''Tepakiphasma ngatikuri'' is a

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 ...

of 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 ...

Phasmatidae The Phasmatidae are a family (biology), family of the stick insects (order (biology), order Phasmatodea). They belong to the Superfamily (zoology), superfamily Anareolatae of suborder Verophasmatodea. Like many of their relatives, the Phasmatida ...

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 ...

to a single patch of forest near the northernmost tip of the

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

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 was not discovered until 2008, 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 ...

''Tepakiphasma''.

Nymphs A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

of ''T. ngatikuri'' were first collected in Radar Bush, Te Paki Recreation Reserve, in December 2008. Radar Bush, a 65 ha forest remnant 9.5 km south-east of

Cape Reinga Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua (; sometimes spelled Rēinga, ) is the northwestern most tip of the Aupōuri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand. Cape Reinga is more than 100 km north of the nearest small town ...

, is home to several very localised Northland species such as the slight skink (''Oligosoma levidensum'') and Bartlett's rātā (''Metrosideros bartlettii).'' The two nymphs were reared to adulthood, and the new species was described and named in 2010. Its genus name is taken from the type locality of Te Paki (or North Cape), and its species name is from the

Ngāti Kurī Ngāti Kurī is a Māori people, Māori iwi from Northland Region, Northland, New Zealand. The iwi is one of the five Muriwhenua iwi of the far north of the North Island. Ngāti Kurī trace their whakapapa (ancestry) back to Pōhurihanga, the ca ...

people of Northland, whose area of interest includes Te Paki. ''Tepakiphasma ngatikuri'' is a moderately large (10 cm) stick insect, slender and wingless. Its body is mottled grey and brown, with no spines and sparsely scattered

tubercle In anatomy, a tubercle (literally 'small tuber', Latin for 'lump') is any round nodule, small eminence, or warty outgrowth found on external or internal organs of a plant or an animal. In plants A tubercle is generally a wart-like projectio ...

s. Its most distinctive feature is its egg, which has a conical perforated cap, a structure seen on no other New Zealand stick insects but found in some overseas groups. The only known specimens were collected from white rātā (''

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 ...

''). Although the surrounding area has been searched, no specimens of ''T. ngatikuri'' have been found anywhere but Radar Bush. Because the species occurs in just one small location, making it extremely vulnerable to extinction from accidental fire or introduced predators, it has been classed as Nationally Critical under the Department of Conservation's Threat Classification System.

References

External links

* ''Tepakiphasma ngatikuri'' discussed on Radio NZ ''Critter of the Week''
19 August 2016
{{Taxonbar, from=Q14751945 Phasmatodea genera Phasmatidae of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Insects described in 2010 Monotypic insect genera Phasmatidae

See also

References

External links