Pharmacus senex, Hegg & Morgan-Richards & Trewick, 2022

Hegg, Danilo, Morgan-Richards, Mary & Trewick, Steven A., 2022, High alpine sorcerers: revision of the cave wētā genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Macropathinae), with the description of six new species and three new subspecies, European Journal of Taxonomy 808 (1), pp. 1-58 : 41-43

Pharmacus senex sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0F63FF1F-2CC1-4920-816F-1AA57AB7B907

Figs 1–2 , 6 , 8C , 9F , 11A–C , 13A–C , 15A–B , 17B , 18E

Diagnosis

A mid-sized cave wētā known only from the rock tors on the wind-swept tops of the Old Man, Old Woman and Dunstan Ranges in Central Otago. Typical of Pharmacus in its habitus, it is differentiated from all other species by its short hind legs. It does not share the habitat with any other Rhaphidophoridae that we are aware of.

Etymology

‘ Senex ’ is Latin for ‘old’ (of a person), after the Old Man and Old Woman Ranges in Central Otago. Pharmacus senex means ‘old sorcerer’.

Material examined (see also Supp. file 1: Table S8)

Holotype NEW ZEALAND • ♂, adult; Central Otago (CO), Near Obelisk, Old Man Range ; 45.32567° S, 169.20826° E; 1680 m a.s.l.; 1 Dec. 2017; D. Hegg leg.; cracks in rock tors; night search + insect net; NMNZ AI.052294 (prev. MPN CW3867).

Paratype NEW ZEALAND • 1 ♀, adult; Central Otago (CO), Old Woman Range ; 45.23048° S, 169.05058° E; 1630 m a.s.l.; 3 May 2019; D. Hegg leg.; cracks in rock tors; night search + insect net; NMNZ AI.052295 (prev. MPN CW4408).

Other material

NEW ZEALAND – Central Otago (CO) • 1 ♀; Near Obelisk, Old Man Range ; 45.334° S, 169.210° E; 1650 m a.s.l.; Jan. 2013; T. Jewell leg.; in cracks in rock bluffs; GenBank: OM293680 ; MPN CW2580 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; GenBank: OM293681 ; MPN CW2582 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MPN CW2581 , CW2583 • 1 ♀; The Obelisk, Old Man Range ; 45.323° S, 169.207° E; 1680 m a.s.l.; 21 Jan. 2014; S. Trewick leg.; in cracks in rock bluffs; GenBank: OM293676 ; MPN CW279 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; GenBank: OM293677 ; MPN CW284B • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; GenBank: OM293678 ; MPN CW285 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 1 nymph; same collection data as for preceding; MPN CW278A , CW278B , CW280 , CW284A • 8 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, 4 nymphs; same collection data as for holotype; MPN CW3860 to CW3866 , CW3868 to CW3879 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for paratype; GenBank: OM293715 ; MPN CW4389 • 4 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, 3 nymphs; same collection data as for paratype; MPN CW4386 to CW4388 , CW4390 , CW4406 , CW4407 , CW4409 , CW4491 to CW4493 • 1 ♂; Dunstan, Dunstan Mountains ; 45.04471° S, 169.37418° E; 1670 m a.s.l.; 10 May 2019; D. Hegg leg.; in cracks in rock bluffs; night search + insect net; GenBank: OM293714 ; MPN CW4382 • 4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, 4 nymphs; same collection data as for preceding; MPN CW4381 , CW4383 to CW4385 , CW4402 to CW4405 , CW4506 to CW4509 .

Description

MEASUREMENTS. See Table 1.

HEAD. As per generic description. Eyes grey or brown. Antennae brown.

THORAX. As per generic description.

LEGS. All legs coloured a variegated reddish brown in adults, dull in nymphs. Hind tibiae approx. three quarters of body length in females; just over 80% of body length in males. This makes the hind legs of P. senex the shortest (proportionally to body size) in all Pharmacus species ( Fig. 9F ). Fore femora generally unarmed at the apex. One specimen (female) out of 29 examined had a prolateral spine at the apex of the fore femur. Mid femora armed with one retrolateral spine at the apex; prolateral apical spine absent. The first hind tarsus segment is armed with a variable number of linear spines above (up to seven); the second hind tarsus segment is only rarely armed with dorsal linear spines.

ABDOMEN. Tergites glabrous or sparsely tomentose, coloured chequered a vibrant yellow/brown in adults ( Fig. 15A–B ), dull brown in nymphs. A thin, pale median line along the whole length of the insect is generally present.

MALE TERMINALIA. Subgenital plate deep like in P. montanus when seen from the side, but not covered by a membrane in the distal half; square-ended and hairy at the vertex. Styli long, reaching almost to the end of the subgenital plate ( Fig. 11A–C ).

FEMALE TERMINALIA. Subgenital plate bilobed and wide, similar to the one in P. cochleatus comb. nov. ( Fig. 13A ). Ovipositor on average 70% of body length, nearly straight; lower valve with 5 to 7 teeth below at the apex ( Fig. 13B–C ).

Figures

Fig. 1. A. Genetic relationships of cave wētā support monophyly of the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. Gene tree from mtDNA sequences (~1500 bp of COI) using Maximum Likelihood with 1000 bootstraps and Macropathus filifer Walker, 1869 to root the tree. B. Map of South Island of New Zealand, showing locations of Pharmacus specimens used in phylogenetic analyses (Figs 1A, 2). Colours correspond to different species. Two letter codes indicate the New Zealand entomological regions (Crosby et al. 1998). These codes are reported in the Material examined section for each species.

Fig. 2. Gene tree for the eight morphologically identified species of Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893 using Maximum Likelihood analysis of ~850 bp of mtDNA (COI) from 60 specimens ofPharmacus.

