Atopida montana, Broun, 1921

(Figs 1N–O, 5J–K, 8F, 10E, 13B, 14, 17E)

Atopida montana, Broun, 1921: 536

Atopida montana: Macfarlane et al. 2011: 420 (catalogue); Kiałka & Ruta 2017: 24 (catalogue).

Type material. Two syntypes, males (NHM): card-mounted, “Mt Owen \ 27-12-1914 ” [in Broun’s hand], “ Atopida \ montana” [in Broun’s hand], “4063.” [in Broun’s hand], “ New Zealand. [red underline] \ Broun Coll. \ Brit. Mus. \ 1922-482.”

Other material examined. 1 female (NHM): “var. \ 4063”, “ New Zealand. [red underline] \ Broun Coll. \ Brit. Mus. \ 1922-482.”, “ Glen Hope \ 14.3.1915 ” [in Broun’s hand] ; 1 ex. (NZAC): “ Dun Track \ 14.2.42 \ E.S. Gourlay ”; 2 exx. (LUNZ): “ NEW ZEALAND BR \ Mt Robert Carpark \ St Arnaud \ 11 Jan 2014 \ SDJ Brown ”, “ Extracted from beech \ litter \ 880 m \ 41.8219°S 172 8071°E ”; 2 exx. (LUNZ): “ NEW ZEALAND, BR \ Lake Rotoroa \ nr camp ground \ 10.I.1993 \ J.W.M. Marris ”, “beaten from foliage, \ Nothofagus / Podocarpus \ forest” ; 1 male (NZAC): “L. Rotoroa \ 1-3-II-39 \ E.S. Gourlay ” ; 1 ex. (LUNZ): “ NEW ZEALAND, NN \ nr Takaka, The \ Grove Scen Res, \ Nov 1985 \ J.W. Early ”, “yellow pan \ trap in \ bush” ; 1 ex. (NZAC): “ Canan \ W Nelson \ South Is. ”, “ Collector \ 10-13 I. 1949 \ A.E. Brookes ” ; 1 ex. (NZAC): “ Pigeon Saddle \ Takaka I. […] \ Nelson ”, “ A.E. Brookes \ Collection” ; 1 ex. (NZAC): “ Owen River \ NN \ E.S. Gourlay ” ; 1 ex. (NZAC): “ Dun Mt. Summit \ Nel. 19.xii.68 \ J.C. Watt ” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Dun Mt. 3000’ \ 7.I.34 \ E.S. Gourlay ” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Dun Mt. 2000’ \ 7.2.33 \ E.S. Gourlay ” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Dun Mt. 2000 ft. \ 15.1.28. \ E.S. Gourlay ” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Third. House \ Dunn Track. \ 10/1/42”, “ Atopida \ montana Broun \ Det. E.S. Gourlay ” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Third House \ Dunn Track \ A. Hamilton \ 10/1/42” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Third House \ Dun Mt. Track \ 2000’. 30.12.53 \ E.S. Gourlay ” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Third House \ Dun Mt. Track \ 3000’. 30.12.53 \ E.S. Gourlay ” ; 1 ex. (NZAC): “ Bealy Vall. \ 9-11-I-57 \ E.S. Gourlay ” ; 1 ex. (NZAC): “ Fox Glacier \ 14.12.60 \ S. Westland”, “ J.I. Townsend \ & P.R. Kettle ” ; 1 ex. (NMPC): “ NEW ZEALAND: Marlborough \ Pelorus Bridge, 30.xi.2010, \ 41°30.490’S 173°56.747’E \ night collecting on trunks, rotten \ wood and fungi \ Fikacek & Leschen RL1515” ; 2 males (NZAC): “ Canaan Nelson \ 17-26.1.49”, “ A.E. Brookes \ Collection” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ NEW ZEALAND, BR \ Mt Robert \ 5 Feb 1982 \ C.F. Butcher ”, “Sweeping” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ mt. Owen \ 27.12.1914.”, “ Atopida \ montana”, “ T. Broun \ Collection”, “ A.E.Brookes \ Collection” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Opouri \ Nelson \ 10 Jan 69 \ J.S. Dugdale ” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Pittosporum \ tenuifolium”, “ Whangamoa \ 700’ 29-11-88 \ G. Kuschel ” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Takaka Valley \ Nelson \ 26.11.63” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Canaan Nel. \ 17-26.1.49”, “ A.E. Brookes \ Collection” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Canaan Nel. \ Dec.1949 \ O’Connor”, “ A.E. Brookes \ Collection” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Puramahoi \ Collingwood \ 26.10.65 \ J.I. Townsend ” ; 1 male (NZAC): “ Puramahoi \ Takaka Dist. Nel. \ 26.10.65 \ J.I. Townsend ”, “65/524”, “litter” ; 1 male (NHM): “ Nothofagus \ forest litter”, “BR: L. Rotoiti \ St. Arnaud Ra \ 1550m. \ 25.xii.1983 ”, “ NEW ZEALAND \ B.M. 1984-80 \ P.M. Hammond ” ; 1 male (AMNZ): “ NEW ZEALAND BR \ L. Rotoiti \ beech forest \ emergence trap \ 12-20.xii.2003 \ D. Hartnett ” ; 1 male (AMNZ): “ Whangapeka Vall \ 2-12-34 \ E.S. Gourlay ”, “ NEW ZEALAND \ AUCKLAND MUSEUM”, “ C. E. Clarke \ Collection”, “ Atopida \ montana” .

