic and visual reaching tasks by tufted capuchin monkeys (
if a baby capuchin monkey is separated from its mother , other capuchin monkeys will respond and care for the infant monkey .
westergaard gc , byrne g , suomi sj . early lateral bias in tufted capuchins (
westergaard gc , suomi s . hand preference for a bimanual task in tufted capuchins (
the large - headed capuchin monkey ( cebus apella macrocephalus ) , is a subspecies of the tufted capuchin from south america . it is found in brazil , colombia , ecuador and peru . conservation status – least concern .
analysis of tufted capuchin ( cebus apella ) courtship and sexual behavior repertoire : changes throughout the female cycle and female interindividual . . . - pubmed - ncbi
the tufted capuchin has been observed using containers to hold water , using sponges to absorb juice , and using stones as hammers and chisels to penetrate barriers .
the tufted capuchin gets its name from the tufts of dark hair that form above its ears , that makes it appear as if it is wearing a cap ( or mickey mouse ears ) . tufted capuchins are sexually dimorphic , with the average weight of the male being 34 % larger than that of the female . wild male tufted capuchins have an average weight of 8 lbs , and the average female weighs 5 . 5 lbs ; though captive capuchins can grow larger . tufted capuchins move quadrupedally , and have strong prehensile tails . however , tufted capuchins are the only species of capuchin that carries its tail in a tight coil . a tufted capuchin rarely uses its tail while traveling , but uses it for balance while it is feeding .
fragaszy , d . m . , and visalberghi , e . ( 1989 ) . social influences on the acquisition of tool - using behaviors in tufted capuchin monkeys
the tufted capuchin monkey ( cebus apella ) , also known as brown capuchin or black - capped capuchin is a new world primate from south america . it is one of the more widespread species of primates in the neotropics . tufted capuchins are omnivorous animals , mostly feeding on fruits and invertebrates , although they sometimes feed on small vertebrates ( lizards and bird chicks ) and other plant parts .
explorers named the capuchin monkey after a group of friars known as the order of friars minor capuchin . these monks wear large brown robes and brown hoods that resemble the color scheme of the capuchin monkey . some female capuchins have been observed throwing rocks at males in order to garner their attention for intimacy . tufted capuchin monkeys skillfully use tools to crack open hard nuts .
the tufted capuchin can be found in a number of locations including : amazon rainforest , south america . find out more about these places and what else lives there .
the following habitats are found across the tufted capuchin distribution range . find out more about these environments , what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them .
cite this page as : gron kj . 2009 april 17 . primate factsheets : tufted capuchin ( cebus apella ) conservation . < urltoken > . accessed 2018 july 9 .
cite this page as : gron kj . 2009 april 17 . primate factsheets : tufted capuchin ( cebus apella ) behavior . < urltoken > . accessed 2018 july 9 .
the tufted capuchin is arboreal , but it often forages on the ground to search for food or to walk longer distances between trees that are too far apart to jump .
tufted capuchins look for food in groups ; a trait that is unique compared to most other species .
hunting for food and as a crop pest of the tufted capuchin is also a significant threat to its numbers . fragmentation of tufted capuchin habitat also serves to bring the species into further contact with people causing crop - raiding conflict as well as facilitating hunting access ( fragaszy et al . 2004 ) . in one instance , a village of indigenous brazilians killed and consumed over two hundred tufted capuchins in under a year ( nascimento & peres cited in chapman & peres 2001 ) .
the capuchin ' s range includes central america ( honduras ) and middle south america ( brazil , eastern peru and paraguay ) . the white faced capuchin is native to central america and the other capuchin species are native to south america .
spinozzi , g . , castorina , m . g . , and truppa , v . ( 1998 ) . hand preferences in unimanual and coordinated - bimanual tasks by tufted capuchin monkeys (
cooperative problem solving by tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus apella ) : spontaneous division of labor , communication , and reciprocal altruism . | center for academic research and training in anthropogeny ( carta )
tufted capuchin by frans de waal . powell k : economy of the mind . plos biol 1 / 3 / 2003 : e77 . url : urltoken ( accessed on 1 april 2010 )
phylogenetic relationships : a preliminary reassessment of the diversity of the untufted capuchin monkeys .
phylogenetic relationships : a preliminary reassessment of the diversity of the untufted capuchin monkeys .
capuchin monkey ,
mindy ' s memory primate sanctuary website , 2007 .
the capuchin monkeys are the group of new world monkeys classified as genus cebus .
fragaszy , d . m . , visalberghi , e . , and galloway , a . ( 1997a ) . infant tufted capuchin monkeys ' behaviour with novel foods : opportunism , not selectivity .
structural analysis of tool - use by tufted capuchins ( cebus apella ) and chimpanzees ( pan troglodyt . . .
the black - striped capuchin monkey ( cebus libidinosus ) , is a new world capuchin monkey from south america . it is found in brazil , argentina and paraguay .
cite this page as : gron kj . 2009 april 17 . primate factsheets : tufted capuchin ( cebus apella ) taxonomy , morphology , & ecology . < urltoken > . accessed 2018 july 9 .
the tufted capuchin ( sapajus apella ) , also known as the brown capuchin , black - capped capuchin , or pin monkey , is a new world monkey in the cebidae family of monkeys and is found in the northern rainforests of guyana , venezuela , and brazil . the tufted capuchin is stronger and more durably built than other capuchins ; with brownish gray fur and black hands and feet . they are notable for the tuft of hair on their heads that can be raised like a wig , with the movie “the hangover 2” making the tufted capuchin’s “hairstyle” iconic . many people believe that their hair resembles that of elvis presley , but it is actually an adaptation that allows them to remain camouflaged as they hunt for insects that make up a significant portion of their diet .
primatologist kimran miller at the university of northern iowa in cedar falls and her colleagues focused on tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus apella ) for 10 months at the national institutes of health animal center in maryland .
sampaio dt , ferrari sf . ( 2005 ) . predation of an infant titi monkey ( callicebus moloch ) by a tufted capuchin ( cebus apella ) . folia primatol , 76 , 113 - 115 .
