Spinotectarchus

Spinotectarchus
A green Spinotectarchus acornutus in Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Phasmatodea
Family:	Phasmatidae
Subfamily:	Pachymorphinae
Tribe:	Hemipachymorphini
Genus:	Spinotectarchus Salmon, 1991
Species:	S. acornutus
Binomial name
Spinotectarchus acornutus (Hutton, 1899)

Spinotectarchus acornutus is a species of stick insect endemic to New Zealand. It belongs to the family Diapheromeridae, and is the only member of the genus Spinotectarchus. ^[1] It is commonly referred to as the spiny ridge-backed stick insect.

Description

These stick insects are fairly small, with the body size of females reaching up to 4.8 cm long. Males have a body size of 3.5 to 3.7 cm long. Both males and females come in various colour forms and patterns, ranging from brown to green. Females are bigger, and have a more ridged appearance to their dorsal side. All the legs appear serrated, due to the presence of numerous "teeth". Males are smaller and skinnier, appearing only faintly ridge-backed, and with less prominent "teeth" on the legs compared to the female. ^[2] An interesting character is that the eggs of Spinotectarchus acornutus are covered in short spines giving it a hairy appearance. This trait is also shared with Asteliaphasma , another genus of endemic stick insects. However, these stick insects can be distinguished by other traits such as the morphology of their genitalia. ^[1] Studies have shown that S. acornutus is unrelated to other stick insect genera in New Zealand. ^[3]

Habitat and distribution

Spinotectarchus acornutus mating

Spinotectarchus acornutus is restricted to the north of the North Island of New Zealand, as well as some offshore islands. ^[1] The type specimen described by Frederick Hutton in 1899 was collected from Great Barrier Island. ^[4] It is currently held in the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch. ^[2] This species inhabits native bush and regenerated forest in Northland. They can be most commonly found on Metrosideros perforata (climbing rātā), Dendroconche scandens (fragrant fern), the epiphyte Collospermum hastatum , and Dysoxylum spectabile (kohekohe).

See also

• List of stick insects of New Zealand

References

1. "Spinotectarchus". Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
2. Salmon, John Tenison (1991). The Stick Insects of New Zealand. Auckland, New Zealand: Raupo. pp. 110–111. OCLC   27048140.
3. Buckley, Thomas R.; Attanayake, Dilini; Nylander, Johan A. A.; Bradler, Sven (2009-12-02). "The phylogenetic placement and biogeographical origins of the New Zealand stick insects (Phasmatodea)". Systematic Entomology. 35 (2): 207–225. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2009.00505.x. ISSN   0307-6970. S2CID   86790277.
4. Hutton, F. W. (1899). "Revision of the New Zealand Phasmidae". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 31: 50–59 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.

Media related to Spinotectarchus acornutus at Wikimedia Commons