Sigaus childi
| Sigaus childi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A female Sigaus childi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Family: | Acrididae |
| Genus: | Sigaus Hutton, 1897[1] |
| Species: | S. childi |
| Binomial name | |
| Sigaus childi Jamiesson, 1999 | |
 | |
| The distribution of S. childi in New Zealand | |
Sigaus childi is an endangered protected species of grasshopper from South Island, New Zealand known from the Alexandra district. Two species of grasshoppers are listed for protection under the Wildlife Act 1953 of New Zealand: S. childi and Brachaspis robustus.[2] The genus Sigaus is endemic to the New Zealand.
Distribution and habitat
Galloway Station 45°14′55″S 169°29′31″E / 45.248474°S 169.491863°E
Sigaus childi has a patchy distribution in a small area of about 200 square kilometres around the township of Alexandra. Searches have been carried out on the northern end of the Knobby Range, North Rough Ridge, and the Rock and Pillar Range. All have failed to locate further populations of Sigaus childi.[3][4] Sigaus childi is primarily found on dry, open, sparsely vegetated slopes. They are rarely found on modified farmland and are usually on north facing hillsides. Most of the Sigaus childi sites appear rocky, but this is mainly due to the low growing and sparse vegetation present there. Another more widespread species, S. australis, that lives mostly in subalpine habitat in the mountain ranges nearby, also occurs in lowland semi-arid habitat of this region. This brings it into close contact and sympatry with S. childi at some locations. Analysis of genetic data indicate extensive gene flow between the two species[5]
Species description
The wings on S. childi are micropterous (small wings) between 1–2 millimetres (0.039–0.079 in) making this species flightless like most of New Zealand grasshoppers. Sigaus childi is morphologically cryptic, and variable in colour polymorphic polymorphism. Some individuals closely match foliose lichens that grow in rocks in the area, others match more closely the gravels or pebbles on which they occur. Colours vary from pale grey, through earthy tones to green and black. Male body length 11–13 millimetres (0.43–0.51 in); Female body length 21–25 millimetres (0.83–0.98 in).
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A male Sigaus childi.
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The highly cryptic colouring of S. childi.
Type Information
- Jamieson, C.D. 1999: A new species of Sigaus from Alexandra, New Zealand (Orthoptera: Acrididae). New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 26: 43-48.
- Type locality: Galloway Station, Otago. 45°12′35″S 169°29′26″E / 45.209820°S 169.490626°E.
- Type specimen: Male; 15 December 1997; Colleen D Jamieson; Holotype and Paratype are deposited in the Otago Museum, Dunedin.
- Etymology: Named after the late Peter Child[6] of Alexandra, who first collected it from Graveyard Gully in 1967.[7]
References
- ↑ Hutton, F.W. 1897: The grasshopper and locusts of New Zealand and the Kermadec Island. Proc. Trans. NZ Inst. 30: 135-50
- ↑ "Schedule 7 Terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates declared to be animals". Parliamentary Counsel Office/Te Tari Tohutohu Pāremata. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ↑ Morris, S.J. Grasshopper Identification Sheet - Sigaus childi. Department of Conservation, Alexandra.
- ↑ Morris, S.J. 2003. Distribution and Taxonomic status of New Zealand endangered grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Department of Conservation, Wellington.
- ↑ Trewick, S.A. DNA barcoding is not enough: mismatch of taxonomy and genealogy in New Zealand grasshoppers.
- ↑ http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Peter_Child
- ↑ Bigelow, R.S. The Grasshoppers of New Zealand, Their Taxonomy and Distribution. University of Canterbury, Christchurch. 1967. p.60.