Neocarventus montanus 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 : 29-30

Neocarventus montanus Larivière and Larochelle , new species

Fig. 41 , 66 , 84

Neocarventus montanus Larivière and Larochelle , new species. Holotype: male (NZAC) labeled “ NEW ZEALAND RI Ruahine Ra [= Range], start of Daphne Hut Tk [= Track] 650m 3956 S 17610 E [= 39 ⁰56’S 176 ⁰10’E] 18.XII.2010 Larivière, Larochelle (typed) / Red beech-Horopito forest. Sifting leaf litter under rotten twigs & branches. (typed) / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Neocarventus montanus Larivière & Larochelle, 2022 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: 3 males (1 LUNZ, 2 NZAC) and 4 females (1 LUNZ, 3 NZAC) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description (incrustation removed). Body strongly narrowed anteriorly; length about 3.4 mm (male), 3.8 mm (female). Dorsal color (male) dark reddish brown; nearly black medially on pronotum and mesonotum, laterally on metanotum, on dmtg I–II, on most of tergal plate; pale yellowish to yellowish brown medially on tergal plate, apodemal spots, posterolaterally on connexival segments. Female paler overall, with dull yellowish brown tergal plate, moderately contrasting against darker thorax, less distinct apodemal spots on abdomen and moderately pale connexivum. Eyes reddish. Antennae and legs somewhat paler than main body (not as contrastingly pale as in other species). Ventral color mostly matching main dorsal color; underside of abdomen darker than dorsal tergal plate in female. Head. Antenniferous tubercles rather broadly subtriangular (inner margin sometimes sinuate), their apices acutely rounded and divergent. Antennae. Segment I narrowed, smooth in basal fourth to third, then thickened; II slightly curved basally, gradually thickened toward apex; III pedunculate in basal fifth, gradually thickened toward apex; IV fusiform, pilose in apical third to half. Thorax. Pronotum about 2.2× wider than long medially, including collar (male), 2.4× (female). Anterolateral angles narrowly rounded-subtriangular, slightly to moderately produced, sometimes reaching in front of collar. Lateral margins subrectilinear, subparallel or slightly oblique. Mesonotum about 2.4× wider than long medially, including backward projection (male), 3.0× (female). Lateral margins subrectilinear to very slightly concave, moderately to strongly oblique. Posterolateral angles narrowly subtriangular, slightly to moderately produced, rather flat (sometimes upturned; male); more broadly rounded-subtriangular to rounded-subquadrate, slightly produced, rather flat (female). Metanotum. Disc moderately to strongly elevated near apex of mesonotal projection. Lateral margins moderately sinuate, rather shallowly concave basally (male). Posterolateral angles moderately elevated, moderately produced, forming curved to slightly angular, acutely tipped spines (usually more regularly curved than in N. angulatus ; male); thickened, forming short, broadly rounded-subtriangular lobes (female). Abdomen widest across tergite III (male), tergites III–IV (female). Tergal plate (dmtg III–VI). Disc moderately elevated (male), slightly elevated (female). Lateral margins slightly convex (male), slightly to moderately convex (female). Dmtg VII strongly elevated posteromedially (male). Connexivum moderately to strongly reflexed (sometimes slightly reflexed in female). Posterolateral angles of dltg III–VI narrowly rounded-subtriangular, slightly to moderately produced (IV–V usually more so), VII narrowly rounded-subtriangular, moderately produced, rather flat (male); posterolateral angles more rounded, III–IV unproduced (IV sometimes faintly so), V–VI moderately produced, VII slightly more produced than V–VI, rather flat (female). Male genitalia. Right paramere ( Fig. 41 , inner lateral view) elongate, shaft slightly concave posteriorly, head narrowly rounded apically, with margin of subrectangular projection thickened, distinctly notched. Ventral surface. Abdomen. Ventral mediotergites (vmtg) IV–VI slightly depressed medially (male, female); VII with moderately developed transverse wrinkles in apical fourth (male).

Other characters as in N. angulatus .

Material examined. 30 specimens ( LUNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 84 ). North Island: RI–Ruahine Range: Rokaiwhenua [= Rokaiwhana] Stream ( NZAC); start of Daphne Hut Track ( LUNZ, NZAC).

Biology. Altitudinal range. Lower montane (up to 700 m). Habitat. Occurs in southern beech ( Nothofagus sensu lato) and mixed southern beech-broadleaf forests. Collected in groups on the moist, often moldy bark from the underside of fallen rotting branches about 3–5 cm in diameter; also found in leaf litter, e.g., under rotting twigs and branches or at the base of Blechnum- ferns. Seasonality. Adults: October–January (abundant in December). Tenerals: December. Nymphs: October. Mating probably occurs in December–January.

Remarks. The species name is based on the Latin adjective montanus which means ‘pertaining to mountains’. Neocarventus montanus superficially resembles N. angulatus and N. potterae . It is, however, a distinctly larger, more darkly colored species with generally straighter lateral margins of mesonotum, more regularly curved posterolateral angles of metanotum in the male, a darker, less contrastingly pale tergal plate in the female, and differently shaped male parameres. This species has so far been recorded from the Ruahine Range (RI). The authors have also seen a handful of female specimens (NZAC) that may belong to this taxon. They were collected from Lake Waikaremoana in the Ureweras (GB), Balls Clearing in the foothills of the Kaweka Range (HB), and the Otaki Gorge and Kiriwhakapapa Road areas in the Tararua Range (WN). Male specimens are needed to confirm the presence of N. montanus in these areas.

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 79–84. Species distribution maps. 79) Lissaptera completa. 80) L. heissi new species. 81) Modicarventus kirmani new species. 82) M. wisei. 83) Neocarventus angulatus. 84) N. montanus new species.