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''Argosarchus'' is a
Females can reach up to (but are usually 12–15 cm), making this endemic species the longest New Zealand insect. A distinguishing feature is the coxa of the two forelegs is purple or pink. Females are much larger than males and have a visibly spiny
Like many other New Zealand stick insects, ''A. horridus'' is facultatively Des Helmore
Desmond W. Helmore (born 1940) is a New Zealand artist and illustrator, known both for his fine art and for his scientific work depicting insects, not least illustrating the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. One of the country's most noted and ...
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PHAS Phasmidae Argosarchus horridus egg1.png
PHAS Phasmidae Argosarchus horridus egg2.png
PHAS Phasmidae Argosarchus horridus egg3.png
PHAS Phasmidae Argosarchus horridus egg4.png
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
in the family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Phasmatidae
The Phasmatidae are a family of the stick insects ( order Phasmatodea). They belong to the superfamily Anareolatae of suborder Verophasmatodea.
Like many of their relatives, the Phasmatidae are capable of regenerating limbs and commonly repr ...
containing the single species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
''Argosarchus horridus'', or the New Zealand bristly stick insect, a stick insect
The Phasmatodea (also known as Phasmida, Phasmatoptera or Spectra) are an order of insects whose members are variously known as stick insects, stick-bugs, walking sticks, stick animals, or bug sticks. They are also occasionally referred to as ...
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
(''Argosarchus spiniger'' is now considered a junior synonym of ''A. horridus''). The name "''horridus''" means bristly in Latin, likely referring to its spiny thorax.
Description
Females can reach up to (but are usually 12–15 cm), making this endemic species the longest New Zealand insect. A distinguishing feature is the coxa of the two forelegs is purple or pink. Females are much larger than males and have a visibly spiny thorax
The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...
. Males are much skinnier and shorter, usually up to . The colour of ''A. horridus'' ranges from pale white to dark brown, with females usually being grey and males being a dark greenish-brown or dark brown.
Life cycle and mating behaviour
Like many other New Zealand stick insects, ''A. horridus'' is facultatively parthenogenetic
Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development ...
. Because of that, some populations consist of only females who reproduce asexually, while other populations have both males and females and can reproduce by either asexual or sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that involves a complex life cycle in which a gamete ( haploid reproductive cells, such as a sperm or egg cell) with a single set of chromosomes combines with another gamete to produce a zygote tha ...
. Adults hatch in early summer and can be seen hanging off their host plant, feeding on it. They are mostly active at night, with males actively searching for females.
Males will mate with females by climbing on to their back, and using the toothed claspers near their genitalia to attach and begin copulation. Males may remain clasped onto a female, even if not mating, in order to mate-guard. Mature females lay eggs continuously throughout their adult life, indiscriminately dropping them to the ground. The large eggs resemble plant seeds, and are well-camouflaged on the forest floor. Eggs hatch in early spring, and nymphs resemble miniature adults. Like other stick insects, ''A. horridus'' is hemimetabolous
Hemimetabolism or hemimetaboly, also called incomplete metamorphosis and paurometabolism,McGavin, George C. ''Essential Entomology: An Order-by-Order Introduction''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. pp. 20. is the mode of development of certa ...
, and nymphs grow by moulting, going through six instars until final adulthood.
Habitat and distribution
''A. horridus'' is found throughout much of the North Island, as well as some parts of the South Island. It is present in coastal areas from sea level to at least 900 m a.s.l. The species is absent in the central South Island and in high-altitude areas. It has also been found on a number of offshore islands, including theChatham Islands
The Chatham Islands ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island. They are administered as part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about te ...
. On the Chatham Islands only females occur and this population was once considered a different species (''A. schauinslandi''). It can be found in gardens on ramarama ('' Lophomyrtus bullata'') and in the wild on native and introduced ''Rubus
''Rubus'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, with over 1,350 species.
Raspberries, blackberries, and dewberries are common, widely distributed members of the genus. Most of these ...
'' species (Rosaceae) and climbing rata (''Metrosideros perforata
''Metrosideros perforata'', also known as white rata, climbing rata, akatea or Akatorotoro, is one of twelve ''Metrosideros'' species endemic to New Zealand. It is one of three white flowering rātā vines (the others being large white rātā an ...
''). Because of its wide distribution, range of host plants and the various habitats it is found in, ''A. horridus'' is considered an ecological generalist.
See also
*List of stick insects of New Zealand
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 . The most common species of the stick insect in Ne ...
References
External links
* ''Argosarchus horridus'' discussed onRNZ
Radio New Zealand ( mi, Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa), commonly known as Radio NZ or simply RNZ, is a New Zealand public-service radio broadcaster and Crown entity that was established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news and cu ...
''Critter of the Week
''Critter of the Week'' is a weekly RNZ National programme about endangered and neglected native plants and animals of New Zealand.
Beginning in 2015, ''Critter of the Week'' is an approximately 15-minute discussion between Nicola Toki of the ...
'', 22 February 2019
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q14594029, from2=Q4789710
Phasmatidae of New Zealand
Endemic fauna of New Zealand
Insects described in 1846
Taxa named by Adam White (zoologist)
Monotypic insect genera
Phasmatodea genera
Endemic insects of New Zealand