Sigaus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sigaus
Sigaus piliferus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Orthoptera
Suborder:	Caelifera
Family:	Acrididae
Tribe:	Catantopini
Genus:	Sigaus Hutton, 1897
Species
Sigaus australis Sigaus campestris Sigaus childi Sigaus homerensis Sigaus minutus Sigaus piliferus Sigaus obelisci Sigaus takahe Sigaus villosus

Sigaus of grasshoppers in the tribe Catantopini that isendemic to New Zealand, and all but one species is endemic to the South Island: Sigaus piliferus is the only North Island representative and is the type species. There are eight species in the genus; all are flightless, and many are coloured for camouflage against rocky ground. Sigaus minutus and S. childi are threatened with extinction.

Taxonomy

The taxonomy of New Zealand endemic grasshoppers was substantially revised by Bigelow in 1967.

	Sigaus australis	Sigaus campestris	Sigaus childi	Sigaus homerensis	Sigaus minutus	Sigaus piliferus	Sigaus obelisci	Sigaus takahe	Sigaus villosus
Photograph
Elevation	1,300–1,700 m (4,300–5,600 ft)	400–1,500 m (1,300–4,900 ft)	200–500 m (660–1,600 ft)	900–1,000 m (3,000–3,300 ft)	300–800 m (980–2,600 ft)		1,600–1,800 m (5,200–5,900 ft)	1,000–1,400 m (5,900–6,900 ft)	1,800–2,100 m (–6,900 ft)
Described	1897 Hutton	1897 Hutton	1999 Jamieson	2003 Morris	1967 Bigelow	1897 Hutton	1967 Bigelow	2003 Morris	1950 Salmon
Habitat	Tussock grasslands	Dry rocky hillsides/ tussock grasslands	Dry rocky hillsides	Tussock grasslands	Fluvial outwash	Tussock grasslands	Alpine lichen fields	Tussock grasslands	Scree
Polymorphism	Highly cryptic	Highly cryptic	Highly cryptic	2	Highly cryptic	2	Highly cryptic		1
Regions	Canterbury Otago	Canterbury Otago Southland	Otago	Southland	Canterbury	Waikato Gisborne Hawke's Bay Manawatū-Whanganui Wellington	Otago	Southland	Canterbury
Size	Medium	Medium/large	Medium	Medium	Very small	Large	Large	Medium	Large
Status	Not threatened	Not threatened	Nationally Critical	Range Restricted	Nationally Endangered	Not threatened	Range Restricted	Range Restricted	Not threatened
Wings	Micropterous 2–3 mm	Micropterous 2–3 mm	Micropterous 1–2 mm	Micropterous 2–3 mm	Micropterous 1 mm		Micropterous 3–4 mm	Micropterous 3–4 mm	Micropterous 2–4 mm