Neocarventus potterae Larivière and Larochelle, 2022

Larivière, Marie-Claude & Larochelle, André, 2022, Synopsis of the subfamily Carventinae in New Zealand (Heteroptera: Aradidae), Insecta Mundi 2022 (961), pp. 1-54 : 28-29

Neocarventus potterae Larivière and Larochelle , new species

Fig. 40 , 65 , 86

Neocarventus potterae Larivière and Larochelle , new species. Holotype: male (NZAC) labeled “ NEW ZEALAND WO Te Tapui Sce Res [= Scenic Reserve ], Maungakawa 200m 6.XII.2000 Larivière, Larochelle (typed) / 375030S 1753930E [= -37 ⁰50’30”S 175 ⁰39’30”E] Wet broadleaf for. [= forest], tawa & kohekohe: underside [of] small-med. [= medium] fallen branches (typed) / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Neocarventus potterae Larivière & Larochelle, 2022 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: 3 males (AMNZ, MONZ, NZAC) and 4 females (1 MONZ, 3 NZAC) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description (incrustation removed). Body strongly narrowed anteriorly; length about 3.1 mm (male), 3.5 mm (female). Color similar to N. angulatus . Head. Antenniferous tubercles narrowly subtriangular (inner margin often sinuate), their apices acutely rounded and divergent. Antennae. Segment I narrowed, smooth in basal third, then thickened; II slightly curved basally, gradually thickened toward apex; III pedunculate in basal fifth to fourth, gradually thickened toward apex; IV fusiform, pilose in apical third to half. Thorax. Pronotum about 2.4× wider than long medially, including collar. Anterolateral angles rounded-subquadrate to rounded-subtriangular, slightly to moderately produced, not reaching in front of collar (often less strongly produced than in N. angulatus ). Lateral margins subrectilinear, subparallel or slightly oblique. Mesonotum about 2.8× wider than long medially, including backward projection (male), 3.2× (female). Lateral margins slightly to moderately concave (male), subrectilinear-sinuate to very slightly concave (female), moderately to strongly oblique. Posterolateral angles narrowly rounded-subtriangular, slightly to moderately produced, upturned (male); narrowly rounded, slightly produced and upturned (female). Metanotum. Disc moderately to strongly elevated near apex of mesonotal projection. Lateral margins strongly sinuate, rather deeply concave basally (male). Posterolateral angles moderately elevated, rather strongly produced, forming distinctly angular, acutely tipped spines (male); thickened, forming short, broadly rounded-subtriangular lobes (female). Abdomen widest across tergite III. Tergal plate (dmtg III–VI). Disc slightly to moderately elevated (male), slightly elevated (female). Lateral margins slightly convex (male), slightly to moderately convex (female). Dmtg VII moderately to strongly elevated posteromedially (male). Connexivum moderately reflexed (sometimes slightly reflexed in female). Posterolateral angles of dltg III–V rounded-subtriangular, slightly produced (IV–V usually more so), VI rounded, barely produced, VII narrowly rounded-subtriangular, slightly to moderately produced, flat or somewhat reflexed (male); posterolateral angles more rounded, III–IV unproduced (IV sometimes faintly so), V–VI slightly produced, VII usually slightly more produced than V–VI, rather flat (female). Male genitalia. Right paramere ( Fig. 40 , inner lateral view) elongate, shaft moderately concave posteriorly, head broadly rounded apically, with margin of subrectangular projection thickened, faintly notched. Ventral surface. Abdomen. Ventral mediotergite (vmtg) VII about 3.3× longer than VI medially (male); VII with several moderately developed transverse wrinkles in apical third (male).

Other characters as in N. angulatus .

Material examined. 106 specimens ( AMNZ, LUNZ, MONZ, NZAC)

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 86 ). North Island: AK, BP (western), TK, TO, WO.

Biology. Altitudinal range. Lowland to lower montane (up to 800 m). Habitat. Occurs in broadleaf forests, broadleaf-podocarp forests, and shrublands. Collected in groups on the moist, often moldy bark from the underside of fallen rotting branches about 3–5 cm in diameter; found in small numbers in leaf litter, e.g., under rotting twigs and branches or at the base of tree ferns. Seasonality. Adults: September–May (abundant in December–January), July. Tenerals: September–February (abundant in October–December). Nymphs: September–November. Mating probably occurs in December–January.

Remarks. This species is named after Sophie Potter (Collections technician 2018–2020, Auckland War Memorial Museum) who kindly pinned and labeled hundreds of aradid specimens for this study. Neocarventus potterae and N. angulatus are morphologically close. In addition to diagnostic characters of the male parameres, N. potterae has the following main distinguishing features: mesonotum with slightly to moderately concave lateral margins (male) and upturned posterolateral angles (male, female); metanotum (male) with lateral margins strongly sinuate, rather deeply concave basally and posterolateral angles strongly produced, forming distinctly angular, acutely tipped spines. Neocarventus potterae is primarily a western North Island species.

Figures

Figures 36–43. Male right paramere, inner lateral. 36) Carventaptera spinifera. 37) C. hallae new species. 38) Modicarventus kirmani new species. 39) Neocarventus angulatus. 40) N. potterae new species. 41) N. montanus new species. 42) N. northlandicus new species. 43) Tuataraptera unca.

Figures 64–67. Dorsal habitus. 64) Neocarventus angulatus, male. 65) N. potterae new species, male. 66) N. montanus new species, male. 67) N. northlandicus new species, male. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 85–87. Species distribution maps. 85) Neocarventus northlandicus new species. 86) N. potterae new species. 87) Tuataraptera unca.