Sigaus villosus
| Sigaus villosus | |
|---|---|
| A male specimen | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Caelifera |
| Family: | Acrididae |
| Genus: | Sigaus |
| Species: | S. villosus |
| Binomial name | |
| Sigaus villosus (Salmon, 1950) | |
| The distribution of S. villosus in New Zealand | |
| Synonyms | |
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Sigaus villosus is New Zealand's largest grasshopper. It is only found in the central mountains of the South Island. The genus Sigaus is endemic to New Zealand. Like all of New Zealand sub-alpine and alpine grasshoppers Sigaus villosus has a 3 or 4 year life cycle. The eggs must ‘overwinter’ before they will hatch. Hoppers are found throughout the year and adult grasshoppers can be found throughout the New Zealand summer between December and April. These flightless grasshoppers have distinctive black eyes.