Clavaptera ornata Kirman, 1985

Larivière, Marie-Claude & Larochelle, André, 2022, Synopsis of the subfamily Carventinae in New Zealand (Heteroptera: Aradidae), Insecta Mundi 2022 (961), pp. 1-54 : 16-17

Clavaptera ornata Kirman, 1985

Fig. 54–55 , 77

Clavaptera ornata Kirman, 1985: 126 . Holotype: male (AMNZ) labeled “Leaf litter Serpentine Access Rd. 4 miles from Spirits Bay Rd. [ND] 30.IV.1968 J. Bertrand. (hand-written) / Mangonui Co. North Island NEW ZEALAND AUCK- LAND MUSEUM (typed) / Auckland Museum PLANT [forward slash] SOIL SAMPLE (typed) 526 (hand-written) / Clavaptera ornata KIRMAN [male symbol] HOLOTYPE. (red label; hand-written) / AMNZ 21723 AUCKLAND MUSEUM NEW ZEALAND (green label; typed).” Photo of holotype and associated labels ( Larivière and Larochelle 2004: 227). Paratype: 1 female (NZAC) from Tapotupotu Stream, at base of Cape Reinga (ND).

Description (incrustation removed). Body length about 3.1 mm (male), 3.5 mm (female). Dorsal color (male) pale to moderately dark reddish brown tinged with yellow; nearly black laterally on pro-, meso-, and metanotum, posteromedially on pronotum, anteriorly on mesonotal projection, around inner apodemal spots on tergal plate of abdomen; paler reddish brown to nearly yellowish on mesonotal projection, anterior plates of dmtg I, middle of tergal plate, apodemal spots, and outer connexivum. Female similarly colored. Eyes reddish. Antennae and legs nearly concolorous with main body. Ventral color mostly matching main dorsal color medially, darker midlaterally and medially on segment VIII (male), VII (female). Head. About as long as wide across eyes. Genae distinctly longer than clypeus, forming a gap in front. Antenniferous tubercles broadly subtriangular, their apices bluntly rounded and divergent. Antennae about 1.6× longer than width of head across eyes, mostly granulate. Ratio of length of antennal segments II–IV/I about 0.6: 0.9: 0.9. Segment I narrowed, smooth in basal third, then thickened; II slightly curved basally, gradually thickened toward apex; III pedunculate in basal fifth, gradually thickened toward apex; IV fusiform, pilose in apical half. Thorax. Pronotum about 2.6× wider than long medially, including collar (male), 2.9× (female). Anterior margin deeply and narrowly incised on each side of collar. Anterolateral angles broadly rounded-subtriangular, slightly to moderately produced in front of collar. Lateral portions with small callosities and coarse granules coalesced into a slightly to moderately elevated, broad, strongly oblique, curved submarginal ridge nearly reaching lateral margin. Lateral margins subrectilinear to slightly concave, slightly oblique. Posterolateral angles rounded-subquadrate, unproduced. Mesonotum about 2.6× wider than long medially, including backward projection (male), 3.2× (female). Lateral portions with a moderately large, sometimes ill-defined, vermiculate plate (or nearly merged callosities), small callosities, and coarse granules. Lateral margins strongly convex and oblique. Posterolateral angles broadly rounded, moderately to strongly produced (reflexed in male). Metanotum. Disc slightly elevated near apex of mesonotal projection. Lateral portions with a moderately large, sometimes ill-defined, curved plate. Lateral margins strongly convex (male), subrectilinear (female). Abdomen widest across tergite V. Dmtg I–II strongly declivent from front to back (male), moderately declivent (female). Tergal plate (dmtg III–VI). Disc moderately elevated. Lateral margins faintly convex. Inner rows of apodemal markings made of transverse, subovate to subquadrate plates bearing a distinct, oval, smooth median spot; outer rows made of longitudinal, rounded-subovate plates with a more rounded spot (outer markings smaller than inner markings). Dmtg VII narrowly smooth and unevenly surfaced anteromedially, broadly marked with small callosities and granules laterally, strongly elevated posteromedially (male); broadly smooth medially, broadly marked with small callosities and granules laterally, slightly elevated and unevenly surfaced medially, with a faint transverse sulcus posteriorly (female). Connexivum strongly reflexed (male), slightly reflexed (female). Posterolateral angles of dltg III–IV rounded, unproduced, V–VI rounded-subtriangular, increasingly reflexed and produced, VII narrowly rounded-subtriangular, rather strongly produced and reflexed (male); III–IV unproduced, V–VI rounded, slightly produced, VII rounded, slightly more produced, rather flat (female). Male genitalia. Right paramere not dissected. Ventral surface. Head. Rostrum nearly reaching posterior margin of subrectangular, carinate rostral groove. Thorax. Pro-, meso-, and metasternum fused; meso- and metasternum barely depressed medially; suture line between metasternum and vmtg I of abdomen absent. Abdomen. Ventral mediotergites (vmtg) I–III fused; other mediotergites well demarcated from each other; IV–VI barely depressed medially; VII 3.0× longer than VI medially, with moderately strong transverse wrinkles in apical fifth (male), medially split into two triangular plates, with inner margin of each plate about 3.0× longer than VI medially, surface obliquely wrinkled (female). Apodemal spots (vmtg IV–VI) flat or slightly elevated, paler than remainder of venter; outer and inner rows made of similarly sized spots. Connexivum faintly demarcated from remainder of venter.

Material examined. 4 specimens ( AMNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 77 ). North Island: ND–Cape Reinga, Tapotupotu Stream ( NZAC). North Cape, Serpentine Access Road, 4 miles [= 6.4 km] from Spirits Bay Road ( AMNZ). Te Paki, Kohuronaki ( NZAC).

Biology. Altitudinal range. Lowland. Habitat. Found in coastal shrublands and scrublands. Collected in leaf litter ( Dysoxylum – Vitex –Brachyglottis–Sophora–Phormium bush). Seasonality. Adults: November, April.

Remarks. This species was previously known only from the holotype and allotype. Two additional NZAC specimens from a new locality (Te Paki, ND) are recorded here. Clavaptera ornata appears to have a restricted distribution range around Te Paki and Cape Reinga, at the northernmost tip of the North Island.

Figures

Figures 52–55. Dorsal habitus. 52) Leuraptera zealandica, male. 53) L. zealandica, female. 54) Clavaptera ornata, male. 55) C. ornata, female. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 73–78. Species distribution maps. 73) Acaraptera myersi. 74) A. waipouensis. 75) Carventaptera hallae new species. 76) C. spinifera. 77) Clavaptera ornata. 78) Leuraptera zealandica.