Kaurimyia gen. nov.: Discovery of Apsilocephalidae (Diptera: Therevoid clade) in New Zealand

A new genus (Kaurimyia thorpei gen. et sp. nov.) of the enigmatic fly family Apsilocephalidae (Asiloidea) is described from New Zealand. Kaurimyia thorpei gen. et sp. nov. is described and figured from male and female specimens, one of which was collected in Kauri forest near Auckland (North Island). While superficially similar to Apsilocephala Krober, this new genus shows closer affinities to Clesthentia White (=Clesthentiella Nagatomi, Saigusa, Nagatomi et Lyneborg syn. nov.) from Tasmania based on genitalic characters such as aedeagus shape and non-articulated surstyli. Apsilocephalidae is presently known from just a few extant species in North America and Tasmania (Australia), although extinct species are recorded from the Holarctic and Oriental regions. This is the first description of the family from New Zealand.

A generic method of engagement to elicit regional coastal management options

Stakeholder engagement is important for successful management of natural resources, both to make effective decisions and to obtain support. However, in the context of coastal management, questions remain unanswered on how to effectively link decisions made at the catchment level with objectives for marine biodiversity and fisheries productivity. Moreover, there is much uncertainty on how to best elicit community input in a rigorous manner that supports management decisions. A decision support process is described that uses the adaptive management loop as its basis to elicit management objectives, priorities and management options using two case studies in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The approach described is then generalised for international interest. A hierarchical engagement model of local stakeholders, regional and senior managers is used. The result is a semi-quantitative generic elicitation framework that ultimately provides a prioritised list of management options in the context of clearly articulated management objectives that has widespread application for coastal communities worldwide. The case studies show that demand for local input and regional management is high, but local influences affect the relative success of both engagement processes and uptake by managers. Differences between case study outcomes highlight the importance of discussing objectives prior to suggesting management actions, and avoiding or minimising conflicts at the early stages of the process. Strong contributors to success are a) the provision of local information to the community group, and b) the early inclusion of senior managers and influencers in the group to ensure the intellectual and time investment is not compromised at the final stages of the process. The project has uncovered a conundrum in the significant gap between the way managers perceive their management actions and outcomes, and community's perception of the effectiveness (and wisdom) of these same management actions.