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Story: Te aitanga pepeke – the insect world

Namu

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Namu

The namu (sandfly) inflicts an itchy bite on humans. In tradition, these insects are the descendants of Namuiria, the first sandfly. It bites because Tūmatauenga killed Namuiria.

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How to cite this page

Bradford Haami, Te aitanga pepeke – the insect world – Mosquitoes and sandflies, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12623/namu (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Bradford Haami, published 1 March 2009.