Kiwisaldula ryani, Larivière & Larochelle, 2018

Larivière, Marie-Claude & Larochelle, André, 2018, Kiwisaldula (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Saldidae) from the South Island of New Zealand: new species and identification key, Zootaxa 4514 (2), pp. 151-166 : 159-162

Kiwisaldula ryani new species

Kiwisaldula ryani Larivière and Larochelle , new species. Holotype: Male (NZAC) labelled “ NEW ZEALAND NN Aniseed Valley, Roding River nr [=near] Hacket Creek 22.II.2014 100m -41.3872 173.2132 Larivière, Larochelle / Boggy edge of mountain stream nr [=near] forest: among flattened vegetation near waterline. In sun. / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Kiwisaldula ryani Larivière & Larochelle, 2018 (red label).” Paratypes 5 males (2 LUNZ, 3 NZAC) , 2 females (1 LUNZ, 1 NZAC) with same data as holotype ; 1 male and 1 female NZAC paratypes mounted on same pin.

Description (Submacropterous to macropterous adult). Body length 3.32–4.35 (3.75 mm); short-ovate to elongate-ovate ( Fig. 3 ); female generally more broadly shaped. Dorsal colour largely dark, blackish, with narrowly to moderately pale lateral margins of pronotum and slightly to moderately well developed, sometimes coalesced pale markings on hemelytra. Facial colour ( Fig. 7 ) slightly to moderately contrasted. Head, pronotum, and scutellum slightly to moderately shiny against mostly dull hemelytra. Dorsal pubescence moderately long, mostly reclined, mostly golden brown, usually more densely distributed on pronotum, clavus, and endocorium. Hemelytra with some slight cell reduction in membrane or fully developed; hindwings reaching basal quarter to half of membrane or fully developed. Head ( Fig. 7 , facial view). Preocellar spots whitish yellow to whitish brown. Preocular spots dark brown (nearly indistinct). Transverse swelling slightly to moderately developed; lateral portions contiguous; whitish yellow to yellowish brown, darker near facial midline. Mandibular plates slightly to moderately developed, concolorous with or darker than transverse swelling. Maxillary plates slightly to moderately developed, concolorous with or darker than transverse swelling, sometimes dark brown. Rostrum mostly yellowish brown or partly darker brown to nearly black, reaching hind coxae. Antennae about 3.9x longer than pronotum + collar medially; segment I whitish yellow to yellowish brown or brown (in very dark specimens), ventral and dorsal sides dark in part or throughout (usually striped), ventral side often more heavily marked than dorsal side; segment II whitish yellow to yellowish brown, often darker along one side or two sides, sometimes brownish throughout, about 2.2x longer than segment I; segments III–IV dark brown to nearly black. Thorax. Lateral margins of pronotum subrectilinear, sometimes barely convex or slightly sinuate, distinctly explanate, slightly to moderately pale whitish yellow to yellowish brown, sometimes infumate (pale area at midlength 1–1.5x the width of antennal segment II). Scutellum about 1.7x longer than pronotum + collar medially. Thoracic underside black, with slightly contrasting acetabula (acetabulum I narrowly (female) or broadly (male) pale; acetabulum II narrowly pale (mostly) or completely dark; acetabulum III very narrowly pale or completely dark), and broadly pale lateral margins. Legs largely pale, sometimes infumate; fore and mid femora with ventral side dark brown to nearly black over most of length (distinctly striped); hind femora without ventral and dorsal sides dark brown to black, coalesced into an annulus; fore tibiae pale or infumate dorsally (not striped throughout); hind tibiae about 2.6x longer than tarsal segments II+III combined. Hemelytra: corium ( Figs 3 , 11 ) largely blackish, with reduced pale markings on endocorium and more extensive pale markings (whitish yellow to yellowish brown, often infumate) on exocorium; endocorium with more or less distinct, mostly reduced, pale to dark brown eyespot subbasally near R vein; costal margin lined with narrow to moderately wide, uninterrupted or interrupted pale band; colour pattern in female often with more extended pale markings but mostly consistent with that of male; pruinose areas strongly developed, distributed on base and apex of clavus and most of corium, and usually on membrane near apex of clavus; basal pruinose area of clavus broad and short, covering less than one-third of clavus length; basal pale spot of clavus absent; subapical pale spot of clavus present or absent (rarely); membrane with four nearly fully formed or fully formed cells; cell 1 the shortest, distinctly shorter than cells 2 and 3, subtriangular; cells 2 and 3 subrectangular, subequal in length and width; cell 4 as wide or narrower than cell 3, subequal in length (mostly) or distinctly longer or shorter, ending apically well before or nearly in line with tip of cell 3. Abdomen. Venter: male, blackish with or without (mostly) hind margin of segments very narrowly pale; female, blackish medially with hind margin of segments narrowly pale and narrowly to moderately margined with yellowish ivory to pale yellowish brown (pale margin sometimes infumate or obscured in darker individuals). Male parandria ( Fig. 19 ) elongate, broadly subtriangular, acutely rounded and moderately narrowed at tip; inner margins almost straight or barely convex in basal half, moderately concave in apical half; medial membrane with truncate inward projection on each side; basal margin straight. Male paramere ( Fig. 15 ) somewhat variable, especially length of processus hamatus (shorter or slightly longer than illustrated) and width of main body (very slender at times); with barely distinct processus sensualis (mostly) or with nearly flat cuticular surface, bearing less than ten setae; processus hamatus very short and almost pointing straight (as opposed to K. butleri and K. januszkiewiczi ), slightly constricted at base, its tip very narrow, acutely rounded. Other characters as in generic description ( Larivière & Larochelle, 2016: 459).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 21 ). South Island, northwestern areas (BR, NN, SD).

