Ruud Kleinpaste

Freelance Entomologist (The Bugman)

Ruud Kleinpaste was born in Indonesia and raised in the Netherlands, before migrating to New Zealand in 1978. After completing an ecological study on kiwi, he joined MAF as an entomologist in 1982 and decided fourteen years later that there was a lot more to Life…

Communication is his passion, especially the topics surrounding Natural History and the fragility of our ecological systems. His radio show on Newstalk ZB is about to enter its 21st year. 12 Years of Maggie’s Garden Show and such television programmes led to a contract for his own show on Animal Planet/Discovery Channel in the USA. He’s also a regular on the Late Show with Jay Leno.

His crusade to heighten the image of invertebrates has taken him right around New Zealand and, indeed, right around the globe, as he lectures on the magnificent performances of our tiny tyrants and mighty midgets.

But the nicest secret in his closet is the fact that he isn’t really an entomologist at all: he graduated from Wageningen University in the Netherlands with an MSc (hons) degree in sylviculture; yes – trees!

Apart from this media work, writing columns and entomological advice, Ruud still works on the odd bit off science, mostly in the field of Natural History, biosecurity and sustainability.

Ruud is married to Julie and has just found out that his home is actually in Auckland (not the Koru Lounge!)