Mount Hutt rises to the west of the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand, above the braided upper reaches of the Rakaia River, and 80 kilometres west of Christchurch. Its summit is 2190 metres above sea level.
Porters, is a commercial ski resort just over an hour's drive (98 km) west from Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand. Originally functioning as a club skifield, it has one beginner magic carpet, one platter tow, one chairlift and three t-bars. The difficulty of the slopes is distributed as 15% beginner, 35% intermediate and 50% advanced. Modern grooming equipment is used, and snowmaking facilities operate along the main pistes along the chairlift.
Hemiandrus is a genus of wētā in the family Anostostomatidae. In New Zealand they are known as ground wētā due to their burrowing lifestyle. Hemiandrus wētā are nocturnal, and reside in these burrows during the day. Ground wētā seal the entrance of their burrow during the day with a soil plug or door so that their burrow is concealed. This genus was originally said to be distributed in Australia and New Zealand, however, with recent molecular genetic methods, this is under debate. Ground wētā adults are smaller than other types of wētā, with the unusual trait of having either long or short ovipositors, depending on the species. The name of this genus comes from this trait as hemi- mean half and -andrus means male, as the species where the female has a short ovipositor can sometimes be mistaken for a male. This genus has a diverse diet, depending on the species.
Pleioplectron is a genus of cave wētā in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand. These wētā are fairly common at night among the leaf litter in native forest in the South Island of New Zealand. The species look very similar to species of Miotopus, another New Zealand endemic genus, recently resurrected.
Sigaus homerensis is a grasshopper endemic to the southern South Island of New Zealand. It is known only from three isolated populations in Fiordland.
Sigaus childi is an endangered protected species of grasshopper known only from the Alexandra district of the South Island of New Zealand. It is one of just two species of grasshopper listed for protection under the New Zealand Wildlife Act 1953. It is currently classified as "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" by the Department of Conservation. The genus Sigaus is endemic to New Zealand.
Brachaspis robustus is a nationally endangered species of grasshopper endemic to the Mackenzie Basin of the South Island of New Zealand. The genus Brachaspis is endemic to the South Island. Although a grasshopper, it is a poor jumper, relying on camouflage to hide from predators. It is threatened by introduced mammals such as stoats, hedgehogs, and rats.
Sigaus villosus is New Zealand's largest grasshopper. It is only found in the central mountains of the South Island. The genus Sigaus is endemic to the New Zealand. Like all of New Zealand sub-alpine and alpine grasshoppers S. villosus has a 2 or 3 years life cycle. The eggs must ‘overwinter’ before they will hatch. Hoppers are found throughout the year and adult grasshoppers can be found throughout the New Zealand summer between December and April. Adult S. villosus do not overwinter.
Alpinacris tumidicauda is a species of grasshopper only known from Otago and Southland, New Zealand. The genus Alpinacris is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. A. tumidicauda was described in 1967 by Robert Sidney Bigelow, with a type locality of Obelisk in the Old Man Range (45°19′22″S169°12′27″E). A male holotype and paratype are deposited in the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch. Like all of New Zealand sub-alpine and alpine grasshoppers, A. tumidicauda has a 2- or 3-year life cycle. The eggs must "overwinter" before they will hatch. Hoppers are found throughout the year, and adult grasshoppers can be found throughout the New Zealand summer between December and April. The adult A. tumidicauda do not overwinter.
Sigaus is a genus of grasshoppers in the tribe Catantopini that is endemic to New Zealand. All but one Sigaus species is endemic to the South Island: Sigaus piliferus is the only North Island representative and is the type species. Most species in this genus are restricted to alpine habitats. All are wingless and make no sounds.
Phaulacridium marginale is a small species of short-horned grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is endemic to New Zealand where it is found in low elevation open habitat throughout North Island, South Island, Stewart Island and on many smaller islands.
Phaulacridium otagoense is an endemic New Zealand grasshopper found at low elevation throughout the central South Island.
Phaulacridium is a genus of grasshoppers in the tribe Catantopini from Australia and New Zealand. These short-horned grasshoppers have a single generation each year
Pharmacus montanus, the Mount Cook flea, is a type of cave wētā found above the tree line in the South Island of New Zealand. It was first described by Francois Jules Pictet de la Rive and Henri Saussure in 1893. Pharmacus montanus is one of the most widespread species within the genus, found from Aoraki/Mount Cook to Mount Owen in northern South Island. The highest recorded specimens of this species are from a population between 2700 and 2800 m above sea level on Mount Annan above the Tasman Glacier.
Sigaus minutus is a species of short-horned grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is one of the smallest and rarest species of grasshopper in New Zealand, found only in the Mackenzie district of South Island. There are nine species within the genus Sigaus described by Bigelow (1967), all endemic to New Zealand. The population status of Sigaus minutus is declining according to threat assessments made by orthopteran experts in 2010.
Brachaspis nivalis, is an alpine short-horned grasshopper, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Brachaspis nivalis is brachypterous and flightless, therefore they travel by hopping. They bask during the day so need open habitat.
Wētā is the common name for a group of about 100 insect species in the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae endemic to New Zealand. They are giant flightless crickets, and some are among the heaviest insects in the world. Generally nocturnal, most small species are carnivores and scavengers while the larger species are herbivorous. Although some endemic birds likely prey on them, wētā are disproportionately preyed upon by introduced mammals, and some species are now critically endangered.
Paprides is a genus of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae. There are at least two described species in Paprides, found in New Zealand. Both species were moved to the genus Sigaus in 2023
Sigaus piliferus is a species of short-horned grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in New Zealand. Sigaus piliferus is restricted to alpine and sub-alpine habitats in North Island New Zealand. This grasshopper species has two ecotypes - the shubland form in the north with relatively long legs and the alpine form in the south. The two ecotypes were probably isolated during the last glacial maximum but are now in contact in the central volcanic region of North Island.
Hemiandrus celaeno is a species of endemic ground wētā in the family Anostostomatidae. H. celaeno is a small to medium-sized burrowing wētā found along the east coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Hemiandrus calaeno is a member of the short ovipositor ground wētā. H. celaeno is named for Celaeno of the Pleiades sisters in Greek mythology, whose name means "the dark one". Tag-named entity, H. ‘horomaka’, has been included under H. celaeno.
