Pleioplectron gubernator Hegg, Morgan-Richards, and Trewick 2019
- Dataset
- Diversity and distribution of Pleioplectron Hutton cave wētā (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Macropathinae), with the synonymy of Weta Chopard and the description of seven new species
- Rank
- SPECIES
- Published in
- 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: 1-46, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2019.577
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Arthropoda
- class
- Insecta
- order
- Orthoptera
- family
- Rhaphidophoridae
- genus
- Pleioplectron
- species
- Pleioplectron gubernator
description
Description MEASUREMENTS. See Table 1. HEAD. Frons dark brown, 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 pale and pilose; antennae dark brown, covered in fine setae. Maxillari and labial palpi light, with fine tomentum. THORAX. Pronotum variegated brown, mainly dark, with a few pale patches, dark with pale bars next to posterior margin and covered in sparse, fine tomentum. Anterior and lateral margins slightly rounded; posterior margin nearly straight. LEGS. Moderately long; hind femora of approximately equal length as body; hind tibiae on average 25 % longer than body in both males and females. Coxae and trochanters mottled light and dark brown. Fore and mid femora and tibiae with conspicuous alternating light and dark bands; hind femora variegated; hind tibiae dark brown. 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 (sometimes three) linear spines on anterior edge, and one linear spine on posterior edge. Fore tibiae armed with two long spines below (one prolateral and one retrolateral) and two short spines above (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 armed below, with one to three linear spines on anterior edge and one to two linear spines on 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. Hind femora armed with one retrolateral apical spine in specimens collected at Gouland Downs, but apical spines absent in specimens collected elsewhere. Hind tibiae with 20 to 29 linear spines of varying length above, 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 three times as long. Hind tarsi with four segments, first and second segments with a pair of spines on distal end. First segment with 5 – 12 small dorsal, alternate spines. Second segment with 1 – 4 small dorsal, alternate spines. Second and fourth segments one third of length of first segment, third segment one third of length of second and fourth segments. ABDOMEN. Colour variegated brown, very dark with black patches and with sparse, fine tomentum. Dorsal yellow median line absent or very thin. MALE TERMINALIA. Cerci long, rounded at apex, dark brown in colour, clothed in setae. Styli very short and not visible from above. Subgenital plate very long, protruding through heavily deformed last two sternites, with a thin, translucent but very pronounced fin that gives this species its name (Fig. 9 A, C). This feature is missing in specimens collection in the Paparoa Range, and the posterior part of the subgenital plate is covered by undeformed sternites (Fig. 16). Structure of male terminalia otherwise the same. Suranal plate a tall truncated cone almost half length of cerci, covering styli and all genital organs entirely (Fig. 9 B). FEMALE TERMINALIA. Subgenital plate tri-lobed, with middle lobe pointed, two outer lobes broad and rounded (Fig. 11 A). Ovipositor reddish brown, recurved above near tip, terminating in a very sharp point; approximately 80 % of body length. Upper valve smooth above; lower valve with 8 to 12 small but strong teeth at apex on ventral edge (Fig. 11 B – C). Dorsal view of terminalia with a sharp point on last tergite, as in P. crystallae sp. nov. (Fig. 12 B).
description
Figs 2 A – B, 6 C, 7 F, 9 A – C, 11 A – C, 15 B, 16, 18 F
diagnosis
Diagnosis A small inhabitant of the forest floor in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. The habitus is typical of Pleioplectron, chequered grey-brown in colour, with visibly banded legs. Very dark all over, with median dorsal line hardly visible. In Westland it could easily be mistaken for P. caudatum sp. nov., which lives further south along the coast. Examination of the terminalia is required to reliably distinguish the two species (compare Fig. 9 A – C with 9 D – F). Nymphs of P. gubernator sp. nov. have antennae with bright yellow scapes similar to those of P. flavicorne sp. nov., but the two species are geographically well separated.