Material examined. A total of 197 specimens including types, from the following localities. South Island. BR –Nelson Lakes National Park (Lake Rotoiti, West Bay (NZAC); Lake Rotoroa (NZAC)); Rotokohu, Inangahua River (NZAC). NN– Aniseed Valley , Roding River near Hacket Creek ( NZAC) ; Junction Dart and Wangapeka Rivers (NZAC); Kotinga , Long Point Road ( NZAC) ; Mossy Burn , 2 km South of Kohaihai River ( NZAC) ; Puponga Farm Park (Green Hills Stream mouth ( NZAC); Wharariki Stream Mouth ( NZAC)); Tahunanui Beach, Back Beach inlet ( NZAC) . SD – Junction Opouri River and Tunakino Valley Road ( NZAC) .

Biology. Altitudinal range. Lowland to montane; collected from sea level to around 800 m. Habitat. Occurs in open habitats, mostly on moist to wet, bare or sparsely vegetated, sometimes silty sand along or near sand bars, the banks or side-channels of gravelly or sandy streams and rivers, lakes and ponds; in small moss clumps between sparse stones, on ground surface between sparse Juncus -tufts, in plant debris, on flood-flattened vegetation, along boggy banks; usually near water (from the water line to within a few meters). Also collected near water in coastal situations; on bare to sparsely vegetated, wet sand flats in estuary streams and lagoons, on moist sand patches of intertidal flats with sparse to dense Salicornia- cover, on bare wet, silt cakes over sand on the banks of coastal streams.

Seasonality. Adults and tenerals (newly emerged adults) collected from February to March, but tenerals mostly found in March; nymphs collected in February and March; mating pair observed in February. Food. Predator or scavenger. Behaviour. Undocumented.

Remarks. This species is named after Grant Ryan (Auckland), a highly skilled health specialist.

Kiwisaldula ryani is expected to be more widely distributed in northernmost areas of the South Island than might be surmised from the list of currently known localities, and to possibly be found in the Kaikoura region (KA) which remains undersurveyed for saldids.

This new species is morphologically highly variable, small to moderate in size, with an overall blackish appearance, subrectilinear to sometimes slightly convex or sinuate, somewhat narrowly pale lateral margins of pronotum, extensive pale markings and a more or less distinct, mostly reduced eyespot on hemelytra, and distinctive male genitalia. K. ryani does not appear to be strictly sexually dimorphic for body shape and wing development. Generally speaking, however, males appear to predominantly have a short-ovate body and to be submacropterous while females seem to be more regularly elongate-ovate and macropterous.

Kiwisaldula ryani is on average smaller than K. butleri but larger, longer-winged, paler individuals, although slenderer in appearance, can be difficult to diagnose from K. butleri ; dissection of male genitalia may be necessary. Material examined so far suggests that the two species are allopatric in distribution although the authors’ field experience does not preclude the possibility of westward penetrations by K. butleri via river valleys and mountain passes and the prospect of parapatry with K. ryani .

At the limit of their distribution K. ryani and K. januszkiewiczi can also be difficult to distinguish based on external morphology, especially paler submacropterous or macropterous individuals; these species may also prove to be parapatric in distribution. Available field data suggest that K. ryani favours less muddy, more oligotrophic habitats than K. januszkiewiczi .

The Nelson Lakes (BR) populations include specimens that superficially resemble all three species and identification could only be confirmed using male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Collecting localities of Kiwisaldula species, South Island, New Zealand; updated from Larivière & Larochelle (2017).

FIGURES 1–4. Dorsal views of Kiwisaldula species (males; legs and antennae omitted). Scale bar = 1 mm. (1) K. yangae, (2) K. cranshawi, (3) K. ryani, (4) K. januszkiewiczi.

FIGURES 5–8. Facial views of Kiwisaldula species; males. (5) K. yangae, (6) K. cranshawi, (7) K. ryani, (8) K. januszkiewiczi.

FIGURES 9–12. Eunomy (left corium), most frequently observed pigmentation patterns. (9) Kiwisaldula yangae, (10) K. cranshawi, (11) K. ryani, (12) K. januszkiewiczi.

FIGURES 13–20. Schematic view of male genitalia (13–16) Paramere, ventral view. (13) Kiwisaldula yangae, (14) K. cranshawi, (15) K. ryani, (16) K. januszkiewiczi. (17–20) Parandria, posterior view. (17) K. yangae, (18) K. cranshawi, (19) K. ryani, (20) K. januszkiewiczi.