''Spinotectarchus acornutus'' is a species of

stick insect The Phasmatodea (also known as Phasmida or Phasmatoptera) are an order of insects whose members are variously known as stick insects, stick bugs, walkingsticks, stick animals, or bug sticks. They are also occasionally referred to as Devil's da ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. It belongs to the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Diapheromeridae Diapheromeridae is a family of stick insects (order Phasmatodea). They belong to the superfamily Anareolatae of suborder Verophasmatodea. The family contains some huge species, e.g. '' Paraphanocles keratosqueleton'' which can grow to over 30 ...

, and is the only member of the

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Spinotectarchus''. 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. 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 Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

of their genitalia. Studies have shown that ''S. acornutus'' is unrelated to other stick insect genera in New Zealand.

Habitat and distribution

''Spinotectarchus acornutus'' is restricted to the north of the North Island of

, as well as some offshore islands. The type specimen described by Frederick Hutton in 1899 was collected from

Great Barrier Island Great Barrier Island () lies in the outer Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, north-east of central Auckland. With an area of it is the sixth-largest List of islands of New Zealand, island of New Zealand. Its highest point, Mount Hobson, Great Barrier ...

. It is currently held in the Canterbury Museum in

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

. This species inhabits

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

bush and regenerated forest in Northland. They can be most commonly found on ''

Metrosideros perforata ''Metrosideros perforata'', commonly known as white rātā, climbing rātā, akatea or akatorotoro, is one of twelve ''Metrosideros'' species endemic to New Zealand. It is one of three white flowering rātā vines (the others being large white ...

'' (climbing rātā), '' Dendroconche scandens'' (fragrant fern), the

epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

'' Collospermum hastatum'', and '' Dysoxylum spectabile'' (kohekohe).

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14738384, from2=Q10675954 Phasmatidae Phasmatodea genera Monotypic insect genera Phasmatidae of New Zealand Endemic insects of New Zealand

Description

Habitat and distribution

See also

References