etymology
Etymology ʻ Gŭbernātŏr ʼ is Latin for ‘ helmsman’, because of the very prominent fin under the male subgenital plate (Fig. 9 A, C), which resembles the rudder under a boat. Material examined (see also Table 7 in Supplementary Material) Holotype NEW ZEALAND • ♂, adult; Buller (BR), Lewis Pass, Cannibal Gorge; 42.339893 ° S, 172.42208 ° E; 840 m a. s. l.; 3 Feb. 2017; Danilo Hegg leg.; in rotting tree stump in native forest; night search + insect net; NMNZ AI. 037484 (prev. MPN CW 4063). Paratype NEW ZEALAND • ♀, adult; Nelson (NN), Abel Tasman National Park, Awapoto Hut; 40.86314 ° S, 172.9391 ° E; 660 m a. s. l.; 12 Oct. 2017; Danilo Hegg leg.; in roots of fallen tree; night search + insect net; NMNZ AI. 037485 (prev. MPN CW 4057). Other examined NEW ZEALAND – Nelson (NN) • 1 ♀; East Takaka; 40.92435 ° S, 172.85541 ° E; 600 m a. s. l.; 29 Jan. 2006; M. Morgan-Richards and S. Trewick leg.; on ground under beech tree; night search; MPN CW 298 • 1 nymph; same collection data as for paratype; MPN CW 3787 • 1 ♂; Heaphy Track, Perry Saddle; 40.90029 ° S, 172.40416 ° E; 900 m a. s. l.; 19 Apr. 2016; D. Hegg leg.; under boulder on side of track; night search; MPN CW 2986 • 1 ♂; Heaphy Track, Perry Saddle; 40.90029 ° S, 172.40416 ° E; 900 m a. s. l.; 24 Dec. 2016; D. Hegg leg.; in leaf litter on forest floor; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4075 • 2 ♂♂; Heaphy Track, Gouland Downs, Cave Brook; 40.89240 ° S, 172.35540 ° E; 600 m a. s. l.; 26 Dec. 2016; D. Hegg leg.; on forest floor; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4073, CW 4074 • 1 ♀; Heaphy Track, Gouland Downs, Cave Brook; 40.89240 ° S, 172.35540 ° E; 600 m a. s. l.; 4 Feb. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; on forest floor; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4058 • 1 ♂; Heaphy Track, Gouland Downs, Three Pointer; 40.88383 ° S, 172.30983 ° E; 750 m a. s. l.; 22 Apr. 2016; D. Hegg leg.; on tree trunk; night search; MPN CW 2980 • 1 ♀; Mt Arthur Tablelands, Salisbury Lodge; 41.18511 ° S, 172.64465 ° E; 1150 m a. s. l.; 8 Feb. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; on tree trunk; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4056 • 1 ♂; Mt Owen, Bulmer Creek; 41.57134 ° S, 172.52491 ° E; 1000 m a. s. l.; 7 Jan. 2019; D. Hegg leg.; at base of tree; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4262 • 1 ♂; Mt Owen, Branch Creek Hut; 41.52465 ° S, 172.51128 ° E; 920 m a. s. l.; 11 Jan. 2019; D. Hegg leg.; on tree trunk; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4276 • 3 ♀♀; Mt Owen, Fyffe River; 41.58800 ° S, 172.49235 ° E; 600 m a. s. l.; 12 Jan. 2019; D. Hegg leg.; rotting tree stump in forest; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4277 to CW 4279. – Buller (BR) • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Lewis Pass; 42.37782 ° S, 172.40297 ° E; 850 m a. s. l.; 26 Apr. 2016; D. Hegg leg.; stream bank; night search; MPN CW 2995, CW 2996 • 1 ♂, 2 nymphs; Lewis Pass; 42.37782 ° S, 172.40297 ° E; 850 m a. s. l.; 23 Dec. 2016; D. Hegg leg.; rotting tree stump in forest; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4059 to CW 4061 • 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Lewis Pass; 42.37782 ° S, 172.40297 ° E; 850 m a. s. l.; 10 Jan. 2017; D. Hegg leg.; rotting tree stump in forest; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4065 to CW 4068, CW 4071, CW 4072 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; MPN CW 4064, CW 4069, CW 4070 • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀; Lewis Pass, Nina Valley; 42.46601 ° S, 172.32211 ° E; 750 m a. s. l.; 26 Jan. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; on forest floor; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4037 to CW 4039, CW 4062 • 1 nymph; Charleston, Darkies Terrace; 41.90941 ° S, 171.45284 ° E; 40 m a. s. l.; 18 Oct. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; at base of tree; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4117 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 3 nymphs; Paparoa Range, Buckland Peaks; 41.87418 ° S, 171.62879 ° E; 1040 m a. s. l.; 8 Dec. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; on forest floor; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4251 to CW 4253, CW 4266, CW 4280 • 1 nymph; Paparoa Range, Buckland Peaks; 41.87526 ° S, 171.62669 ° E; 1150 m a. s. l.; 8 Dec. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; on Celmisia leaf, above tree line; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4227 • 1 ♂, 1 nymph; Punakaiki, Truman Track; 42.09270 ° S, 171.34071 ° E; 40 m a. s. l.; 6 Dec. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; in roots of fallen tree; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4240, CW 4264 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Paparoa Range, Blackball Creek; 42.32962 ° S, 171.39728 ° E; 300 m a. s. l.; 4 Apr. 2019; D. Hegg leg.; on bank on side of track; night search + insect net; MPN CW 4327 to CW 4329. – Westland (WD) • 1 ♂; Hokitika, Awatuna, Havill Drive; 42.64646 ° S, 171.06245 ° E; 20 m a. s. l.; 24 Apr. 2012; B. Taylor-Smith leg.; MPN CW 2010.