blond capuchin , cebus queirozi ( new species , mendes pontes et al . 2006 )
bearded capuchin monkeys , sapajus libidinosus , belong to the tufted group of capuchin monkey species ( rylands et al . 2000 ; silva júnior 2001 ) . it occurs in the central portion of the tufted species geographic distribution , in areas of the atlantic , caatinga , and cerrado domains ( silva júnior 2001 ) . the colour varies from light brown to yellow ; the cap is brown , short with two tufts .
spinozzi , g . , and truppa , v . ( 1999 ) . hand preferences in different tasks by tufted capuchins (
galloway , a . t . , fragaszy , d . m . , mccabe , a . m . , and visalberghi , e . ( submitted ) . differences in food neophobia between groups of tufted capuchin monkeys
is the only species of capuchin monkey known to carry its tail in a tight coil .
capuchin monkeys belong to the cebidae family with the marmosets , tamarins , and squirrel monkeys .
photograph showing a capuchin monkey using her left hand while engaged in the tool use task .
the mtcoii sequence alignments were carried out manually and with the dna alignment program ( fluxus technology ltd . ) , and to reconstruct the possible phylogeography and the phylogeny of the tufted capuchins , several analyses were undertaken . the findmodel program was applied to determine which among 28 different evolutionary nucleotide models was the most probable for the tufted capuchin sequence set .
the tufted capuchin ( cebus apella ) is a new world primate commonly found in south and latin america . they have the largest brain relatively to their size among all the other species of monkey . this gives them the intelligences , unheard of in the wild . the tufted capuchin is an omnivorous animal feeding mainly on fruits , nuts , insects and small vertebrates . they are well known for astonishing problem solving abilities to help them forage for food .
a capuchin troop catch punarã© rats that have been flushed from the rocks by a rat snake .
the age of weaning for the capuchin monkey is estimated for the first 13 - 14 months .
the range of the capuchin monkeys includes central america ( honduras ) and middle south america ( middle brazil , eastern peru , paraguay ) . capuchin monkeys generally resemble the friars of their namesake .
adams - curtis , l . e . ( 1990 ) . conceptual learning in capuchin monkeys .
phillips ka , sherwood cc . primary motor cortex asymmetry is correlated with handedness in capuchin monkeys (
the kaapori capuchin monkey ( cebus kaapori ) is a capuchin monkey endemic to brazil . this species is found in the brazilian states of para and maranhao . formerly considered a subspecies of the weeper capuchin ( cebus olivaceus ) , it was recently elevated to species status . conservation status – vulnerable .
listed as least concern on the iucn’s red list of threatened species and appendix ii of convention of international trade in endangered species ( cites ) , the tufted capuchin currently has no major threats that could result in a drastic population loss .
tufted capuchin social organization is characterized by discrete hierarchies of rank between both sexes and different age classes ( izawa 1980 ) . both male and female rank hierarchies are correlated with age , with the older individuals typically being higher ranked than younger individuals ( izawa 1980 ) . tufted capuchin groups are often small , numbering in the teens or lower twenties with only one to several adult males and around the same number of adult females ( izawa 1980 ; defler 1982 ) . it is suggested that when troop size approaches around twenty individuals , the chances of group fission increase and such fission limits group size ( izawa 1994 ) . there is some evidence that tufted capuchin society might be matrilineal , as matrilines remain together when group fission occurs ( izawa 1994 ) . tufted capuchin group home ranges can overlap , often with the ranges of more than two groups overlapping the same area ( spironello 2001 ) . this common territory is the result of the lack of territorial defense by a single tufted capuchin group ( defler 1982 ) . when different groups encounter one another , interactions range from peaceful curiosity and tolerance of the other group to active chasing away by adult males ( defler 1982 ; spironello 2001 ) .
westergaard , g . c . , and suomi , s . j . ( 1994b ) . the use of probing tools by tufted capuchins
mitra , d . , fragaszy , d . m . , feuerstein , j . , and toll , l . ( 1993 ) . sometimes you feel like a nut : the social context of resource exploitation by juvenile tufted capuchin monkeys (
di bitetti , m . s . ( 2001 ) . home - range use by the tufted capuchin monkey ( cebus apella nigritus ) in a subtropical rainforest of argentina . j . zool . lond . , 253 , 33 - 45 .
di bitteti , m . s . 2001 . home - range use by the tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus apella nigritus ) in a subtropical rainforest of argentina . journal of zoology ( london ) 253 : 33 - 45 . [ links ]
capuchin monkeys wash their feet and hands in urine to get comfort or sex , research now suggests .
capuchin monkeys are able to be transferred from group to group between ages 2 - 5 years old .
baby capuchin monkeys learn many of their behaviors from observing their mother and other members of their community .
fragaszy dm , mitchell sr . hand preference and performance on unimanual and bimanual tasks in capuchin monkeys (
because of their intelligence , tufted capuchins are popular pets to have across the world . they are also heavily hunted by humans . despite this , tufted capuchins are not endangered , and their status is classified as “of least concern . ” tufted capuchins can be found at the san diego zoo where there is a group of 6 males and 9 females . these capuchins were previously used in behavioral studies at the yerkes national primate research center .
oliveira mm , langguth a ( 2006 ) . rediscovery of marcgrave’s capuchin monkey and designation of a neotype for
a major component of the capuchin monkey is their communication . they use vocalization to hold together group dynamics .
also the female capuchin monkey may follow a male monkey yelling or hollering to communicate their readiness to mate .
the weeper capuchin monkey ( cebus olivaceus ) , is a new world capuchin monkey from south america . it is found in brazil , guyana , french guiana , suriname and venezuela . conservation status – least concern .
handedness distribution and central sulcus asymmetry quotient ( aq ) for capuchin monkeys on a dipping tool use task .
geographic distribution and habitat also known as the brown capuchin and black - capped capuchin , the tufted capuchin is a new world primate that is only found in south america , in countries such as ecuador , colombia , brazil , bolivia , french guiana , guiana , suriname , peru , and venezuela . they inhabit almost every kind of forest in the neotropics—including tropical lowlands , submontane , montane , savanna forests , and mangroves—and are found predominantly in the lower and middle canopies .
