Tepakiphasma ngatikuri, a new genus and species of stick insect (Phasmatodea) from the Far North of New Zealand

• Main Authors: Thomas R. Buckley, Sven Bradler
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Phasmatinae; Te Paki; New Zealand; North Cape; Paki
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.602.4516; http://www.ento.org.nz/nzentomologist/new_issues/NZEnto33_1_2010/Volume_33_118-126.pdf

We describe a new genus and species of stick insect from Northland, New Zealand, Tepakiphasma ngatikuri, gen. nov., sp. nov. We have classifi ed this genus as a member of Phasmatidae, Phasmatinae, Acanthoxylini, and due to the presence of certain key synapomorphies it is phylogenetically placed within the Australasian clade Lanceocercata. A number of character states differentiate Tepakiphasma from other New Zealand Acanthoxylini genera including the number and arrangement of teeth on the claspers and a perforate egg capitulum or capitular cone. Like many New Zealand phasmatodeans the known host plants of T. ngatikuri include species of Myrtaceae. This genus appears to have an extremely limited geographic distribution and is known from only two specimens collected in the Te Paki / North Cape area at the northernmost tip of mainland New Zealand. This discovery further emphasises the importance of the Te Paki / North Cape area in New Zealand biodiversity. The phasmatodean fauna of New Zealand now contains 10 genera and 23 described species.