Rhagovelia papuensis group

The R. papuensis group was originally proposed by J. Polhemus & D. Polhemus (1988) to hold R. papuensis from New Guinea, as well as an additional 20 species from Australia, the Philippines, the Moluccas, Celebes, Borneo, Formosa, Japan, India and Ceylon. Many additional species were subsequently added from the Philippines (Zettel 1994, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2007), Celebes (Nieser & Chen 1993; Nieser et al. 1997), Vietnam (Zettel & Tran 2004) and the Raja Ampat Islands (D. Polhemus & J. Polhemus 2011). Perhaps ironically, the R. papuensis group, although widespread and diverse in the central Malay Archipelago, is one of the less speciose groups in the New Guinea region, consisting of a limited suite of lowland species that often exhibit rather broad geographic ranges.

The R.papuensis group is characterized by relatively small size compared to the members of the R.novacaledonica group; the long pronotum in wingless forms that covers nearly all of the mesonotum, generally leaving only a narrow portion visible posteromedially (Figs. 202, 220, 221, 227, 228, 234, 235, 241, 242, 247, 248, 253, 254, 260, 261, 267, 268, 274, 275, 281, 282, 283, 290, 291); the small, often bean-shaped male paramere with setiferation on the distal half (Figs. 224, 231, 237, 245, 251, 257, 264, 271, 278, 287, 293); the male proctiger with angular basolateral lobes of moderate size, and a distal cone also of moderate size with a rounded apex, and bearing large, rounded distolateral lobes that are often more prominent than the basolateral lobes (Figs. 225, 232, 238, 246, 252, 258, 265, 272, 279, 288, 294); paired dorsal abdominal carinae in winged forms that are relatively long, reaching to the posterior margin of abdominal tergite III; and the forewing bearing 3 or 4 closed cells, with 1 or 2 posterior cells of variable size and extending into the distal half of the wing (Figs. 12, 108).

In the EPCT the members of this group are generally inhabitats of the lower midreaches of rocky streams at elevations below 500 m (Figs. 40, 47, 187, 226, 233, 239, 259, 273, 280, 289). Some of these taxa, such as R. loriae, have broad distributions in the lowlands of New Guinea. This is also the only Rhagovelia species group present in the Solomon Islands.

The male paramere shape does not show a large degree of interspecific variation in the R. papuensis group, and is of only moderate utility for species recognition. By contrast, the structure of the proctiger, in particular the shape and degree of development of the distolateral lobes, often provides good characters for species discrimination.

Within the species of the R. papuensis group occurring on the EPCT, four distinct subgroups can be recognized. The species included in each of these subgroups are as follows:

Rhagovelia yela subgroup: R. yela n. sp., R. tagula n. sp. and R. bwagabwaga n. sp.

Rhagovelia priori subgroup: R. priori Lansbury, R. suloga n. sp. and R. dinga n. sp.

Rhagovelia transbintuni subgroup: R. ivimkana n. sp., and the extralimital R. transbintuni D. Polhemus & J. Polhemus from the Vogelkop Peninsula and the Raja Ampat Islands.

Rhagovelia loriae subgroup: R. loriae n. sp., R. guiagoila n. sp., R. basima n. sp. and R. elongata n. sp.

These subgroups are discussed in greater detail within the species treatments following the key, and also noted within the key in those instances where they fall out discretely within the couplet sequence.

Key to wingless forms of the R. papuensis group occurring in the EPCT

Key based on females, with supplementary male characters added

1. Female abdominal connexiva with basal segments bearing a dense fringe of thick black setae; central portion of female connexiva either bearing a transverse fold adjacent to abdominal tergites III–V, or with this portion of the connexival margin thinned and glabrous (Figs. 202, 221, 228, 235); Louisiade Archipelago …......................... R. yela subgroup...2

- Female abdominal connexiva with basal segments lacking a dense fringe of thick black setae; central portion of female connexiva lacking a transverse fold, not thinned or glabrous, although often showing varying degrees of posterior convergence (Figs. 242, 248, 254, 261, 268, 275, 282, 283, 291); Papuan Peninsula and proximal islands exclusive of the Louisiade Archipelago (Figs. 266, 295)........................................................................................... 4

