Hemiandrus sterope, the lightning wētā, is a species of Hemiandrus. It is a medium-sized ground wētā, and was discovered in the Marlborough Sounds alongside three other wētā species, published in 2020. The name 'lightning' comes from one of the Pleiades sisters.
Behaviour The male lightning wētā beats its abdomen against a leaf or other structures. It is believed that it is used as a form of communication by creating vibrations that other wētā can listen to.
Conservation status Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species is listed as "Not Threatened".Trewick, Steven & Hegg, Danilo & Morgan-Richards, Mary & Murray, Tara & Watts, Corinne & Johns, Peter & Michel, Pascale. (2022). Conservation status of Orthoptera (wētā, crickets and grasshoppers) in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2022. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 39. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 28 p.
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