Kiwisaldula waiho, Larivière & Larochelle, 2017

Larivière, Marie-Claude & Larochelle, André, 2017, Kiwisaldula waiho and K. hurunui, two new species of Saldidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from the South Island of New Zealand, with redescriptions of K. butleri (White) and K. laelaps (White), Zootaxa 4341 (1), pp. 41-55 : 43-47

Kiwisaldula waiho new species

Kiwisaldula waiho Larivière and Larochelle , new species. Holotype: Male (NZAC) labelled “NEW ZEALAND WD Franz Josef, Waiho Riv [=River] 100m 4323 S 17010 E [= 43º23’S 170º10’E] 11.III.2007 Larivière, Larochelle / Sandy glacial river moraine: scattered stones + gravel; among cushion plants; far from permanent water / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Kiwisaldula waiho Larivière & Larochelle, 2017 (red label).” Paratypes: 9 males (1 CMNZ, 2 LUNZ, 2 MONZ, 4 NZAC,), 4 females (1 LUNZ, 1 MONZ, 2 NZAC) with same data as holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description (Brachypterous adult). Body length 2.25–2.81 (2.50 mm); short-ovate, somewhat pear-shaped ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal colour largely dark with contrastingly pale exocorium of hemelytra and narrowly pale lateral margins of pronotum. Facial colour ( Fig. 9 ) slightly to strongly contrasted. Head, pronotum, and scutellum moderately shiny against mostly dull hemelytra. Dorsal pubescence short to moderately long, mostly reclined, usually more densely distributed, thicker and more golden brown on pronotum, clavus, and endocorium (as in K. hurunui ); endocorium with thicker, golden brown setae. Hemelytra with reduced cells in membrane; hindwings highly reduced (not fully formed), reaching about half to two-thirds of corium length. Head ( Fig. 9 , facial view). Preocellar spots whitish yellow (more distinct than in K. hurunui ). Preocular spots whitish yellow to yellowish brown (more distinct than in K. hurunui ). Transverse swelling slightly to strongly developed; lateral portions contiguous (mostly) or separated by a narrow gap; whitish yellow to dark yellowish brown, darker near facial midline. Mandibular plates slightly to strongly developed, concolorous with transverse swelling. Maxillary plates slightly to strongly developed, concolorous with or paler than transverse swelling. Rostrum brown, reaching hind coxae. Antennae about 4.1x longer than pronotum + collar medially; segment I whitish yellow to yellowish brown or brown, with ventral side at least partially dark (sometimes striped), dorsal side usually pale; segment II whitish yellow to yellowish brown or brown, about 2.2x longer than segment I; segments III–IV dark brown to nearly black. Thorax. Lateral margins of pronotum subrectilinear, narrowly explanate (less explanate than in K. hurunui ), narrowly pale whitish yellow (mostly) to yellowish brown or brown (pale area at midlength about as wide or narrower than the width of antennal segment II), sometimes almost completely dark. Scutellum about 1.35x longer than pronotum + collar medially. Thoracic underside black, with moderately contrasting acetabula (acetabulum I broadly pale, acetabulum II moderately or narrowly pale, acetabulum III narrowly pale or completely dark), and broadly pale lateral margins. Legs largely pale; fore and mid femora often with ventral side brown to nearly black subapically or over most of length (often distinctly striped); hind femora rarely with ventral and dorsal sides dark brown to black, coalesced into an annulus; fore tibiae pale or slightly infumate dorsally (not darkly striped throughout), usually paler than in K. hurunui and at most with very faint pale subapical annulus; hind tibiae about 2.2x longer than tarsal segments II+III combined. Hemelytra: corium ( Figs 1 , 13 ) largely dark brown to nearly black, with reduced pale markings on endocorium and more extensive pale markings (whitish) on exocorium (larger and more coalesced from basal quarter to basal half); endocorium with distinct, sometimes reduced, brown eyespot subbasally near R vein; costal margin lined with moderately to rather wide, pale band for most or part of length; colour pattern in female consistent with that in male; pruinose areas well developed, distributed on most of clavus and corium, and on membrane near apex of clavus (sometimes patchy on clavus and subapex of endocorium); basal pruinose area of clavus broad and long, covering more than one-third of clavus length (usually most of length, sometimes only half); basal pale spot of clavus present (sometimes very small); subapical pale spot of clavus present (often very small) or absent (rarely); membrane with four reduced cells; cell 1 the shortest, distinctly shorter than cells 2 and 3, oval to subtriangular; cells 2 and 3 subrectangular, subequal in length and width; cell 4 the narrowest, slender, subequal in length or slightly shorter than cell 3, ending apically well before tip of cell 3. Abdomen. Venter: male, dark brown to nearly black, with or without hind margin of segments very narrowly pale; female, dark to nearly black medially, narrowly to moderately margined with yellowish ivory to yellowish brown or pale brown (pale margin sometimes highly reduced). Male parandria ( Fig. 20 ) elongate, narrowly subtriangular, acutely rounded and narrowed at tip; inner margins sinuate; medial membrane with truncate inward projection on each side; basal margin sinuate, broadly convex medially. Male paramere ( Fig. 16 ) without distinct processus sensualis, instead with broadly convex cuticular surface bearing less than ten setae; processus hamatus rather short, slightly constricted basally, its tip rather broad, acutely rounded; main body bulbous (as opposed to K. hurunui ). Other characters as in generic description ( Larivière & Larochelle, 2016: 459).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 24 ). South Island, central west coast (WD).