Diagnosis. Body small to moderately big (TL 3.3–4.3 mm), narrow, covered with erect setae; pronotum densely covered with granulate punctures. Trigonium narrow, rounded at apex, slightly shorter than parameroids. Bursal sclerite consisting of two long rods, setal patches present on ventrites 3–5 of females small, rounded; apical portion of ventrite 5 with 4 tubercles. Externally resembling A. hirta from North Island, distinguishable on the basis of morphology of genitalia. Probably a species complex, see remarks below.

Redescription. Male. Body elongated, small to moderately large (TL 3.3–4.3 mm), moderately convex. Body yellowish brown, head and pronotum slightly darker, often with black-brown stripe along elytral suture. Punctation on head and pronotum granulate, strong and dense, punctures touching each other, punctation on elytra simple, coarse, punctures separated by 0.3–0.5× diameter of a puncture. Body covered with rather long, yellowish, protruding, ruffled setae. Supraantennal ridges well-marked, slightly elevated. Pronotum widest in the anterior portion, slightly before middle of its length, sides curved, anterolateral angles slightly produced, posterolateral angles right-angled. Elytra without carinae, humeri well-marked. Ventrite 5 rounded, apex triangular. Penis (L 0.45 mm, W 0.19 mm) elongated, trigonium rather narrow, sides subparallel, apex rounded, slightly shorter than parameroids; parameroids elongated, apices obliquely truncate, apical part covered with punctures; pala rectangular, slightly longer than parameroids. Tegmen (L 0.43 mm, W 0.26 mm) with wide rectangular parameres, rounded apices, scarce punctures and numerous rows of delicate setae in apical part.

Female. Body moderately big (TL 3.6 mm), brachypterous, coloration yellowish-brown, elytra with darkened suture. Supraantennal ridges marked, not elevated. Basal portion of pronotal disc with impunctate, triangular area. Ventrite 5 rounded, with 4 small tubercles in apical portion. Lateral portions of ventrites 3 and 4 with small, oval setal patches, small patch-like area without distinct setation present also on ventrite 5. Bursal sclerite (L 0.2 mm) consisting of two elongated rods, triangularly widened in middle of their length, truncate posteriorly and pointed in anterior portion.

Measurements and ratios. Males (n = 9) TL 3.30–4.30 mm (3.74 mm), PL 0.55–0.80 mm (0.67 mm), PW 1.00– 1.35 mm (1.13 mm), EL 2.70–3.50 mm (3.05 mm), EW 1.55–2.05 mm (1.71 mm), TL/EW 2.10–2.29 (2.19), PW/PL 1.50–1.93 (1.71), EL/EW 1.71–1.83 (1.79), EL/PL 4.13–5.00 (4.60), EW/PW 1.42–1.62 (1.51). Female (n = 1) TL 3.55 mm, PL 0.70 mm, PW 1.15 mm, EL 2.80 mm, EW 1.75 mm, TL/EW 2.0, PW/PL 1.6, EL/EW 1.6, EL/PL 4.0, EW/PW 1.5.

Distribution. Distributed in several areas of South Island: Marlborough Sounds, Nelson, Buller, and Westland (Fig. 18F).

Remarks. While all males examined are very uniform in terms of morphology, it is not the case of females. The description of female is based on a specimen from Glenhope, identified by T. Broun. Its punctation on pronotum is very similar to that of the holotype. Among numerous female specimens that we initially identified as A. montana, several striking differences were noticed after a closer examination, including level of wing reduction, differences in punctation of pronotal disc (almost smooth and impunctate in some specimens), and even more striking differences in arrangement of abdominal setal patches. A. montana is apparently a species complex that needs further studies in order to recognize particular species it includes. Currently we distinguished three additional female morphotypes, tentatively named after the localities of specimens:

1) ‘Mt Robinson’ (Figs 14A, D, G)—brachypterous; setal patches present on ventrite 4, elongated; bursal sclerite consisting of triangular sclerites (L 0.17 mm);

2) ‘Port Underwood’ (Figs 14B, E, H)—brachypterous; setal patches present on ventrite 4, very small, rounded; ventrite 5 with two pointed, triangular denticles on apex; bursal sclerite consisting of triangular sclerites (L 0.23 mm);

3) ‘Pelorus Bridge’ (Figs 14C, F, I)—apterous; abdomen without setal patches (!); bursal sclerite with two rods (L 0.21 mm).