molecular relationships and classification of several tufted capuchin lineages ( cebus apella , cebus xanthosternos and cebus nigritus , cebidae ) , by means of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase ii gene sequences - fulltext - folia primatologica 2012 , vol . 83 , no . 2 - karger publishers
rylands , a . b . , kierulff , m . c . m . , & mittermeier , r . a . ( 2005 ) . some notes on the taxonomy and distributions of the tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus , cebidae ) of south america .
tufted capuchins exhibit some odd behaviors that make them fascinating to learn about . they often cover their hands and feet in their own urine to attract mates ( and possibly to reduce stress ) . tufted capuchins also exhibit extensive tool use . they will use rocks to dig holes to reach tubers . in captivity , they will eat fruit over sponges so they can later drink from the sponges . they use containers to hold water . some captive tufted capuchins have even been observed manufacturing tools out of stone , producing simple flakes and cores . not all tufted capuchins use tools however . some primatologists suggest tool use manifests only when these capuchin groups lack food sources and thus spend lots of time on the ground .
the main activity of tufted capuchins over the course of the daily activity period is feeding ( izawa 1980 ) . on a daily basis , the diurnal tufted capuchin will divide its time into 12 % rest , 21 % travel and 66 % feeding ( terborgh 1983 ) . time spent in different daily activities varies with the seasons and locality and foraging time can range between january and may from 2 % of daily activity to 37 . 1 % . movement can range from 35 . 2 % to 23 . 6 % of time spent daily ( zhang 1995a ) . tufted capuchins rest more and travel less with a greater availability of fruits and other food resources in the wet season . tufted capuchin foraging for insects increases in the dry season , presumably due to the lack of available fruit resources ( terborgh 1983 ) .
the margarita island tufted capuchin , in addition to facing the same threats as the mainland populations , has far fewer numbers and is critically endangered . recently , an additional threat to its numbers has been identified in escaped or released pet wedge - capped capuchins ( cebus olivaceus ) which have the potential to establish feral populations which compete for the same resources as the tufted capuchins ( martinez et al . 2000 ) .
mendes pontes ar , malta a , asfora ph ( 2006 ) . a new species of capuchin monkey , genus
the diet of the capuchin monkey is more varied than other monkeys in the family cebidae . capuchin monkeys are omnivores , eating not only fruits , nuts , seeds and buds , but also insects , spiders , bird eggs and small vertebrates . capuchin monkeys living near water will also eat crabs and shellfish by cracking their shells with stones .
carosi , m . , & visalberghi , e . ( 2002 ) . analysis of tufted capuchin ( cebus apella ) courtship and sexual behavior repertoire : changes throughout the female cycle and female interindividual differences . american journal of physical anthropology , 118 , 11 - 24 .
carosi , m . , heistermann , m . & visalberghi , e . ( 1999 ) . the display of proceptive behaviors in relation to urinary and fecal progestin levels over the ovarian cycle in female tufted capuchin monkeys . horm behav , 36 , 252 - 265 .
besides tufted capuchin , there are other groups of animals that have displaced sense of fairness . some examples include wolves , coyotes , elephants , rodents , bats and whales . if you are interested in the detailed write up for the examples , you can visit urltoken .
for the overall set of tufted capuchins studied , 19 haplotypes were found with s = 78 , π = 0 . 0123 and k = 7 . 224 .
luckily , due to widespread occurrence , the tufted capuchin still maintains an extensive distribution and habitat . as with other primates , the biggest threat to the tufted capuchin is habitat loss and fragmentation . it is estimated that more than a fifth of the entire amazonian forest , the habitat of the tufted capuchin , has been destroyed ( fragaszy et al . 2004 ) . reasons for destruction of the forest are varied , but include logging , agriculture and flooding for hydroelectric power generation ( fragaszy et al . 2004 ) . it is estimated that the minimum contiguous forest area required to sustain a group of tufted capuchins is around 100 ha but ideally the minimum is 1000 ha ( gilbert & setz 2001 ) . this area is likely larger in poorer soil areas of the central amazon and the minimum required habitat size in the central amazonian terra firma forests is likely around 23000 ha ( spironello 2001 ) . recently , infrastructure development and road building plans in the amazon have further expanded the potential for deforestation in some areas of the tufted capuchin range as access will increase and economic development will expand ( da silva et al . 2005 ) . a regional system of protected areas is needed in amazonia if unfettered development is to be checked ( da silva et al . 2005 ) .
5 . y . hattori , h . kuroshima and k . fujita , cooperative problem solving by tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus apella ) : spontaneous division of labor , communication , and reciprocal altruism , j . comp . psychol . 119 ( 2005 ) , pp . 335–342 .
moura a , lee pc ( 2004 ) capuchin stone tool use in caatinga dry forest . science 306 : 1909 .
unlike other primates , wild capuchin monkeys use stones , not just sticks , to dig for edible roots and tubers .
visalberghi , e . , and fragaszy , d . m . ( 1995 ) . the behaviour of capuchin monkeys ,
anderson , j . r . ( 1990 ) . use of objects as hammers to open nuts by capuchin monkeys .
phillips ka , sherwood cs , lilak al . corpus callosum morphology in capuchin monkeys is influenced by sex and handedness .
rylands , a . b , kierulff , m . c . m . and mittermeier , r . a . 2005 . some notes on the taxonomy and distributions of the tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus , cebidae ) of south america . lundiana 6 ( supl . ) : 97–110 .
a characteristic display of the tufted capuchin is the male reunion display . when separated for a time , males will approach one another quickly , embrace , and loudly vocalize ( matheson et al . 1996 ; phillips et al . 2005 ) . this behavior is not observed in females nor is it aggressive in nature ( matheson et al . 1996 ) . such reunion displays have been observed between adult males and between adult males and infant males and serve to reinforce affinitive relations and bonds between tufted capuchin males ( matheson et al . 1996 ; phillips et al . 2005 ) . other displays include the oblique head tilt in which a capuchin will move its head side - to - side to gain the attention of another capuchin and the penile display where a male will stand bipedally in front of a female and display his genitals ( weigel 1979 ) . both sexes of brown capuchin will wag their tails when extremely excited ( dobroruka 1972 ) .
tufted capuchin monkeys are robust , medium - size neotropical primates , with a relatively short and semi - prehensile tail . they are found east of the andes from colombia and venezuela to paraguay and northern argentina . the fur colour and tuft shape vary locally ( torres de assumpção 1983 ) .
