A new species of large Hemiandrus ground wētā (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae) from North Island, New Zealand

Abstract

A new species of Hemiandrus ground wētā is described from North Island, New Zealand. Hemiandrus jacinda sp. nov. is larger and more brightly coloured than other species in the region, but appears to be scarce and restricted to remnant native forest habitat.

The role of community science in orthopteran research

“…In these studies, community scientists work directly with researchers or in tandem with them on web platforms such as Zooniverse (https://www.zooniverse.org/). In open community science studies, data are generated largely by individuals working independently and are then recorded and shared through social media or apps such as iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/; Paiero et al 2020, Skejo et al 2020b, Kasalo et al 2021a, 2021b, Trewick 2021). These internet-based forums provide anyone with a smartphone or computer the ability to add to a collective database that is accessible by scientists and nonscientists everywhere.…”

“…The geographic scale and depth of community science surveys are particularly valuable in the context of anthropogenic change-the scale and speed at which humans are impacting biodiversity require the collection of as much data as possible as quickly as possible (Theobald et al 2015). Community science initiatives have been successful in monitoring conservation efforts (Barlow et al 2015, Kallimanis et al 2017, sighting species thought to be extinct (Woller andHill 2015, Buzzetti et al 2021), discovering new species (Kasalo et al 2021b, Trewick 2021, locating occurrences of range expansion (Beckmann 2017, Paiero et al 2020, Kaláb et al 2021, and invasive species (Okayasu et al 2020, Ahnelt et al 2021, Kasalo et al 2021a). In some taxa, most newly discovered species are first described by people who are not professional scientists (Fontaine et al 2021).…”

The impact of mammalian insectivores Rattus rattus (Rat), Mus musculus (Mouse) & Erinaceus europeus (Hedgehog) on the size and abundance of mainland Coleoptera and Orthoptera

“…In contrast to tree wētā, ground wētā primarily feed on other small forest invertebrates but can also make use of fruit and seeds. Hemiandrus is the most specious genera of the anostomatid wētā with around 17 described species, however potentially dozens more are yet to be formally identified (Taylor-Smith et al, 2016;Trewick, 2021). In the Aorangi and Remutaka ranges the vast majority of Hemiandrus belong to Hemiandrus pallitarsis with occasional records of Hemiandrus bilobatus and Hemindrus maculifrons reported in other studies (Moeed & Meads, 1985;Trewick et al, 2020;Vergara, 2018;Vergara et al, 2020).…”