Koekotroides moowhitihauuru, J.-P & Myers & Shepherd, 2025

J. - P, Olivier, Myers, Alan A. & Shepherd, Lara D., 2025, A new genus and six new species of endemic landhopper in the family Arcitalitridae (Amphipoda: Talitroidea) from New Zealand, Zootaxa 5691 (2), pp. 277-311 : 282-286

Koekotroides moowhitihauuru sp. nov.

( Figs 2–4 )

Genus A sp. 5 ( Ball et al. 2024).

Type material. Holotype: female ( MNZ CR.027744 ), body length 6.0 mm, Bushy Park , Whanganui, New Zealand, podocarp-broadleaf forest, pitfall trap, coll. Dickison M., 13 February 2016. Allotype: male ( MNZ CR.027743 ), body length 5.0 mm, same data as holotype . Paratypes: 7 females ( MNZ CR.027742 ), body lengths 5.0–7.0 mm, same data as holotype .

Etymology. The specific epithet is a combination of three words: ‘mōwhiti’ (a shrimp like creature that also means to jump, relating to the form and behaviour of the species), ‘hau’ (wind, breeze or breath, describing the windy nature of the type locality) and ‘uru’ (west, referencing the general location of the area in which the species is found).

Description. Adult female 4.0–7.0 mm.

Head. Head slightly longer than pereonite 1, distinctly rounded anterodorsally. Eye small, approximately one quarter head length. Antenna 1 extending to at least half to two thirds of the way along peduncle article 5 of antenna 2; article 3 of peduncle subequal to article 2, narrower; flagellum consisting of 4 articles. Antenna 2 as long as head and first 2–3 pereonites combined, article 4 length 3 times breadth; article 5, 1.5 times length of article 4; flagellum subequal to, or slightly longer than peduncle, consisting of 11–13 articles. Labrum broadly rounded and setose apically. Mandible left lacinia mobilis 4-dentate. Labium inner lobes well developed, setose. Maxilla 1 endopodite slender, tapering distally, with 2 apical plumose setae; exopodite broad with 9 apical serrate robust setae, outer margin with vestigial palp. Maxilla 2 endopodite subequal to or slightly shorter than exopodite, apex with many curved robust setae, plumose seta on inner margin; exopodite apex with many curved robust setae. Maxilliped moderately splayed; endopodite apex narrowly rounded; exopodite distally arcuate with subacute apex; palp article 2 without distomedial lobe; article 4 small but distinct.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 coxa sub-trapezoidal, anterior margin nearly straight; basis anterior margin more or less straight, posterior margin narrowing proximally; merus posterior margin without lobe covered in palmate setae; carpus elongate, posterior margin with triangular swelling, without lobe covered in palmate setae; propodus short, about 0.7 times length of carpus, semi-elliptical, posterior margin with 4 long, straight, spear-like robust setae, palm oblique, simple. Gnathopod 2 coxa about as wide as deep, anterior margin convex, posterior margin with excavation and subacute process; basis parallel-sided, stout, 3 times as long as broad, narrowing proximally along anterior margin; merus, produced posterodistally into a lobe covered in palmate setae; carpus and propodus short, stout; carpus posterior margin with lobe covered in palmate setae; propodus mitten-shaped in both sexes (femipod), subequal to or slightly longer than carpus, distal lobe apically rounded, broad, covered in palmate setae; dactylus very short. Pereopods 3–7 simplidactylate. Pereopod 3–4 basis slender, in lateral view, anterior margin concave distally in frontal view; ischium short; merus long; carpus 0.6 times length of merus; propodus slightly longer than carpus and slightly shorter than merus. Pereopod 5 basis evenly narrowing distally, anterior and posterior margins weakly and evenly convex; carpus and merus subequal in length; propodus approximately 1.3 times longer than carpus. Pereopod 6 basis sub-elliptical, slightly narrower distally, margins weakly convex; carpus subequal in length to merus; propodus approximately 1.3 times length of carpus. Pereopod 7 longer than pereopod 6; basis orbicular to weakly obovate, as broad as long, posterior margin with small serrations each with a small seta; merus, carpus and propodus each progressively slightly longer than the preceding article. Oostegites small, narrow, on gnathopod 2 and pereopods 3–5. Oostegite on gnathopod 2 elongate, curving and narrowing distally with a subacute tip, very weakly setiferous apically. Oostegites on pereopods 3 and 4 elongate, longer and broader than that on pereopod 2, broadening proximally, apex rounded, weakly setiferous distally. Oostegite on pereopod 5 subequal in length to that on pereopod 2, thickened, narrowing distally, with subacute tip with 1 seta or none. Gills present on gnathopod 2 and pereopods 3–6. Gill 2 (on gnathopod 2) large, trilobate, middle lobe broadest, distal lobe longest, with rounded apex (may lie flat ventrally with gnathopod 1 emerging from between the middle and distal lobes, or have distal lobe positioned close to the maxilliped). Gills 3–5 small, slightly twisted proximally, lamina narrowing distally. Gill 6 large, expanded and lobed proximally, with a narrow, grooved process extending posteriorly, transforming into a sinuous, anseriform distal process with a rounded apex.