another interesting fact about tufted capuchins is that that search for food in groups ; something very unique compared to other capuchin species . when one individual has located food , they will signal the other members using a whistling sound that varies depending on the quantity of food that has been discovered .
di bitteti , m . s . ; e . m . l . vidal ; m . c . baldovino & v . benesovsky . 2000 . sleeping site preferences in tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus apella nigritus ) . american journal of primatology 50 : 257 - 274 . [ links ]
kuroshima , h . , k . fujita , a . fuyuki , and t . masuda . 2002 . understanding of the relationship between seeing and knowing by tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus apella ) . animal cognition 5 ( 1 ) : 41 - 48 . retrieved december 11 , 2007 .
tufted capuchins make up a significant portion of their diet with nuts ; utilizing the use of stones to act as hammers to smash the hard shells . they then leave the nuts to dry for approximately a week before they are ready to eat . besides nuts , the tufted capuchin also eats fruit , insects , eggs , young birds , frogs , lizards , and bats . their healthy balance between fruit , nuts , and small animal prey makes them omnivores .
ottoni eb , izar p ( 2008 ) capuchin monkey tool use : overview and implications . evolutionary anthropology 17 : 171–178 .
silva , j . s . , jr . ( 2002 ) . taxonomy of capuchin monkeys , cebus erxleben , 1777 .
as a single group for analysis . similarly , capuchin monkeys have recently been suggested to be taxonomically divided into two genera ,
the mothers are close with baby capuchin monkeys as they care for the infants and nurture them for the first few months .
lilak al , phillips ka . consistency of hand preference across low - level and high - level tasks in capuchin monkeys (
like other capuchins , these are social animals , forming groups of 8 to 15 individuals , and are led by an alpha or dominant male . the tufted capuchin is more powerfully built than the other capuchins , with rougher fur and a short , thick tail . conservation status – least concern .
the tufted capuchin is only found in south america , in the countries of colombia , ecuador , peru , bolivia , brazil , french guiana , suriname , guiana , and venezuela ( fragaszy et al . 2004 ) . the margarita island tufted capuchin ( c . a . margaritae ) is isolated from the rest of the population off of the north coast of venezuela and is separated from the nearest mainland population by around 800 km ( groves 2001 ; reviewed in fragaszy et al . 2004 ) . this population presumably has been on the island since the pre - columbian era but , ultimately , its origin is unknown ( groves 2001 ) . the heart of the range of the tufted capuchin is the northwestern half of brazil and the amazon basin . it is found in western amazonia , and in the middle and lower rio amazonas and the guianas . its northern limit extends up to venezuela as far as the federal territory of amazonas and is limited by savannahs . the west of the tufted capuchin range extends into the columbian amazon and as far as the eastern foothills of the andes mountain chain south into peru . the southern limit in brazil appears to be limited by the bush savannah of central brazil . eastern extremes of the range may extend past the rio xingu but there is some dispute as to the limits of the range ( rylands et al . 2005 ) . the tufted capuchin has the largest range of all of the new world primates ( freese & oppenheimer 1981 ) .
resende , b . d . greco , v . l . g . , ottoni , e . b . , izar , p . ( 2002 ) . some observations on the predation of small mammals by tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus apella ) . neotropical primates , 11 , 103 - 104 .
rylands , a . b . ; m . c . m . kierulff & r . a . mittermeier . 2005 . notes on the taxonomy and distributions of the tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus , cebidae ) of south america . lundiana 6 ( suppl . ) : 97 - 110 . [ links ]
brown capuchin monkeys are important predators on small animals and may disperse the seeds of some forest plants when they eat the fruit .
garber pa ( 2012 ) . introduction to special issue on capuchin evolution : comparing behavior , morphology , and genetics across species .
izawa , k . , and mizuno , a . ( 1977 ) . palm - fruit cracking of wild black - capped capuchin
anderson jr , degiorgio c , lamarque c , fagot j . a multi - task assessment of hand lateralization in capuchin monkeys (
westergaard & fragaszy 1987 , the manufacture and use of tools by capuchin monkeys , jcp , 101 , 159 - 168 . pdf
the white - headed capuchin monkey ( cebus capucinus ) , also known as the white - faced capuchin or white - throated capuchin , is a small new world monkey of the family cebidae . native to the forests of south and central america , white - throated capuchins are important to rainforest ecology by their role in dispersing seeds and pollen . like other monkeys in the genus cebus , white - headed capuchins are named after the order of capuchin friars : the cowls worn by these friars closely resemble the monkeys head colouration .
fragaszy , d . m . , mitra , d . , and feuerstein , j . m . ( 1997b ) . transfers of food from adults to infants in tufted capuchins (
sp . ) . usually the squirrel monkeys initiate the mixed group interaction , probably in order to find food more efficiently . squirrel monkeys follow brown capuchin monkeys to new food sources , which saves them foraging time . the association does not seem to benefit capuchin monkeys .
tufted capuchins were studied for over ten years at la macarena , colombia by kosei izawa starting in 1986 ( izawa 1988 ) . other prominent studies include those in peru by charles janson .
westergaard , g . c . , and suomi , s . j . ( 1996 ) . hand preference for a bimanual task in tufted capuchins ( cebus apella ) and rhesus macaques (
tufted capuchins are notably heavier in captivity versus in the wild , with males averaging 13 lbs ( 6 . 1 kg ) and females averaging 7 lbs ( 3 . 19 kg ) .
during the mosquito season , capuchin monkeys crush up millipedes and rub the remains on their backs . this acts as a natural insect repellent .
visalberghi , e . , and trinca , l . ( 1989 ) . tool use in capuchin monkeys : distinguishing between performing and understanding .
