Jump to content

Pachyrhamma

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pachyrhamma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Ensifera
Family: Rhaphidophoridae
Subfamily: Macropathinae
Genus: Pachyrhamma
Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888
Species[1]

See text

Synonyms
  • Gymnoplectron Hutton, 1897
  • Turbottoplectron Salmon, 1948

Pachyrhamma is a genus of cave wēta (New Zealand cave cricket, tokoriro) in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand.[2] All species are nocturnal and most use cave habitats.

Taxonomy

[edit]

The genus was first described by Swiss geologist and entomologist Carl Brunner von Wattenwyl in 1888.[3] Cook et al. (2010) found that Gymnoplectron and Turbottoplectron are synonymised with Pachyrhamma.[2] They follow W.F. Kirby (1906) and Karny (1937) in treating Pachyrhamma as a neuter noun.

Ecology

[edit]
Aggregation of P. waitomoensis

Members of the genus are detritivorous scavengers that inhabit dark, damp refugia such as hollow logs, overhangs and caves during the day.[4] They become more active at night and venture into the surrounding undergrowth to forage.[4] They consume various organic matter such as plant seeds, fungi, animal droppings, and dead animal tissue.[4] They will cannibalise the remains of other dead weta, and may also attack still-living cave weta while they are vulnerable during ecdysis (shedding their exoskeleton).[4]

Species

[edit]

When Pachyrhamma is treated as a neuter noun, species names have a neuter suffix, e.g. -ceras rather than -cera, and -ense rather than -ensis.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Pachyrhamma Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b Cook, Lorraine D.; Trewick, Steven A.; Morgan-Richards, Mary; Johns, Peter M. (2010). "Status of the New Zealand cave weta (Rhaphidophoridae) genera Pachyrhamma, Gymnoplectron and Turbottoplectron". Invertebrate Systematics. 24 (2): 131. doi:10.1071/IS09047. ISSN 1445-5226.
  3. ^ Brunner T. Wattenwyl, C. (1888). "Monographie der Stenopelmatiden und Gryllacriden". Verhandlungen der kaiserlich-königlichen zoologisch-botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien (in German). 38: 247–394. ISSN 1025-4749. Wikidata Q129404464.
  4. ^ a b c d Richards, Aola M. (1961). "Some observations on New Zealand cave-wetas". Tuatara. 9 (2): 80–83. Retrieved 9 September 2017.