Pleioplectron flavicorne, Hegg & Morgan-Richards & Trewick, 2019

Hegg, Danilo, Morgan-Richards, Mary & Trewick, Steven A., 2019, Diversity and distribution of Pleioplectron Hutton cave wētā (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Macropathinae), with the synonymy of Weta Chopard and the description of seven new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 577, pp. 1-46 : 30-33

Pleioplectron flavicorne sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:48E7E3C2-7BF9-4B3E-B101-E77DC005F6C0

Figs 2 A–B, 6I, 7H, 9G–I, 11G–I, 15D, 18H

Diagnosis

A small inhabitant of the forest floor in the southwestern regions of the South Island of New Zealand. The habitus is typical of Pleioplectron , mottled brown in colour, with visibly banded legs and generally a visible median dorsal line. The species stands out for the yellow colour of the scapes of the antennae. Pleioplectron flavicorne sp. nov. is sympatric and shares the same microhabitat with P. caudatum sp. nov., but compared to the latter it is lighter brown in colour and lacks a ‘tail stump’. Nymphs of P. gubernator sp. nov. have bright yellow scapes of the antennae as in P. flavicorne sp. nov., but the two species are geographically well separated.

Etymology

ʻ Flāvicornis ʼ is Latin for ‘yellow horned’ in reference to the bright yellow scapes of the antennae ( Figs 6I , 15D ).

Material examined (see also Table 9 in Supplementary Material)

Holotype

NEW ZEALAND • ♂, adult; Westland (WD), Haast Pass, Brewster Hut Track; 44.08062° S, 169.39055° E; 700 m a.s.l.; 25 Nov. 2017; Danilo Hegg leg.; on forest floor; night search + insect net; NMNZ AI.037488 (prev. MPN CW4055 ).

Paratype

NEW ZEALAND • ♀, adult; same collection data as for holotype; NMNZ AI.037489 (prev. MPN CW4042 ) .

Other material

NEW ZEALAND – Westland (WD) • 1 ♀; Haast Pass, Brewster Hut Track ; 44.08062° S, 169.39055° E; 700 m a.s.l.; 17 Feb. 2017; D. Hegg leg.; on forest floor; night search + insect net; MPN CW3896 • 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, 1 nymph; same collection data as for holotype; MPN CW4041 , CW4043 to CW4048 , CW4050 , CW4051 , CW4054 • 2 ♀♀ (sub-adults); Moeraki River, Blowfly Hut ; 43.79108° S, 169.34630° E; 120 m a.s.l.; 13 Dec. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; on forest floor; night search + insect net; MPN CW4232 , CW4233 . – Otago Lakes (OL) • 1 nymph; Haast Pass, Bridle Track ; 44.12142° S, 169.34396° E; 460 m a.s.l.; 13 Oct. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; on bank on side of track; night search + insect net; MPN CW4122 .

Description

MEASUREMENTS. See Table 1.

HEAD. Frons dark brown except for two white lateral patches; with very sparse setae; vertex glabrous and of variegated colour. Eyes dark and bulging. Fastigium dark, with a white spot on either side. Scapes and peduncles bright yellow and pilose; antennae reddish brown, covered in fine setae. Maxillari and labial palpi mottled light brown, with fine tomentum.

THORAX. Pronotum mottled reddish brown/dark brown, with few pale patches; dark with pale bars next to posterior margin; covered in sparse, fine tomentum. All margins slightly rounded.

LEGS. Moderately long; hind femora of approximately equal length as body; hind tibiae on average 15% longer than body in both males and females. Coxae and trochanters pale with dark patches. Fore and mid femora and tibiae with conspicuous alternating light and dark bands, and hind legs variegated. Fore coxae with a pronounced lateral spine. Fore femora without linear spines above or below, but armed with one prolateral spine at apex. Fore tibiae armed below, generally with two linear spines on both anterior and posterior edge. Fore tibiae armed with two long spines below (one prolateral and one retrolateral) and two short superior spines (one prolateral and one retrolateral) at apex. Mid femora without linear spines above or below, but armed with one prolateral and one retrolateral spine at apex. Mid tibiae with up to two linear spines below on both anterior and posterior edge. Mid tibiae armed with two long spines below (one prolateral and one retrolateral) and two short spines above (one prolateral and one retrolateral) at apex. Hind femora unarmed below and at apex. Hind tibiae armed with 23 to 30 linear spines above, of varying length, on both anterior and posterior edges. Hind tibiae with two superior subapical spines (one prolateral and one retrolateral), two superior apical spines (one prolateral and one retrolateral) and two inferior apical spines (one prolateral and one retrolateral). Superior subapical spines and inferior apical spines of approximately equal length, superior apical spines approximately twice as long. Hind tarsi with four segments, first and second segment with a pair of spines on distal end. First segment with 7–10 small dorsal, alternate spines. Second segment with up to five small dorsal, alternate spines. Second and fourth segments one third to one half of length of first segment, third segment one third of length of second and fourth segments.

ABDOMEN. Colour variegated brown, mostly reddish brown with black patches and covered in sparse, fine tomentum. Dorsal yellow median line thin but generally pronounced and visible.