brown capuchin monkeys vary in color from light brown to mustard yellow to black . the shoulders and underbelly are lighter than the rest of the body . there is a patch of coarse black fur on the crown of the head , sometimes referred to as a cap . above the ears the black hairs form tufts of fur giving the species one of its common names , tufted capuchin monkey . facial patterns are variable among individuals , but black sideburns extending from the cap are characteristic of
average home range size of the tufted capuchin can reach as high as 8 - 9 km² ( 3 . 1 - 3 . 5 mi² ) ( spironello 2001 ) . like other aspects of capuchin ecology however , this value can vary significantly with habitat , with some groups elsewhere having a home range of significantly smaller at around 2 . 6 km² ( 1 mi² ) to1 . 25 km² ( . 48 mi² ) , and can be as low as to . 5 km² to . 7 km² ( . 19 to . 27 mi² ) ( izawa 1980 ; terborgh & janson 1983 ; janson in prep . cited in robinson & janson 1986 ) . average daily path for a tufted capuchin is around 2 . 1 km ( 1 . 3 mi ) ( janson in prep . cited in robinson & janson 1986 ) .
taylor , a . b . , & vinyard , c . j . ( 2009 ) . jaw - muscle fiber architecture in tufted capuchins favors generating relatively large muscle forces without compromising jaw gape .
perry , s . , and rose , l . ( 1994 ) . begging and transfer of coati meat by white - faced capuchin monkeys ,
westergaard , g . c . , and fragaszy , d . m . ( 1987 ) . the manufacture and use of tools by capuchin monkeys
wild tufted capuchins are capable of using tools to open up otherwise inaccessible fruits , the husks of which it cannot open in its teeth or jaws . it opens fruits by smashing them on tree surfaces or by using baton - like branch pieces to open the fruit . immature tufted capuchins have been observed attempting to mimic the behavior of adults but they often fail ( boinski et al . 2000 ) .
the tufted capuchin can be primarily found in northern amazon rainforest of the guyana , venezuela and brazil , but can also be found as far north as the orinoco in venezuela . however , it has also been found in eastern colombia , ecuador , and peru , which gives this species a rather large range compared to many other primates in the region . the tufted capuchin can be found in many different kinds of environments including moist tropical and subtropical forest regions , dry forest regions , and even disturbed or secondary forest ; though it typically prefers the most tropical regions of the forest . furthermore , their range and habitat overlaps with several other species of capuchins such as the white - fronted capuchins .
locomotion is principally quadrupedal and while traveling , the prehensile tail is not typically used and is curved down behind the body . the tail is mainly used during feeding and foraging and serves as a brake while descending ( youlatos 1999 ) . the tail helps to control risky movements , assist in changes in direction and to stabilize the capuchin while feeding in its characteristic seated posture . the tufted capuchin normally moves on branches and twigs and suspensory postures are rare ( fleagle & mittermeier 1980 ; youlatos 1999 ) .
bonnie ke , de waal fbm ( 2007 ) copying without rewards : socially influenced foraging decisions among brown capuchin monkeys . animal cognition 10 : 283–292 .
garber , p . a . , and paciulli , l . ( 1997 ) . experimental field study of spatial memory and learning in wild capuchin monkeys
visalberghi , e . , and limongelli , l . ( 1994 ) . lack of comprehension of cause - effect relationships in tool - using capuchin monkeys
westergaard , g . c . , kuhn , h . e . , lundquist , a . l . , and suomi , s . j . ( 1997b ) . posture and reaching in tufted capuchins (
westergaard , g . c . ( 1995 ) . the stone tool technology of capuchin monkeys : possible implications for the evolution of symbolic communication in hominids .
westergaard , g . c . , and fragaszy , d . m . ( 1985 ) . effects of manipulatable objects on the activity of captive capuchin monkeys
tufted capuchin monkeys are extremely intelligent and have been recorded using tools , as seen in the video above . they use rocks to crack nuts open , carefully selecting rocks that are appropriate for the task . they consider size , weight , and shape . the rock often weighs nearly as much as the monkey . this indicates basic understanding of the physics of the two objects .
the altitude at which tufted capuchins are found also can vary considerably with the species having been seen as high as 2350 m ( 7709 . 97 ft ) in the peruvian highlands ( butchart et al . 1995 ) .
however , given that sapajus has yet to gain widespread acceptance and further evidence is required before we feel confident adopting this taxonomic scheme , in this paper , we continue to assign the tufted capuchins to the genus cebus .
westergaard , g . c . , lundquist , a . l . , kuhn , h . e . , and suomi , s . j . ( 1997 ) . ant - gathering with tools by captive tufted capuchins
the main predator of the tufted capuchin is the harpy eagle ( harpia harpyja ) , which has been seen attacking capuchins in several locales ( rettig 1978 ; terborgh 1983 ; van schaik & van noordwijk 1989 ) . other potential predators include jaguars , pumas , jaguarundis , coyotes , tayras , snakes and crocodiles , although these are not confirmed ( fragaszy et al . 2004 ) .
near the eastern end of the tufted capuchin range in french guiana , the climate has an annual dry season from august to november and a long rainy season punctuated in february and march by a short dry spell . annual precipitation averages 3000 mm ( 118 . 11 in ) and temperatures range from 22 . 0°c ( 71 . 6°f ) to 31 . 2°c ( 88 . 16°f ) ( zhang 1995a ) . in the middle of the tufted capuchin range , near manaus , brazil in dense terra firma forest , mean average rainfall is 2 , 673 mm ( 105 . 24 in ) . this area exhibits a wet season from december to may and a dry season during the rest of the year . temperatures can range from 21°c ( 69 . 8°f ) to 33 . 5°c ( 92 . 3°f ) at this locale ( spironello 2001 ) . near the western extreme of the tufted capuchin range in moist tropical forest in southeastern peru , the dry season ranges from june to october and rainfall averages around 2000 mm ( 78 . 74 in ) with an average temperature of 24 . 1°c ( 75 . 38°f ) ( janson 1985 ) .
tufted capuchin females mostly mate with the dominant male . the dominant male rarely strays away from the group during the last few days of the females estrus cycle ; the entire cycle lasts for 21 days . the pregnancy lasts for five months and the birth of twins is extremely rare . females raise the young and the infants cling to the mother’s back . if an infant does become separated from its mother , other tufted capuchins will respond the the infants distress calls . males will leave their group at maturity ( 7 years ) ; whereas females stay within the group and are considered mature at 4 years of age .
visalberghi , e . , and addessi , e . ( 2000 ) . seeing group members eating a familiar food enhances the acceptance of novel foods in capuchin monkeys .
galleti , m . ( 1990 ) . predation on the squirrel , sciurus aestuanus by capuchin monkeys , and cebus apella . mammalia , 54 , 152 - 154 .
