24 Aug 2016

New Weta species

From Afternoons, 1:27 pm on 24 August 2016

Three new species of ground wētā have been identified by Massey University researchers, who have also recorded their mating calls.

One of the newly discovered species of ground wētā – Bruce’s wētā, Hemiandrus brucei.

One of the newly discovered species of ground wētā – Bruce’s wētā, Hemiandrus brucei. Photo: Massey University

Two new species of ground wētā, which were previously classified as Hemiandrus maculifrons, have now been named Hemiandrus luna and Hemiandru brucei. A third species, related to the other two, has been named Hemiandrus nox.

 Professor Steven Trewick of the Massey Ecology Group tells us about the discovery.

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