List of stick insects of New Zealand

Undescribed Micrarchus species illustrated by Des Helmore

Stick insects in New Zealand are found in a range of different environments, from cold high alpine areas to dry coastal bush. There are currently 23 different species described, from 10 genera^[1]. The most common species of the stick insect in New Zealand is the smooth stick insect (Clitarchus hookeri)^[2].

Following Günther (1953)^[3], the New Zealand stick insects are placed into the subfamilies Phasmatinae (tribe: Acanthoxylini) and Pachymorphinae (tribe: Pachymorphinini). Classification and identification is based on Jewell & Brock (2002)^[4].

This is a list of currently described stick insects in New Zealand:

Family Phasmatinae

• Acanthoxyla fasciata Hutton, 1899
• Acanthoxyla geisoveii Kaup, 1866
• Acanthoxyla huttoni Salmon, 1855
• Acanthoxyla intermedia Salmon, 1855
• Acanthoxyla inermis Salmon, 1855
• Acanthoxyla prasina Westwood, 1859
• Acanthoxyla speciosa Salmon, 1855
• Acanthoxyla suteri Hutton, 1899

• Argosarchus horridus White, 1846
• Argosarchus spiniger White, 1846

• Clitarchus hookeri White, 1846
• Clitarchus rakauwhakanekeneke Buckley, Myers, and Bradler, 2014^[5]
• Clitarchus tepaki Buckley, Myers, and Bradler, 2014^[6]

• Pseudoclitarchus sentus Salmon, 1948

• Tepakiphasma ngatikuri Buckley and Bradler, 2010^[7]

Family Pachymorphinae

• Asteliaphasma jucundum Salmon, 1991
• Asteliaphasma naomi Salmon, 1991

• Micrarchus hystricuelus Westwood, 1859

• Niveaphasma annulata Hutton, 1898

• Spinotectarchus acornutus Hutton, 1899

• Tectarchus huttoni Brunner, 1907
• Tectarchus ovobessus Salmon, 1954
• Tectarchus salebrosus Hutton, 1899
• Tectarchus semilobatus Salmon, 1954

See also

• Egg (phasmatodea)

References

• Jewell, T., & Brock, P. D. (2002). A review of the New Zealand stick insects: new genera and synonymy, keys, and a catalogue. Journal of Orthoptera Research, 11(2), 189-197.
• Buckley, T. R., Myers, S. S., & Bradler, S. (2014). Revision of the stick insect genus Clitarchus Stål (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae): new synonymies and two new species from northern New Zealand. Zootaxa, 3900(4), 451-482.
• Buckley, T. R., Attanayake, D., Nylander, J. A., & Bradler, S. (2010). The phylogenetic placement and biogeographical origins of the New Zealand stick insects (Phasmatodea). Systematic Entomology, 35(2), 207-225.
• Buckley, T. R., & Bradler, S. (2010). Tepakiphasma ngatikuri, a new genus and species of stick insect (Phasmatodea) from the Far North of New Zealand. New Zealand Entomologist, 33(1), 118-126.
• Trewick, S. A., Goldberg, J., & Morgan‐Richards, M. (2005). Fewer species of Argosarchus and Clitarchus stick insects (Phasmida, Phasmatinae): evidence from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data. Zoologica Scripta, 34(5), 483-491.
• Hutton, F. W. (1899). Revision of the New Zealand Phasmidae. In Transactions of the New Zealand Institute (Vol. 31, pp. 50-59).
• Salmon, J. T. (1955). The genus Acanthoxyla (Phasmidae). In Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand (Vol. 82, No. 5).
• O’Neill, S. B., Buckley, T. R., Jewell, T. R., & Ritchie, P. A. (2009). Phylogeographic history of the New Zealand stick insect Niveaphasma annulata (Phasmatodea) estimated from mitochondrial and nuclear loci. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 53(2), 523-536.
• Salmon, J. T. (1954). A new genus and species of Phasmidae from New Zealand. In Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand (Vol. 82, pp. 161-168).
• Salmon, J. T. (1991). The stick insects of New Zealand. Raupo.
• Günther, K. (1953). Über die taxonomische Gliederung und die geographische Verbreitung der Insektenordnung der Phasmatodea. Beiträge zur Entomologie, Berlin, 3(5), 541-563.
• Stick Insects (Phasmatodea), Landcare Research - Manaaki Whenua. Retrieved 27 September 2018.