when presented with a reflection , capuchin monkeys react in a way that indicates an intermediate state between seeing the mirror as another individual and recognizing the image as self .
in this paper we have the following specific aims : ( 1 ) to determine how many tufted capuchin molecular lineages are found in the northern amazon ; ( 2 ) to determine how many molecular lineages are currently present in the peruvian amazon , and to assess the correspondence between the subspecies indicated by morphological studies ( c . a . maranonis , c . a . macrocephalus , c . a . peruanus , c . a . pallidus , and possibly a fifth unnamed subspecies ) and the molecular lineages ; ( 3 ) to determine if the 4 morphological species described by groves [ 2001 ] or the 7 morphological species described by silva jr . [ 2001 ] correspond to the tufted capuchin molecular lineages ; ( 4 ) to determine the temporal splits among these cebus taxa for the mtcoii gene .
di bitteti , m . s . & c . h . janson . 2001 . reproductive socioecology of tufted capuchins ( cebus apella nigritus ) in northeastern argentina . international journal of primatology 22 : 127 - 142 . [ links ]
tufted capuchins hunt for food in groups . if one of the capuchins finds a food source ( and there is enough for more than just one individual ) the capuchin will give a whistling call to alert the others so the food can be shared . the omnivorous capuchins diet can consist of nuts , insects , fruits , flowers , seeds , leaves , and sometimes even frogs . tufted capuchins famously use stones to crack open nuts . capuchins strip the outer fiber of the nut with their teeth , and will place the nut out in the sun to dry . capuchins will then use a stone to repeatedly hammer the nut until it cracks .
visalberghi , e . , valente , m . , and fragaszy , d . m . ( 1998 ) . social context and consumption of unfamiliar food by capuchin monkeys (
adams - curtis , l . e . , and fragaszy , d . m . ( 1994 ) . development of manipulation in capuchin monkeys during the first 6 months .
the dominant male protects his troop from predators by sounding alarm calls . this draws attention to himself so that his troop can escape . capuchin monkeys are very wary of predators .
flannery , s . march 26 , 2000 .
black - capped capuchin , primate info net
( on - line ) . accessed may 2 , 2001 at urltoken .
lynch , j . w . ( 2001 ) . male behavior and endocrinology in wild capuchin monkeys , cebus apella nigritus . unpublished doctoral thesis . university of wisconsin , madison .
capuchins ( cebus ) consist of four species : c . apella ( brown or tufted ) , c . albifrons ( brown pale fronted ) , c . olivaceus ( weeping or wedge capped ) and c . capuchinus ( white faced capuchins ) .
lynch - alfaro jw , de souza e , silva j jr , rylands ab ( 2012 ) . how different are robust and gracile capuchin monkeys ? an argument for the use of
“new world monkeys 1 : squirrel monkeys and capuchin . ” grzimek’s animal life encyclopedia . ed . melissa c . mcdade . 2nd ed . 2004 . 101 - 12 . print .
peres , c . a . 1991 . seed predation of cariniana micrantha ( lecythidaceae ) by brown capuchin monkeys in central amazônia . biotropica 23 : 262 - 270 . [ links ]
the blond capuchin monkey ( cebus queirozi ) is a claimed new capuchin monkey species that was discovered in early 2006 by zoology researchers from the federal university in pernambuco , near recife , northeastern brazil . pontes said that ‘as soon as i saw the monkey with its golden - yellow hair and the white tiara on its head , i knew it was a new species’ .
the aim of this study was to evaluate simple behavioral enrichment procedures for a captive group of tufted capuchin monkeys ( cebus apella ) . we examined the effects of providing a manipulatable substrate ( straw ) and a variety of portable objects in the monkeys ' home cage . the animals were observed across three conditions in two replications : 1 ) no portable objects were present ; 2 ) a set of six . . . [ show full abstract ]
urine washing and chest rubbing are several types of olfactory communication exhibited by the tufted capuchin . both of these behaviors could be scent - marking behaviors . urine - washing consists of an individual urinating upon its extremities and rubbing them against one another . there is no evidence of urine - washing serving any purpose in reproductive communication ( carosi et al . 2005 ) . however , tufted capuchins can discriminate between groups and recognize their species versus another based on the differential odor created by urine - washing ( ueno 1991 ; 1994 ) . this , coupled with evidence of differential responses to scent by sex , indicates that there is some sort of socially communicative role played by urine - washing ( ueno 1994 ) .
fruits are a large part of brown capuchin monkey ' s diet . this species can eat larger fruits than other species of capuchin monkey because of their robust jaws . vegetation , seeds , pith , eggs , insects , reptiles , birds , and small mammals ( such as mouse opossums ) are also included in their diet . during the dry season , when food is scarce ,
kierulff mcm , dos santos gr , canale g , guidorizzi ce , cassano c ( 2004 ) . the use of camera - traps in a survey of the buff - headed capuchin monkey ,
the capuchins are a group of new world monkeys . they are classified as the genus
cebus
. their name
capuchin
comes form their coloration , which resembles the cowls worn by the capuchin order of roman catholic monks . cebus is the only genus in the subfamily ,
cebinae
. cebinae includes squirrel monkeys , spider monkeys , wooley monkeys and wooley spider monkeys .
there is a gland on the chest of the male tufted capuchin which plays a role in scent - marking ( epple & lorenz 1967 ) . the dominant captive male is observed to use this gland , rubbing it on a substrate to scent - mark it while other age and sex classes rarely , if ever , show this behavior . urine marking is also seen in captivity in which males and females mark specific surfaces in their cages ( dobroruka 1972 ) .
