Pleioplectron: taxon details and analytics

Domain
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Orthoptera
Family
Rhaphidophoridae
Genus
Pleioplectron
Species
Scientific Name
Pleioplectron

Summary description from Wikipedia:

Pleioplectron

Pleioplectron is a genus of cave wētā in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand. These wētā are fairly common at night among the leaf litter in native forest in the South Island of New Zealand. The species look very similar to species of Miotopus, another New Zealand endemic genus, recently resurrected.

There are currently ten recognised species of Pleioplectron. The genus was described by Hutton in 1896, with six species, three of which have since been moved (to Miotopus, Novoplectron, and Pachyrhamma), and two synonymised. The genus Weta, erected by Chopard in 1923, is now considered a synonym of Pleioplectron. Seven additional species of Pleioplectron were named in 2019.

All but one Pleioplectron species live in the South Island. The North Island species, Pleioplectron hudsoni, is widespread in forests, and females lay eggs into the soil or soft wood. In the South Island, P. simplex is sometimes found in woodpiles around houses and in cool basements between Christchurch and Invercargill. This species can be infected with parasites (a nematode) that cause the wētā host to drown itself. An alpine species of Pleioplectron was discovered in 1993 by wildlife photographer Rod Morris in the Seaward Kaikōura Ranges and described in 2019 as Pleioplectron rodmorrisi.

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Images from inaturalist.org observations:

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Pleioplectron
©Tom Spencer, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Pleioplectron
©Daniel J. King, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
Pleioplectron
©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©suzy_cubby, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©samuelhansard, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©samuelhansard, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©samuelhansard, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©samuelhansard, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©samuelhansard, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Alice Shanks, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Alice Shanks, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Fraser Gurney, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©aeterno, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Alice Shanks, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Alice Shanks, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Helen Jones, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Helen Jones, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Helen Jones, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mark Anderson, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)
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©Jacob Littlejohn, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)
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©Jacob Littlejohn, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)
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©maureenk, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Alice Shanks, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Alice Shanks, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mark Anderson, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)
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©Jacob Littlejohn, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)
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©deddington, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jacob Littlejohn, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)
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©Andrew, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©stuartwhanau, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©hfrank, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©hfrank, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Lusk, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jacqui Geux, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Jacqui Geux, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Jacqui Geux, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©househopper_jr, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Pierrick Bloin, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Pierrick Bloin, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Alice Shanks, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Alice Shanks, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©seaben40, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Uwe Schneehagen, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Grey Smith, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Grey Smith, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Grey Smith, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Benjamin Wright, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©James Tweed, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©James Tweed, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©James Tweed, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Aalbert Rebergen, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Aalbert Rebergen, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Aalbert Rebergen, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Aalbert Rebergen, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Jacob Littlejohn, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)
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©Jacob Littlejohn, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)
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©Jacob Littlejohn, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)
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©Stephen Hartley, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Stephen Hartley, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
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©Uwe Schneehagen, some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Jean Roger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Paddy Kemner, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Mike Bowie, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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©Simon Nicholas, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
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