2. Female abdominal connexiva with a strong transverse fold adjacent to tergite III or IV (Figs. 202, 221, 228); female abdomen with ventrite II not tumescent, ventrites II–IV lacking patches of posteriorly-directed gold setae centrally, ventrite III not transversely depressed; Rossel or Tagula islands (Fig. 240).................................................... 3

- Female female connexiva lacking a transverse fold adjacent to abdominal tergites III–V, but with this portion of the connexival margin thinned, glabrous and black (Fig. 235); female abdomen with ventrite II tumescent, ventrites II–IV bearing posteriorly-directed patches of golden setae posteromedially, ventrite III transversely depressed; Misima Island (Fig. 240).............................................................................................. R. bwagabwaga n. sp.

3. Female abdomen strongly folded and foreshortened posteriorly, posterior half of abdomen angled upward into a vertical orientation (Fig. 202, 221); male proctiger with basolateral lobes weakly developed, small and rounded, distolateral lobes barely developed, parallel-sided (Fig. 225); Rossel Island (Fig. 240)..................................... R. yela n. sp.

- Female connexival margins with a strong transverse fold centrally adjacent to abdominal tergite V (Fig. 228), posterior half of abdomen folded upward at a 45° angle; male proctiger with basolateral lobes well-developed, angular, distolateral lobes moderately developed, rounded (Fig. 232); Tagula Island (Fig. 240).................................. R. tagula n. sp.

4. Posterolateral angles of female connexiva bearing prominent, curving, sickle-shaped tufts of posteriorly-directed setae (Fig. 261); female connexial margins tightly appressed posteriorly, entirely covering abdominal tergites V–VII (Fig. 261); male proctiger with distolateral lobes produced into apically-directed, angular processes (Fig. 265); southeastern New Guinea (Fig. 266)................................................................................... R. ivimkana n. sp.

- Posterolateral angles of female connexiva without prominent, curving, sickle-shaped tufts of posteriorly-directed setae, at most bearing brushy patches of setae; female connexial margins not appressed posteriorly, if touching then doing so only at posterior apices, leaving abdominal tergites V–VII visible to some degree (Figs. 242, 248, 254, 268, 275, 282, 283, 291); male proctiger with distolateral lobes broadly rounded (Figs. 246, 252, 258, 272, 279, 288, 294)................................... 5

5. Female connexival margins touching postriorly at posterolateral angles, meeting over the top of abdominal tergite VII and covering most of this tergite in dorsal view (Fig. 242).......................................... R. priori Lansbury

- Female connexival margins widely separated, not touching posteriorly, abdominal tergite VII largely visible when viewed dorsally............................................................................................. 6

6. Female connexiva with margins not thinned and glabrous adjacent to abdominal tergites III and IV, of similar width and setiferation to margins adjacent to abdominal tergites I and II (Figs. 254, 260); female abdomen with ventrites II and III not tumescent, lacking posteriorly-directed patches of golden setae posteromedially, ventrite IV not centrally depressed or transversely sulcate (Figs. 209, 211); male body with ratio of body length to body maximum width less than 3.0; male hind tibia usually straight or gently bowed (Fig. 256); rarely strongly sinuate.............................................. 7

- Female connexiva with margins thinned, and glabrous adjacent to abdominal tergites III and IV, clearly lacking the setiferation present on preceding basal connexival segments, often bowed inward and concave (Figs. 216–219, 268, 275, 282, 283, 291); female abdomen with ventrites II and III tumescent, bearing posteriorly-directed patches of golden setae posteromedially, with such setal patches also sometimes present on ventrite IV, ventrite IV either centrally depressed or transversely sulcate (Figs. 203–206); male body slender and elongate, with ratio of body length to body maximum width 3.0 or greater, male hind tibia strongly sinuate in fully developed males (Figs. 270, 277, 286, 292)............................ R. loriae subgroup…8

7. Prosternum without small black denticles adjacent to rostrum; posterolateral angles of female connexiva with prominent tufts of long setae, these tufts acuminate when viewed laterally, inwardly curving when viewed dorsally (Fig. 254); male with disal cone of proctiger longer than distolateral lobes (Fig. 258), male paramere with dorsal margin bearing a broad, V-shaped indentation (Fig. 257); Woodlark Island (Fig. 240)................................................ R. suloga n. sp.