MALE TERMINALIA. Cerci long, pointed at apex, brown in colour and clothed in setae. Styli short and not visible from above. Subgenital plate broad, oval ( Fig. 9G ). Suranal plate a tall truncated cone, almost half length of cerci, and covering styli and all genital organs entirely ( Fig. 9H ).

FEMALE TERMINALIA. Subgenital plate tri-lobed, all lobes shallow and rounded ( Fig. 11G ). Ovipositor reddish brown, weakly recurved above at tip and relatively short (approximately three quarters of body length). Upper valve smooth above, but lower valve with 9 to 11 shallow teeth on ventral edge at apex ( Fig. 11 H–I). Terminalia similar to those of P. simplex when viewed from above ( Fig. 12A ).

Figures

Fig. 2. Phylogenetic relationships of Pleioplectron Hutton, 1896 cave wētā based on mtDNA sequence. A. Bayesian analysis using a mtDNA sequence alignment of 1429 bp spanning the majority of COI, with a minimum individual sequence length of 1330. Posterior probabilities are shown by nodes. B. Maximum Likelihood tree using PhyML with a COI alignment that contained sequences ranging from 483bp to 1429 bp, although the majority were>850 bp at the 3′ end of the gene. C. Map of New Zealand entomological (Crosby) regions. These codes are indicated in the Material examined section for each species.

Fig. 6. Dorsal views of cave wētā in the genus Pleioplectron Hutton, 1896. A. P. simplex Hutton, 1896, adult ♀, Helicopter Hill Track, Craigieburn (MPN CW3914). B. P. thomsoni (Chopard, 1923) comb. nov., adult ♂, Claremont Bush, South Canterbury (MPN CW4115). C. P. gubernator sp. nov., adult ♀, Mt Arthur (MPN CW4056). D. P. triquetrum sp. nov., adult ♂, Hinau Track, Kaikōura (MPN CW3928). E. P. auratum sp. nov., adult ♂, Whites Beach, Rarangi (MPN CW4295). F. P. rodmorrisi sp nov., adult ♂, Hodder River, Inland Kaikōura Range (MPN CW3824). G. P. hudsoni Hutton, 1896, adult ♂, Karori, Wellington (MPN CW3564). H. P. caudatum sp. nov., adult ♂, Brewster Hut Track, Haast Pass (MPN CW4049). I. P. flavicorne sp nov., adult ♂, Brewster Hut Track, Haast Pass (MPN CW4055). J. P. crystallae sp nov., adult ♀, Cave Brook, Gouland Downs (MPN CW3991). Scale bar = 10 mm.

Fig. 15. Live Pleioplectron Hutton, 1896 in their natural environments. A. P. auratum sp. nov., adult ♂, Whites Beach, Rarangi. B. P. gubernator sp. nov., two adult ♂♂, Three Pointer, Gouland Downs, Heaphy Track. C. P. caudatum sp. nov., adult ♂, Blowfly Hut, Moeraki River, South Westland. D. P. flavicorne sp. nov., sub-adult ♀, Blowfly Hut, Moeraki River, South Westland. E–F. P. crystallae sp. nov. E. Adult ♂, Cave Brook, Gouland Downs, Kahurangi NP. F. Adult ♀ feeding on Racomitrium Brid. moss, Salisbury Lodge, Mt Arthur, Kahurangi NP.

Fig. 9. Adult male terminalia of cave wētā in the genus Pleioplectron Hutton, 1896. Left column: ventral view (subgenital plate); central column: dorsal view; right column: lateral view. A–C. P. gubernator sp. nov., Lewis Pass. A. MPN CW4063. B. MPN CW4067 C. MPN CW4059. D–F. P. caudatum sp. nov., Brewster Hut Track, Haast Pass (MPN CW4053). G–I. P. flavicorne sp. nov., Brewster Hut Track, Haast Pass (MPN CW4055). J–L. P. crystallae sp. nov., Cave Brook, Gouland Downs, Heaphy Track. J. MPN CW3994. K–L. MPN CW3995. M–O. P. rodmorrisi sp. nov., Kahutara Saddle, Seaward Kaikōura Range. M. MPN CW3536. N–O. MPN CW3395. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 11. Adult female terminalia of cave wētā in the genus Pleioplectron Hutton, 1896. Left column: subgenital plate; central and right columns: ovipositor. A–C. P. gubernator sp. nov. A. Awapoto Hut, Abel Tasman NP (MPN CW4057). B–C. Lewis Pass (MPN CW4071). D–F. P. caudatum sp. nov., Brewster Hut Track, Haast Pass (MPN CW4040). G–I. P. flavicorne sp. nov., Brewster Hut Track, Haast Pass (MPN CW4042). J–L. P. crystallae sp. nov., Cave Brook, Gouland Downs, Heaphy Track. J. MPN CW3993. K–L. MPN CW3990. M–O. P. rodmorrisi sp. nov., Hodder River, Inland Kaikōura Range (MPN CW3822). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 12. Adult female terminalia of cave wētā in the genus Pleioplectron Hutton, 1896, dorsal view (suranal plate). A. P. simplex Hutton, 1896, Hinewai Reserve, Banks Peninsula (MPN CW4114). B. P. crystallae sp. nov., Salisbury Lodge, Mt Arthur (MPN CW3941). C. P. caudatum sp. nov., Brewster Hut Track, Haast Pass (MPN CW4040). Scale bars = 1 mm.