About Talitropsis sedilloti Bolívar, 1882
Talitropsis sedilloti is a species of cave wētā. Cave wētā of this species have extra-long antennae and long, slender legs. They do not have hearing organs called tympana, but they are sensitive to ground vibrations, a capability enabled by pads on their feet. Specialized hairs on the cerci and organs on the antennae are also effective at detecting low frequency air vibrations. Adult T. sedilloti range in size from approximately 14mm for females to 18mm for males. Adults are a shiny, pale orange brown. Their hind tibiae have two rows of prominent spines running along either side for most of the tibiae length. This feature distinguishes T. sedilloti from other tokoriro (cave wētā), as other cave wētā species have very fine spines. Juveniles are darker in color, with a distinct yellow diamond marking on the dorsal abdominal surface. Distribution information for T. sedilloti in New Zealand can be accessed via two external redirect links, and an update to the species distribution is currently under investigation. T. sedilloti is widespread across mainland New Zealand. Genetic studies using mtDNA have found that maximum intraspecific genetic distance within this species reaches as high as 4.4%.
