Sigaus collinus

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Sigaus collinus
Brachaspis collinus 60694510.jpg
Sigaus collinus, New Zealand
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Family: Acrididae
Tribe: Catantopini
Genus: Sigaus
Species:
S. collinus
Binomial name
Sigaus collinus
(Hutton, 1898)

The Green Rock-hopper grasshopper, Sigaus collinus is an alpine species of short-horned grasshopper in the family Acrididae. [1] It is found in New Zealand in the mountains of northern South Island, above the tree line and as high as 2000 m asl. [2] [3] [4] [5] In New Zealand alpine grasshoppers can freeze solid at any time of the year and are alive when they thaw out when temperatures rise. [6]

Sigaus collinus is flightless and adults are relative large (females 32 mm), [2] and common amongst scree and tussock. [7] Although widespread in 2020, about 97% of the habitat of the green rock-hopper grasshopper will be lost due to global warming by 2070. [8] The species is variable in colour; most individuals are green with yellow markings, but some are olive-grey. In the Kaikōura Ranges (Mt Luxford) S. collinus hybridises with S. nivalis, [9] but elsewhere the two species are well differentiated. [5]

An endemic species of mite (Erythrites jacksoni) is an ectoparasite of this grasshopper. [10]

The New Zealand alpine green rock-hopper grasshopper, Brachaspis collinus, at Rainbow Ski Field, Nelson Lakes National Park (adult female) B collinus male Rainbow.jpg
The New Zealand alpine green rock-hopper grasshopper, Brachaspis collinus, at Rainbow Ski Field, Nelson Lakes National Park (adult female)




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<i>Sigaus robustus</i> Species of grasshopper

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<i>Sigaus villosus</i> Species of grasshopper

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<i>Sigaus</i> Genus of grasshoppers

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.

<i>Sigaus australis</i> Species of grasshopper

Sigaus australis is the most common alpine grasshopper found in New Zealand. It can be found in the southern half of the South Island above the tree line. Sigaus australis was described in 1897 by Frederick Hutton. Like all of New Zealand sub-alpine and alpine grasshoppers S. australis has a 2 or 3 years life cycle. Individuals can survive the cold by freezing solid at any life stage, at any time of the year. Sigaus australis adults are relatively large grasshoppers. The genus Sigaus is endemic to New Zealand.

<i>Sigaus crassicauda</i> Species of grasshopper

Sigaus crassicauda is a species of alpine grasshopper endemic to New Zealand. Like all of New Zealand sub-alpine and alpine grasshoppers S. crassicauda has a 2 or 3 years life cycle. The eggs must ‘overwinter’ before they will hatch. Grasshoppers are found throughout the year and adult grasshoppers can be found throughout the New Zealand summer between December and April. Sigaus crassicauda cannot fly.

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<i>Phaulacridium otagoense</i> Species of grasshopper

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Morgan-Richards</span> New Zealand academic

Mary Morgan-Richards is a New Zealand biologist, and as of 2019 is a full professor at Massey University.

<i>Sigaus minutus</i> Species of grasshopper

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 13 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.

<i>Sigaus nivalis</i> Species of insect

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<i>Sigaus campestris</i> Species of grasshopper

Sigaus campestris is a species of short-horned grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in South Island of New Zealand. This species is fairly widespread in Canterbury and Otago, found from 400 to 1,200 m above sea level. Sigaus campestris is a flightless species and expected to lose 45 - 67% of its current range due to climate change. Sigaus campestris is sister to the endangered species Sigaus minutus.

<i>Sigaus piliferus</i> Species of short-horned grasshopper

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.

<i>Sigaus nitidus</i> Species of grasshopper

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References

  1. Trewick, Steven A.; Koot, Emily M.; Morgan-Richards, Mary (2023). "Māwhitiwhiti Aotearoa: Phylogeny and synonymy of the silent alpine grasshopper radiation of New Zealand (Orthoptera: Acrididae)". Zootaxa. 5383 (2): 225–241. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5383.2.7. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   38221250.
  2. 1 2 Bigelow, R. S. (1967). The Grasshoppers of New Zealand: Their taxonomy and distribution. Christchurch NZ: Pegasus Press.
  3. "Brachaspis collinus". GBIF. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  4. Otte, Daniel; Cigliano, Maria Marta; Braun, Holger; Eades, David C. (2020). "species Brachaspis collinus (Hutton, 1898)". Orthoptera species file online, Version 5.0. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  5. 1 2 Koot, Emily M.; Morgan-Richards, Mary; Trewick, Steven A. (2020). "An alpine grasshopper radiation older than the mountains, on Kā Tiritiri o te Moana (Southern Alps) of Aotearoa (New Zealand)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 147: 106783. Bibcode:2020MolPE.14706783K. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106783. ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   32135305. S2CID   212567788.
  6. Hawes, Timothy C. (2015). "Canalization of freeze tolerance in an alpine grasshopper". Cryobiology. 71 (2): 356–359. doi:10.1016/j.cryobiol.2015.07.008. ISSN   0011-2240. PMID   26210007.
  7. Batcheler, C.L. (1967). "Preliminary observations of alpine grasshoppers in a habitat modified by deer and chamois" (PDF). Proceedings of the New Zealand Ecological Society.
  8. Koot, Emily M.; Morgan-Richards, Mary; Trewick, Steven A. (2022). "Climate change and alpine-adapted insects: modelling environmental envelopes of a grasshopper radiation". Royal Society Open Science. 9 (3): 211596. Bibcode:2022RSOS....911596K. doi: 10.1098/rsos.211596 . PMC   8889178 . PMID   35316945.
  9. Trewick, Steven A. (2001-09-01). "Identity of an endangered grasshopper (Acrididae: Brachaspis): Taxonomy, molecules and conservation". Conservation Genetics. 2 (3): 233–243. Bibcode:2001ConG....2..233T. doi:10.1023/A:1012263717279. ISSN   1572-9737. S2CID   21828397.
  10. Southcott, Ronald V. (1988). "Two new larval Erythraeinae (Acarina: Erythraeidae) from New Zealand, and the larval Erythraeinae revised". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 15 (2): 223–233. doi: 10.1080/03014223.1988.10422617 . ISSN   0301-4223.