European Journal of Taxonomy 577: 1–46 ISSN 2118-9773 https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2019.577 www.europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu 2019 · Hegg D. et al. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY 4.0). Research article urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5ED633C5-4F9C-4F9D-9398-B936B9B3D951 Diversity and distribution of Pleioplectron Hutton cave wētā (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Macropathinae), with the synonymy of Weta Chopard and the description of seven new species Danilo HEGG 1, Mary MORGAN-RICHARDS 2 & Steven A. TREWICK 3,* 1 135 Blacks Road, Opoho, Dunedin 9010, New Zealand. 2,3 Wildlife & Ecology Group, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. * Corresponding author:
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[email protected] 1 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:34DFC18A-F53D-417F-85FC-EF514F6D2EFD 2 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:48F2FB1A-4C03-477C-8564-5417F9739AE1 3 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:7A378EE1-BADB-459D-9BAA-7059A675F683 Abstract. The genus Pleioplectron was first described by Hutton (1896) and included six New Zealand species. This genus has since had three species moved, one each to the genera Pachyrhamma Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888, Miotopus Hutton, 1898 and Novoplectron Richards, 1958. Here we clarify the status and appearance of Pleioplectron simplex Hutton, 1896 (incl. P. pectinatum Hutton, 1896 syn. nov.) and P. hudsoni Hutton, 1896, as well as P. thomsoni (Chopard, 1923) comb. nov., which is transferred from the genus Weta Chopard, 1923. The genus Weta is newly synonymised with Pleioplectron.