Pachyrhamma
| Pachyrhamma | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Ensifera |
| Family: | Rhaphidophoridae |
| Subfamily: | Macropathinae |
| Genus: | Pachyrhamma Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888 |
| Species | |
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See text. | |
Pachyrhamma is a genus of cave weta (New Zealand cave cricket, tokoriro) in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand.[1]
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
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.
- Pachyrhamma acanthoceras (Milligan) – Auckland cave weta
- Pachyrhamma chopardi Karny, 1935
- Pachyrhamma edwardsii (Scudder, 1869)
- Pachyrhamma fascifer (Walker)
- Pachyrhamma uncata Richards, A. M., 1959
- Pachyrhamma waitomoensis – Waitomo cave weta
References
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b c d Richards, Aola M. (1961). "Some observations on New Zealand cave-wetas". Tuatara. 9 (2): 80–83. Retrieved 9 September 2017.