| Hemiandrus sterope | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Ensifera |
| Family: | Anostostomatidae |
| Genus: | Hemiandrus |
| Species: | H. sterope |
| Binomial name | |
| Hemiandrus sterope Trewick, Taylor-Smith & Morgan-Richards 2020 | |
Hemiandrus sterope, the lightning wētā, is a species of Hemiandrus. It is a medium-sized ground wētā, and was discovered in the Marlborough Sounds alongside three other wētā species, published in 2020. The name 'lightning' comes from one of the Pleiades sisters.
Behaviour
The male lightning wētā beats its abdomen against a leaf or other structures. It is believed that it is used as a form of communication by creating vibrations that other wētā can listen to.
References
- ^ Angeloni, Alice (2020-08-26). "New species of 'lightning' Weta discovered in Marlborough Sounds". Stuff. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- ^ Trewick, Steven A.; Taylor-Smith, Briar; Morgan-Richards, Mary (2020-08-04). "Ecology and systematics of the wine wētā and allied species, with description of four new Hemiandrus species". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 48 (1): 47–80. doi:10.1080/03014223.2020.1790396. ISSN 0301-4223. S2CID 225429887.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Hemiandrus sterope |
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