- Prosternum bearing small black denticles adjacent to rostrum; posterolateral angles of female connexiva lacking prominent tufts of long setae (Fig. 248); male with disal cone of proctiger subequal in length to distolateral lobes (Fig. 252), male paramere with dorsal margin broadly concave (Fig. 251); northern Papuan Peninsula (Fig. 266).................... R. dinga n. sp.

8. Female abdominal tergite VII narrowing posteriorly between convergent connexiva, with anterior width over 1.5X or more the posterior width (Figs. 268, 282, 283)..................................................................... 9

- Female abdominal tergite VII with sides more parallel, with only slight posterior narrowing; anterior width less than 1.4X the posterior width (Figs. 275, 291)......................................................................... 10

9. Female connexival margins convergent posteriorly adjacent to abdominal tergites V–VIII (Fig 218, 282, 283); female abdominal tergite VII narrow, with length exceeding 2.5X the posterior width; male proctiger relatively elongate, with basolateral and distolateral lobes projecting laterally to nearly the same extent (Fig. 272, 279, 288, 294); female ventral abdomen with posteromedial golden setal patches present on ventrites II–IV, small, transverse depressions present anteromedially on both ventrites IV and V (Fig 205); Fergusson and Normanby islands (Fig. 295)........................... .. R. basima n. sp.

- Female connexival margins bowed gently outward then weakly convergent adjacent to abdominal tergites V–VIII (Figs. 216, 268); female abdominal tergite VII broader than above, with length less than 2.0X the posterior width; male proctiger more compact, with basolateral lobes projecting laterally well beyond distolateral lobes (Fig. 272); female ventral abdomen with posteromedial golden setal patches present on abdominal ventrites II and III, with a few gold hairs also present posteromedially on ventrite IV, ventrite IV bearing a glabrous transverse sulcus anteromedially, ventrite V lacking such a depression, but flattened centrally as seen in oblique or posterior view (Fig 203); southern Papuan Peninsula (Fig. 295)..... .. R. loriae n. sp.

10. Body length less than 3.5 mm in both males and females; female connexiva parallel adjacent to abdominal tergites V–VIII (Fig. 217, 275); female abdominal tergites III and IV gently raised across their entire widths, not depressed laterally and tumid medially; female ventral abdomen with posteromedial golden setal patches present on abdominal ventrites II and III, with a few gold hairs also present posteromedially on ventrite IV, abdominal ventrite IV with shallow glabrous transverse sulcus anteromedially, ventrite V lacking such a depression but flattened centrally as seen in oblique or posterior view (Fig 204); male proctiger with distolateral lobes relatively short, length of distal cone subequal to that of distolateral lobes (Fig. 279); Sideia and Basilaki Islands (Fig. 295)............................................................. R. guiagoila n. sp.

- Body length exceeding 3.8 mm in both males and females; female abdominal tergites III and IV compressed medially, depressed and concave laterally adjacent to inwardly bowed connexival margins; female connexiva bowed gently outward adjacent to abdominal tergites V–VIII (Fig. 219); female ventral abdomen with posteromedial golden setal patches present on ventrites II–III, but not on ventrite IV, ventrite IV with a small, transverse depression anteromedially, ventrite V lacking a depression but slightly flattened centrally as seen in oblique or posterior view (Fig 206); male proctiger longer than above, distolateral lobes well developed and broadly rounded, with length of distal cone distinctly less than that of distolateral lobes (Fig. 294); Goodenough Island (Fig. 295)............................................................... R. elongata n. sp.