Fig. 6. Known distribution of cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893 in the south of the South Island, New Zealand.

Fig. 8. Dorsal views of adult ♂ cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. Notice loss of natural pigmentation of pale body parts due to preservation in ethanol. A–B. Pharmacus montanus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893 A. Mt Annette, Sealy Range, Mt Cook (MPN CW3302). B. Lake Anna, Mt Franklin, Arthur’s Pass (MPN CW3989). C. Pharmacus senex sp. nov., Old Woman Range, Central Otago (MPN CW4387). D. Pharmacus cochleatus cochleatus (Karny, 1935) comb. nov., Topheavy, Mt Brewster, Haast Pass (MPN CW3324). E. Pharmacus cochleatus rawhiti subsp. nov., Mt Tūwhakarōria, Hector Mountains (NMNZ AI.052290). F. Pharmacus cristatus sp. nov., Skippers Range, South Westland (MPN CW4562). G. Pharmacus vallestris sp. nov., Matukituki River West Branch (MPN CW3700). H. Pharmacus notabilis sp. nov., Remarkables ski-field access road (NMNZ AI.052296). I. Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov., Eyre Peak, Eyre Mountains (MPN CW4482). J. Pharmacus perfidus sp. nov., Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains (MPN CW4494). Scale bar = 10 mm.

Fig. 9. Left hind tibia of adult ♂ cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893, dorsal view. A. Pharmacus montanus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893, Lake Anna, Mt Franklin, Arthur’s Pass (MPN CW3989). B. Pharmacus cochleatus cochleatus (Karny, 1935) comb. nov., Gertrude Saddle, Darran Mountains (MPN CW3413). C. Pharmacus cochleatus rawhiti subsp. nov., Mt Tūwhakarōria, Hector Mountains (MPN CW4431). D. Pharmacus cristatus sp. nov., Skippers Range, South Westland (NMNZ AI.052292). E. Pharmacus notabilis sp. nov., Remarkables ski-field access road (NMNZ AI.052296). F. Pharmacus senex sp. nov., Obelisk, Old Man Range (NMNZ AI.052294). G. Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov., Eyre Peak, Eyre Mountains (MPN CW4480). H. Pharmacus perfidus sp. nov., Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains (NMNZ AI.052300). I. Pharmacus vallestris sp. nov., Matukituki River West Branch (MPN CW3700). Scale bar = 5 mm.

Fig. 11. Adult male terminalia of cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. Left column: dorsal view; central column: ventral view (subgenital plate); right column: lateral view. A–C. Pharmacus senex sp. nov., The Obelisk, Old Man Range (NMNZ AI.052294). D–F. Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov., Symmetry Peaks, Eyre Mountains (NMNZ AI.052298). G–I. Pharmacus perfidus sp. nov., Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains (NMNZ AI.052300). J–L. Pharmacus vallestris sp. nov., Matukituki River West Branch (NMNZ AI.052302). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 13. Adult female terminalia of cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. Left column: subgenital plate; central and right columns: ovipositor. A–C. Pharmacus senex sp. nov., Old Woman Range (NMNZ AI.052295). D–F. Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov., Symmetry Peaks, Eyre Mountains (NMNZ AI.052299). G–I. Pharmacus perfidus sp. nov., Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains (NMNZ AI.052301). J–L. Pharmacus vallestris sp. nov., Matukituki River West Branch (NMNZ AI.052303). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 15. Live Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893 in their natural environments. A–B. Pharmacus senex sp. nov. A. Adult ♂, Dunstan, Dunstan Mountains, 1670 m a.s.l. B. Adult ♂ and ♀. The Obelisk, Old Man Range, 1680 m a.s.l. C. Pharmacus notabilis sp. nov. Adult ♂, Remarkables Ski-field Access Road, Wakatipu, 1200 m a.s.l. D. Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov. Adult ♂, Symmetry Peaks, Eyre Mountains, 1500 m a.s.l. E. Pharmacus perfidus sp. nov. Adult ♀ and ♂, Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains, 1450 m a.s.l. F. Pharmacus vallestris sp. nov. Adult ♀, French Ridge, Matukituki River West Branch, 1700 m a.s.l. (MPN CW5145).

Fig. 17. Habitat of Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. A. Mount Dick, Eyre Mountains. a. Rock bluffs at 1550 m a.s.l., collection locality of Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov. (MPN CW4472–4475, CW4501–4504, CW4592, CW4593). B. Dunstan, Dunstan Mountains. b. Rock tors at 1670 m a.s.l. collection locality of P. senex sp. nov. (MPN CW4381–4385, CW4402–4405, CW4506–4509). C. Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains. c. North ridge, 1450 m a.s.l., collection locality of P. perfidus sp. nov. (NMNZ AI.052300, AI.052301; MPN CW4487, CW4489, CW4490, CW4494–4496, CW4498, CW4499, CW4553–4555). D. Skippers Range High Point, South Westland. d–e. Scree and rock bluffs around lake, 1600 m a.s.l., collection locality of P. cochleatus nauclerus subsp. nov. (NMNZ AI.052289, MPN CW4363) and of P. cristatus sp. nov. (NMNZ AI.052292, AI.052293; MPN CW4365, CW4376, CW4484, CW4485, CW4562).

Fig. 18. Map of South Island, New Zealand, showing the known distribution of cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. A–B. Solid shapes indicate material collected as part of this study; empty circles indicate additional locations of material examined by Richards (1972). B. Shapes represent different subspecies: dark blue circle = Pharmacus cochleatus cochleatus; light blue circle = Pharmacus cochleatus nauclerus subsp. nov.; diamond = Pharmacus cochleatus fiordensis subsp. nov.; triangle = Pharmacus cochleatus rawhiti subsp. nov.