Five new species of ground wētā endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand are described based on morphological traits and informed by phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences. Hemiandrus briarae sp. nov. is a robust species living on mountains in northeast South Island, and H. dryadis sp. nov. is a gracile denizen of forests in northwest South Island. Hemiandrus fabella sp. nov. and H. johnsi sp. nov. are phylogenetic sisters, of which the former has females with very short ovipositors and is restricted to central Canterbury, while females of the latter have long ovipositors and a wider range through Canterbury and north Otago. Hemiandrus mataitai sp. nov. is an extremely localised, short‐ovipositor species known from one site in Otago. Hemiandrus species can be readily distinguished using the combinations of spines on their tibiae and hind femora, and if specimens are adult, the distinct genital structures of males and females. The genus Hemiandrus now has 16 species.
Trewick et al. (2026) studied this question.