Pachyrhamma

Pachyrhamma is a genus of cave weta (New Zealand cave cricket, tokoriro) in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand.[1]

Pachyrhamma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Ensifera
Family: Rhaphidophoridae
Subfamily: Macropathinae
Genus: Pachyrhamma
Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888
Species

See text.

Cook et al. (2010) found that Gymnoplectron and Turbottoplectron are synonymised with Pachyrhamma.[1] They follow W.F. Kirby (1906) and Karny (1937) in treating Pachyrhamma as a neuter noun.

Ecology
Aggregation of P. waitomoensis

Members of the genus are detritivorous scavengers that inhabit dark, damp refugia such as hollow logs, overhangs and caves during the day.[2] They become more active at night and venture into the surrounding undergrowth to forage.[2] They consume various organic matter such as plant seeds, fungi, animal droppings, and dead animal tissue.[2] They will cannibalise the remains of other dead weta, and may also attack still-living cave weta while they are vulnerable during ecdysis (shedding their exoskeleton).[2]

Species

When Pachyrhamma is treated as a neuter noun, species names have a neuter suffix, e.g. -ceras rather than -cera, and -ense rather than -ensis.

References
  1. Cook, Lorraine D.; Trewick, Steven A.; Morgan-Richards, Mary; Johns, Peter M. (2010). "Status of the New Zealand cave weta (Rhaphidophoridae) genera Pachyrhamma, Gymnoplectron and Turbottoplectron". Invertebrate Systematics. 24 (2): 131. doi:10.1071/IS09047. ISSN 1445-5226.
  2. Richards, Aola M. (1961). "Some observations on New Zealand cave-wetas". Tuatara. 9 (2): 80–83. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
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