Pleon. Epimeron 1 shallower than epimera 2–3, posterior margin nearly straight. Epimeron 2 ventral margin weakly convex to nearly straight, deepest posteriorly; posteroventral corner with or without small, blunt to subacute process; posterior margin nearly straight along distal half, widest medially. Epimeron 3 nearly as deep as epimeron 2 at anteroventral corner; ventral margin convex anteriorly and concave posteriorly, posteroventral corner with small to medium subacute process; posterior margin smooth, sinuate, convex medially and concave distally. Pleopods 1–3 biramous, peduncles without marginal setae; rami without visible articulations and with fine long sparse marginal setae, exopodites usually slightly shorter than endopodites. Pleopod 1 longest, endopodite 0.4 times length of peduncle. Pleopod 2 slightly shorter than pleopod 1, endopodite 0.5 times length of peduncle. Pleopod 3 shortest, endopodite 0.5 times length of peduncle. Uropod 1 peduncle longer than the subequal rami, outer margin with 2 dorsal robust setae distally; distolateral robust seta approximately 0.3 times length of exopodite; exopodite without dorsal robust setae; endopodite with 2–3 dorsal robust setae. Uropod 2 peduncle subequal in length with endopodite; endopodite longer and stouter than exopodite with 2 marginal robust setae; exopodite without marginal robust setae. Uropod 3 peduncle bulbous, with 1 very long lateral robust seta; ramus approximately 0.3 times length of peduncle, subtriangular, with 1 apical seta. Telson as broad as long, undulate, upturned distally, not incised apically, deep longitudinal furrow present ventrally, 1 large apical robust seta and 2 large dorsal robust setae on each side.

Habitat. Known only from mature and secondary podocarp-broadleaf forests.

Distribution. North Island, Auckland (Kepa Bush, Ōrākei) and Whanganui (Bushy Park).

Remarks. Koekotroides moowhitihauuru sp. nov. is most closely related to K. taapinea sp. nov. It differs from that species in the structure of epimera 2 and 3. In K. moowhitihauuru sp. nov., the posterior margin of epimeron 2 is nearly straight along the distal half, with or without a small process at the posterodistal corner. In K. taapinea sp. nov., the posterior margin is evenly concave, and the posterodistal margin is drawn out into a long subacute process. The concavity along the ventral margin of epimeron 3 is also more strongly defined in K. moowhitihauuru sp. nov. than in K. taapinea sp. nov. Koekotroides moowhitihauuru sp. nov. is also similar to K. tewhaarua sp. nov., but that species has epimeron 3 with a distinctly crenulate posterior margin, and a much longer distolateral robust seta.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Koekotroides moowhitihauuru sp. nov., female paratype (whole animal, gills 2–6, pleopods 1–3, epimera 1–3, uropods 1–3, telson), Bushy Park, Whanganui. Scale bars a = whole animal; b = uropods, telson, epimera, pleopods, gills.

FIGURE 3. Koekotroides moowhitihauuru sp. nov., female paratype (antennae, maxilliped (including detail of palp article 4), gnathopods 1–2), Bushy Park, Whanganui. Scale bars a = antennae, gnathopods; b = maxilliped.

FIGURE 4. Koekotroides moowhitihauuru sp. nov., female paratype (pereopods 3–4 and dactyls, pereopods 5–7), Bushy Park, Whanganui.