title: Revision of the stick insect genus Clitarchus Stål (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae): new synonymies and two new species from northern New Zealand.
abstract: We describe two new species of Clitarchus Stål from Northland, New Zealand. Clitarchus rakauwhakanekeneke sp. nov. is described from the Poor Knights Islands and Clitarchus tepaki sp. nov. is described from the Te Paki / North Cape area and the Karikari Peninsula at the northernmost tip of New Zealand. Two new synonymies are proposed including Clitarchus multidentatus Brunner (syn. nov.) and Clitarchus tuberculatus Salmon (syn. nov.) as synonyms of Clitarchus hookeri (White). Clitarchus magnus Brunner, recorded from Thailand, is transferred to Ramulus Saussure and given the replacement name Ramulus changmaiense nom. nov. The holotype of C. multidentatus was recorded as being collected from New Caledonia; however we believe this is a labelling error and the specimen was collected from New Zealand. These taxonomic changes render Clitarchus endemic to New Zealand and consisting of three species; C. hookeri, C. rakauwhakanekeneke and C. tepaki. Keys to the adult males and females of Clitarchus species are given in addition to notes on host plants, ecology and geographic distributions.
authors.affiliation: Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand Allan Wilson Centre, Auckland, New Zealand; Email: buckleyt@landcareresearch.co.nz.
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.affiliation: Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand Allan Wilson Centre, Auckland, New Zealand; Email: shelley_m5@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Shelley S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Berliner Strasse 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.; Email: sbradle@gwdg.de.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bradler
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D005260:Female; D007313:Insecta / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D009929:Organ Size