the brown or tufted capuchin is recognized by its characteristic head coloration , a black or dark brown cap with dark sideburns . on either side of the dark cap on the head there are tufts of dark fur above the ears . the shoulders are paler than the back which ranges from shades of yellow to red - brown , darkest in the middle of the back . its legs , hands , and tail are darker than the rest of its pelage . the face can range from brown to pink ( groves 2001 ) . there is significant variation in face color among even members of the same group but adult males tend to be darker in color than females ( emmons & freer 1997 ) . sexual dimorphism is seen in the wild tufted capuchin with males averaging 3 . 650 kg ( 8 . 05 lb ) and females averaging 2 . 520 kg ( 5 . 56 lb ) ( fleagle 1999 ) . sexual dimorphism is also exhibited in canine size with males possessing larger canines than females ( kay et al 1988 ; masterson 2003 ) . in captivity , tufted capuchins are significantly heavier , with males averaging 6 . 089 kg ( 13 . 42 lb ) and females averaging 3 . 19 kg ( 7 . 03 lb ) in an extreme example ( leigh 1994 ) . head and body length is 444 mm ( 17 . 48 in ) for males and 390 mm ( 15 . 35 in ) for females . the tail is about as long as the rest of the body ( napier 1976 ) . in a captive case of extreme longevity , a tufted capuchin male lived until he was at least 45 years old ( hakeem et al . 1996 ) .
ruiz - garcía m , castillo mi , vásquez c , rodríguez k , pinedo m , shostell j , leguizamon n ( 2010a ) . molecular phylogenetics and phylogeography of the white - fronted capuchin (
oliveira m . m . de and langguth , a . 2006 . the rediscovery of marcgrave’s capuchin monkey and a neotype for simia flavia schreber , 1774 ( primates , cebidae ) . in press .
agile and lean , capuchin monkeys weigh only 3 - 9 pounds ( 1 . 36 - 4 . 9 kilograms ) . the fur of the capuchin monkey varies , but is most commonly seen with cream or light tan coloring around the face , neck and shoulders . the rest of its coat is dark brown . the hair is shorter and darker on the capuchin ' s back than on other parts of its body . the face of this cute monkey will range from white to pink in color . the tail is long , covered in hair and is partially able to wrap around branches .
janson , c . h . ( 1990 a ) . social correlates of individual spatial choice in foraging groups of brown capuchin monkeys , cebus apella . animal behaviour , 40 , 910 - 921 .
janson , c . h . ( 1990 b ) . ecological consequences of individual spatial choice in foraging groups of brown capuchin monkeys , cebus apella . animal behaviour , 40 , 922 - 934 .
like most new world monkeys , capuchin monkeys are diurnal and arboreal . with the exception of a midday nap , they spend their entire day searching for food . at night they sleep in the trees , wedged between branches . capuchin monkeys are undemanding regarding their habitat and can therefore be found in many differing areas . among the natural enemies of the capuchins are large falcons , cats and snakes .
golden - bellied capuchin monkeys are restricted to the atlantic forest of southern bahia , brazil , due to high degrees of interference from man . only 300 individuals survive . conservation status – critically endangered .
daily movements and activities of tufted capuchin groups are dictated by the alpha male . they are diurnal , and their days are spent feeding ( 66 % of the time ) , traveling ( 21 % ) and resting ( 12 % ) . during the wet season , they tend to rest more and travel around less when there is a greater abundance of fruit and other resources . since dry season produces far less fruit , time spent foraging the forest for insects increases drastically .
janson , c . h . ( 1984 ) . female choice and mating system of the brown capuchin monkey cebus apella ( primates : cebidae ) . z . tierpsycol , 65 , 177 - 200 .
anderson , j . r . , degiorgio , c . , lamarque , c . , and fagot , j . ( 1996 ) . a multi - task assessment of hand lateralization in capuchin monkeys (
the tufted capuchin monkey , scientific name cebus apella [ 1 ] , is a mammal and a primate that can be found in the atlantic forest biome , which is also known as a lowland equatorial evergreen rainforest [ 8 ] . this biome characterizes itself with its moist climate and warm weather . it can only be found in the tropical forests of south america , such as the amazon rainforest and the antlantic rainforest [ 9 ] . the tufted capuchin monkey needs sunlight in order to hunt , so it lives during day ( diurnal ) . it lives in the tops of the trees and in groups that range from two to twenty members . a group usually has a male , and the other group members that are closed to him have privilege when there is only a bit of food . moreover , the male has preference when he wants a female of the group . they do not have a specific area to live , so they usually encounter other groups . [ 1 ]


thambotricha is a monotypic genus of moths in the epermeniidae family .

its sole known species , thambotricha vates , which is also known by the vernacular name wonder-haired prophet , was described by meyrick in 1922 .

it is found in new zealand .

the wingspan is 13-15 mm for males and 12.5-13 mm for females .

the forewings are brassy purplish with a short diagonal white or yellowish fleck at the dorsal angle of the discal cell and an irregular yellow-brown triangular patch on the dorsum .

the hindwings are pallid .

thambotricha

below is the elusive thambotricha vates . . . - manaaki whenua - landcare research | facebook
lindeman road’s wonder - haired prophet – or the thambotricha vates . photos : bryce mcquillan .
the thambotricha vates moth , or wonder - haired prophet , found in katikati . photo / bryce mcquillan
the thambotricha vates hoare found was a female . the male is distinctive as it has very long hairs on its antenna .
the thambotricha vates hoare found is a female . the male is distinctive as it has very long hairs on its antenna .
a wonder - haired prophet , or thambotricha vates , was recently found in native bush in the bay of plenty town near lindeman road .
landcare research scientist robert hoare often uses a light trap to catch moths at night . however , the elusive thambotricha vates was caught during the day with a net .
daylight catch : robert hoare often uses a light trap to catch moths at night . however , the elusive thambotricha vates was caught during the day by using a net . photo / bryce mcquillan
there is no common name for the thambotricha vates moth yet , but mr hoare has named the rare species wonder - haired prophet , which is a translation from the moth ' s latin name .
landcare research scientist robert hoare was
sweeping
a butterfly net through bush when he discovered the elusive thambotricha vates moth , which was last caught by his predecessor , john dugdale , in taranaki in 1996 .
landcare research scientist robert hoare recently discovered the thambotricha vates , which translates to wonder - haired prophet , in katikati , bay of plenty , while taking a day walk through a native forest track off lindemann road .
although the native moth had not been spotted for 20 years , it did not mean the species was close to extinction .
we never thought it was extinct , it ' s just one of those things that ' s just really , really elusive and hard to come across .
he said . only about 15 thambotricha vates moths have been caught since it was discovered in 1922 in wellington .
landcare research is the custodian of a number of nationally significant biological and resource collections and databases .
