Occultastella morgana Trewick sp. nov. ,, 2024

Trewick, Steven A., 2024, Two new genera of tokoriro (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Macropathinae) from Aotearoa New Zealand, Zootaxa 5481 (5), pp. 531-546 : 542-544

Type Species: Occultastella morgana Trewick sp. nov.,

Material. Holotype ♂; Dry Road , Paturau River, Kahurangi National Park, New Zealand (-40.6523243, 172.4593968, 270m), NN, New Zealand, B. L.T. Smith & N. Smith 26/2/14, MPN CW2736 , NMZNZ AI.062528 . Paratype ♀; Denniston Plateau , Westport, West Coast, New Zealand (-41.763867, 171.819675) D. Hegg 23/10/22, MPN CW5616 , NMNZ AI.062529 . Other material ( Table 1 ).

Description. Holotype Male.

Dimensions. Adult

Body length 11.09 mm, fore femur 4.9 mm, mid femur 5.9mm, hind femur length 11.3 mm, fore tibia length 5.4 mm, mid tibia length 5.4 mm, hind tibia length 13.2. Antennae, little longer than the body (~ 14 mm).

Legs: Fore femur with articulated, prolateral apical spine, mid femur with an articulated prolateral and an articulated retrolateral apical spine, hind femur with several tiny, fixed spines on inferior retrolateral carina near distal end. Fore and mid tibiae with typical four articulated, apical spines and pair of linear spines about halfway along underside of fore and mid tibiae. Hind tibia with two rows of approximately 20 very short or short, articulated spines, on the prolateral and retrolateral margins of the superior surface. Hind tibia with four pairs of apical spines including a pair of long, spurs that project about halfway along the first tarsus. Tarsi with numerous golden short setae. First tarsus long with twelve stout articulated spines on the superior surface that are alternate near the proximal end but paired distally. Second tarsus with four stout spines ( Figure 10 ).

Male: Terminalia complex. A distinctive two lobed structure extends from the 10 th tergite; tergites 8 and 9 have indented posterior margin associated with this. From the dorsal surface the structure appears as a Y with two posterior pointing arms. Subgenital plate wide and short but equipped with long, narrow projection with tip bearing a tuft of beige hairs positioned below and between paraprocts. Cerci are long, narrow, cylindrical, long and gently curved towards the midline but not meeting, pale above with sparse hairs and setae, darker below. Styli short, pilose, dorso-ventrally flattened, leaf-shaped, arched with tip pointing down; like little limp paws ( Figure 11 ).

Female. Ovipositor long (about 80% of body length) fine widely spaced teeth towards tip on ventral valves ( Figure 10 ). Subgenital plate small and mostly concealed by posterior margin of last sternite at base of ovipositor, translucent brown with sinuous margin consisting of shallow lobe on either side and central point ( Figure 12 ).

Colouration: Head, antennae, thorax and abdomen and legs predominantly dark brown to black. Two-lobed fastigium between antennae bears white spot on each lateral surface (ocelli). Body has some irregular cream marks on flanks and legs and larger pale patches on dorsal surface of abdomen. Long pronotum bears a distinctive cream/ white ‘candle-flame’ marking on each side of the midline extending from the anterior edge of dorsal surface to about half its length. Each ‘flame ‘bears a darkened (brown) spot in its widest part. Feint pale midline sometimes apparent ( Figure 3 , 10 ).

Etymology: Named for the orthopterist Mary Morgan-Richards who has contributed extensively on the ecology, systematics and taxonomy of New Zealand Rhaphidphoridae and Anostostomatidae .

Distribution: Northwest South Island, New Zealand. Entomological regions: Northwest Nelson NN, Marlborough MB, Buller BR.

Figures

FIGURE 3. New species of Macropathinae from New Zealand. a) Crux boudica sp. nov., male, Rakiura (D. Hegg). b) Crux boudica sp. nov., female, Skippers Range (D. Hegg). c) Crux heggi sp. nov., male, Paparoa Range (D. Hegg). d) Crux heggi sp. nov., female, Saxon River (D. Hegg). e) Occultastella morgana sp. nov., male, Buller River (T. Jewell). f) Occultastella morgana sp. nov., female, Cobb Valley (A. McDonald).

FIGURE 10. Occultastella morgana sp. nov. Male holotype legs. a) Fore leg and b) mid leg showing linear spines on tibiae (pink arrows) and apical spines on femora (blue arrows). c) Whole animal with disarticulated hind leg at same scale. d) Hind leg with detail of first tarsus.

FIGURE 11. Occultastella morgana sp. nov. Male holotype. Terminalia. a–c) Oblique dorsal, lateral and ventral views showing cerci, styli and modified 10th tergite. d) Ventral detail of subgenital plate (SGP) with tufted projection (green ellipse in c also).

FIGURE 12. Occultastella morgana sp. nov. Female. Whole body, lateral view of ovipositor and ventral view of last sternite and subgenital plate (SGP) (blue ellipse).