Material examined. A total of 40 specimens including types, from the following localities. South Island. WD – Franz Josef, Waiho River ( CMNZ, LUNZ, MONZ, NZAC) ; Havelock Creek and Highway 6, junction (NZAC); Waitangitaona River and Highway 6, junction (NZAC); Wanganui River and Highway 6, junction (NZAC).

Biology. Altitudinal range. Lowland; collected around 100–200 m above sea level. Inland. Habitat. Sandy glacial moraines, river terraces, and river banks with or without scattered stones or gravel; above the flood line, on moist sandy patches between cushion plants and other sparse vegetation; at a certain distance from water (on average up to 10 m away from the water line); also in intermittently inundated terrains far away from permanent water. Seasonality. Adults and tenerals (newly emerged adults) collected in March when they appeared equally abundant in the field, suggesting summer breeding and overwintering in the egg stage. Food. Predator or scavenger. Behaviour. Undocumented.

Remarks. This species is named after its type locality the Waiho River (WD).

At first glance K. waiho may superficially resemble K. hurunui . In addition to differences in male paramere and parandria, K. waiho has paler, more distinct preocellar and preocular spots on the head, darker, less strongly developed mandibular plates, more narrowly pale and less explanate lateral margins of pronotum. The two species are allopatric in distribution.

Figures

FIGURE 24. Collecting localities of Kiwisaldula species, South Island, New Zealand.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Dorsal views of Kiwisaldula species (males; legs and antennae omitted). Scale bar = 1 mm. (1) K. waiho, (2) K. hurunui, (3) K. butleri, (4) K. laelaps.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Facial views of Kiwisaldula species; males. (9) K. waiho, (10) K. hurunui, (11) K. butleri, (12) K. laelaps.

FIGURES 13 – 15. Eunomy (left corium), most frequently observed pigmentation patterns. (13) Kiwisaldula waiho, (14) K. butleri, (15) K. laelaps.

FIGURES 16 – 23. Schematic view of male genitalia (16 – 19) Paramere, ventral view. (16) Kiwisaldula waiho (shaft base broken), (17) K. hurunui (shaft base broken), (18 a – b) K. butleri, (19) K. laelaps. (20 – 23) Parandria, posterior view. (20) K. waiho, (21) K. hurunui, (22) K. butleri, (23) K. laelaps.