A common species of the subalpine and alpine habitats in the mountains of central Otago. It often reaches great numbers and masses of old egg cases may lie around under stones perhaps for years. It is probably a main food for many of the insect predators (eg Hemiandrus focalis and the carabids) that live in the same habitat. It has an antifreeze in its blood as all stages are found immediately after the snow melts in the Spring. It is not closely related to the other alpine species Celatoblatta montana of Canterbury/Marlborough.