Hemiandrus jacinda

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Hemiandrus jacinda is a species of wētā, a large insect, that is native only to New Zealand. It was first described in 2021 by scientist Steven A. Trewick and named in honour of New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern.

Adults are relatively large and glossy, with long legs and orange-red colouring. Hemiandrus jacinda is nocturnal, and like other ground wētā, it probably roosts in burrows during the day. There are few records, so scientists aren’t sure how common it is, but its range extends from the Far North to Taranaki.

Conservation status: Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, Hemiandrus jacinda is listed as Naturally Uncommon, with qualifiers Biologically Sparse, Data Poor: Size, Data Poor: Trend, and Population Fragmentation.

Classification: Kingdom Animalia; Phylum Arthropoda; Class Insecta; Order Orthoptera; Suborder Ensifera; Family Anostostomatidae; Genus Hemiandrus; Species H. jacinda. Binomial name Hemiandrus jacinda (Trewick, 2021).