Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Tribe: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class: Insecta (Insects)
Order: Phasmatodea
Family: Diapheromeridae
Subfamily: Pachymorphinae
Tribe: Hemipachymorphini
Genus: Tectarchus
Species: T. ovobessus
Binominal name: Tectarchus ovobessus
Synonym: Tectarchus ovobossus
Common name: Ridgebacked Stick Insect, Rough-skinned Ridge-backed Stick Insect
Tectarchus ovobessus is a New Zealand native stick insect found in lowlands up to 1000 m. a.s.l. from Mt Te Aroha south in the North Island and from Christchurch north in the South Island. They are found in Taranaki.
There are 2 colour forms. The usual form is an orange-brown/fawn colour. Occasionally a green form occurs.
The body is >6.2 cm long. Each foreleg is 4 cm long and the antennae are short at 10 mm in length.
All the Tectarchus ovobessus found have been female, so this species is regarded as breeding parthenogenetically.
All of this species are female.
[1]
The brown form.
Green form.[2]
The mouthparts.
The underside of the supra-anal plate.
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