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if you have corrections , comments or information to add into these pages , just send mail to markku savela keep in mind that the taxonomic information is copied from various sources , and may include many inaccuracies . expert help is welcome .
an elusive species of moth that has not been seen in new zealand for almost 20 years has been found .
up until then the moth , a native species , hadn ' t been seen since 1996 when hoare ' s predecessor john dugdale caught one in taranaki . only about 15 have ever been caught since it was first discovered in wellington in 1922 .
it took me about half a second to realise what it was . i was delighted . it was a rather long time since i ' d found anything particularly wonderful ,
he said .
i ' ve been in new zealand 17 years and that was the first time i ' ve ever found that moth . having light trapped for years and years and years , i never found it by the normal technique .
hoare believes the moth was not drawn to strong lights as other species were .
despite the lack of sightings , hoare believed there was no reason to think the moth was rare or endangered .
hoare hoped the dna from the moth may reveal some clues about its host plant . little is known about the
mysterious
moth aside from the fact that it lives in native forest , hoare said .
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tegumen large , fused with small vinculum . gnathos elaborate , tongue - like , a pair of curved prongs directed caudally and the body
meyr . a , male genitalia , lateral view . b , harpe , inner view . c , uncus , dorsal view .
meyr . a , male genitalia , lateral view . b , genitalia , lateral view , eighth segment removed .
meyr . a , male genitalia , lateral view . b , harpe , inner view . c , tegumen , ventral view . d , aedeagus .
philp , a , male genitalia , lateral view . b , harpe , inner view . c , uncus , dorsal view . d , aedeagus . e , juxta .
meyr . a , male genitalia , lateral view . b , harpe , inner view . c , uncus , dorsal view . d , aedeagus .
of the organ sweeping in the opposite direction to end in a broad recurved plate between the harpes . aedeagus short , sinuate , bent . juxta a plain cap - like structure embracing the aedeagus . harpes long , narrow , entire , with long finger - like lobe arising from upper basal angle within .
tegumen narrow with moderately long angled spatulate uncus . vinculum imperfectly fused with tegumen , with thin arms and moderate saccus . gnathos without armature , forming a plain ring upturned at apex . aedeagus short and thick . harpes large , weak , entire , with a broad flap on lower margin within at about half and a fold on upper basal angle . between the bases is a pair of short horn - like lobes ; these are fused with the harpes but appear to be the modified juxta .
a taxon identifier is composed of name , author , year and attribute , all separated by a blank . these are all extracted from the original publication .
the name is reproduced exactly as proposed in the original publication . the name of a genus is made up of one word and species made up of two words ( genus and species ) separated by a blank .
the author ' s name is made up of a string of letters , with no blanks , and multiple authors ' names are separated by a comma . spelling of author ' s name is based on the original publication . if there are more than three authors , only the names of the first two authors are shown , followed by
, +
and the number of omitted authors .
attribute is enclosed in square brackets . this is rarely needed , but to differentiate homo - identifiers , this will contain the page , line or plate number of original publication .
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a rare species of native moth not seen in new zealand for almost 20 years has been found in katikati .
i was quite excited ,
said mr hoare , an auckland - based arthropod scientist .
i looked in the net to see what was there and i saw this sort of , bright , bright brownish moth at the bottom of the net , and because of it ' s unusual shape i was able to recognise it pretty much immediately .
the
wonder - haired
name stems from the unusually long hairs at the end of the moth ' s feelers .
the moth was small , measuring about 1 . 5cm across the wings , he said .
there ' s a lot of things we haven ' t seen for many , many years , but because there ' s so few people out there looking , especially the smaller insects in new zealand , there are lots of those things that remain very mysterious .
said mr hoare .
this specific moth would only be found in
fairly good
native bush .
unlike the traditional method of attracting moths by light , the sweeping method mr hoare employed had enabled him to scoop the insect in daylight .
this specific moth is at least somewhat active in the day , mainly nocturnal but it would be perhaps sitting amongst vegetation by day but we don ' t really know just yet and that ' s the thing .
the moth has now been collected as a voucher specimen and is stored under the new zealand arthropod collection .
mr hoare said studies about the moth can now be done which will hopefully give more insight into other related moth species , it ' s life history and habits .
after finding that one species in a katikati forest , it showed the bay of plenty was a
fantastic
area for small native insects , he said .
i think the bay of plenty should be proud that they ' ve managed to preserve these things . this is a good moment of saying , ' well , this little thing has survived ' , and probably goes to show that that forest , from an insect ' s point of view , is in pretty good condition .
i felt my arm being pulled into the machine and my immediate reaction was to pull back .
italian movie - lovers are in for a treat with the arrival of the cinema italiano festival .
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an elusive species of native moth unseen in new zealand for almost 20 years has surfaced in katikati .
and according to landcare research scientist robert hoare , the insect’s disappearing act may simply be down to the fact that unlike other moths , they are not attracted to bright lights .
the rarely seen moth was caught in a net in broad daylight , while robert does most of his trapping at night using a bright light .
“i’ve been in new zealand for 17 years and that was the first time i’ve ever found that moth , ” says robert .
“having light - trapped for years and years and years , i never found it by the normal technique . ”
he believes this indicates the moth is not drawn to strong lights as opposed to other species .
the discovery came as an “amazing surprise” says robert , and he admits he hardly expected to find anything as he made his way through native forest along a track off lindemann road .
despite the lack of sightings , he believes there’s no reason to think the moth is rare or endangered . “it is a positive sign that the sightings are so widespread from northland to nelson , ” says robert .
another one was found a couple of weeks later by photographer bryce mcquillan , who photographed robert’s discovery .
the moth hasn’t been seen since robert’s predecessor john dugdale caught one in taranaki in 1996 . only 15 or so have ever been caught since it was first discovered in wellington in 1922 .
“it took me about half a second to realise what it was , ” he says . “i was delighted . it was a rather long time since i’d found anything particularly wonderful . ”
it’s hoped the moth’s dna may reveal clues about its host plant . little is known about the mysterious moth aside from the fact that it lives in native forest .
“the caterpillar has a specific host plant it feeds on , ” ads robert . “discovering that host will give us the most important piece of information needed to preserve the species . ”