Pharmacus vallestris, Hegg & Morgan-Richards & Trewick, 2022

Hegg, Danilo, Morgan-Richards, Mary & Trewick, Steven A., 2022, High alpine sorcerers: revision of the cave wētā genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Macropathinae), with the description of six new species and three new subspecies, European Journal of Taxonomy 808 (1), pp. 1-58 : 45-46

Pharmacus vallestris sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FDF85976-EE24-4948-B4F1-FFCC3A7E6D89

Figs 1–2 , 6 , 8G , 9I , 11J–L , 13J–L , 15F , 16C , 18H

Diagnosis

A mid-sized cave wētā known only from the low to mid alpine regions at the foot of Mount Aspiring in the Southern Alps. It is one of the smaller Pharmacus species. Body colour is chequered brown. The fore femur is always armed with a prolateral apical spine.

The species is sympatric with Notoplectron brewsterense comb. nov. and with Pharmacus cochleatus cochleatus comb. nov., although it occupies lower elevations compared to the latter. Notoplectron

brewsterense has fewer, larger spines on the hind tibiae and has unarmed hind tarsi. Pharmacus cochleatus cochleatus is larger, has darker colour, and lacks the prolateral apical spine on the fore femur.

Etymology

‘ Vallestris ’ is Latin for ‘of the valley’. In contrast to sympatric species that inhabit the mountain tops.

Material examined (see also Supp. file 1: Table S11)

Holotype NEW ZEALAND • ♂, adult; Otago Lakes (OL), French Ridge, Matukituki Valley ; 44.42560° S, 168.69784° E; 1650 m a.s.l.; 20 Feb. 2021; D. Hegg leg.; on rocky ridge; night search + insect net; NMNZ AI.052302 (prev. MPN CW5214).

Paratype NEW ZEALAND • 1 ♀, adult; Otago Lakes (OL), Matukituki River West Branch; 44.41637° S, 168.69130° E; 1100 m a.s.l.; 6 May 2017; D Hegg leg.; under boulder; night search; GenBank: OM293699 ; NMNZ AI.052303 (prev. MPN CW3430) .

Other material NEW ZEALAND – Otago Lakes (OL) • 1 ♂;same collection data as for paratype; GenBank: OM293703 ; MPN CW3700 • 1 ♀, 1 nymph; French Ridge, Matukituki Valley ; 44.42520° S, 168.69871° E; 1700 m a.s.l.; 22 Nov. 2020; D. Hegg leg.; on rocky ridge; night search + insect net; MPN CW5145 , CW5146 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; MPN CW5213 , CW5215 .

Description

MEASUREMENTS. See Table 1.

HEAD. As per generic description. Eyes brown/black. Antennae brown.

THORAX. As per generic description.

LEGS. Variegated colour, mostly brown. Hind tibiae of equal length as body or longer in both males and females. Fore femora armed with one prolateral spine at the apex. Mid femora armed with one retrolateral spine at the apex; prolateral apical spine absent. The first hind tarsus segment is armed with a variable number of linear spines above (up to seven); the second hind tarsus segment is only rarely armed with dorsal linear spines.

ABDOMEN. Tergites tomentose; colour chequered light/dark brown ( Figs 8G , 15F ). A thin, pale median line along the whole length of the insect is generally present.

MALE TERMINALIA. Subgenital plate roughly in the shape of a French wine cask, similar to but shorter than in Pharmacus cochleatus comb. nov.; very thin and translucent; the paraprocts visible through the subgenital plate from underneath ( Fig. 11J–L ).

FEMALE TERMINALIA. Subgenital plate bilobed, the two rounded lobes short, broad, and asymmetrical, with a wide gap in between ( Fig. 13J ); very similar to the subgenital plate of Pharmacus cochleatus comb. nov. Ovipositor relatively short and curved upwards; on average 65% of body length; lower valve with 6 teeth below at the apex ( Fig. 13K–L ).

Figures

Fig. 1. A. Genetic relationships of cave wētā support monophyly of the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. Gene tree from mtDNA sequences (~1500 bp of COI) using Maximum Likelihood with 1000 bootstraps and Macropathus filifer Walker, 1869 to root the tree. B. Map of South Island of New Zealand, showing locations of Pharmacus specimens used in phylogenetic analyses (Figs 1A, 2). Colours correspond to different species. Two letter codes indicate the New Zealand entomological regions (Crosby et al. 1998). These codes are reported in the Material examined section for each species.

Fig. 2. Gene tree for the eight morphologically identified species of Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893 using Maximum Likelihood analysis of ~850 bp of mtDNA (COI) from 60 specimens ofPharmacus.

Fig. 6. Known distribution of cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893 in the south of the South Island, New Zealand.

Fig. 8. Dorsal views of adult ♂ cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. Notice loss of natural pigmentation of pale body parts due to preservation in ethanol. A–B. Pharmacus montanus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893 A. Mt Annette, Sealy Range, Mt Cook (MPN CW3302). B. Lake Anna, Mt Franklin, Arthur’s Pass (MPN CW3989). C. Pharmacus senex sp. nov., Old Woman Range, Central Otago (MPN CW4387). D. Pharmacus cochleatus cochleatus (Karny, 1935) comb. nov., Topheavy, Mt Brewster, Haast Pass (MPN CW3324). E. Pharmacus cochleatus rawhiti subsp. nov., Mt Tūwhakarōria, Hector Mountains (NMNZ AI.052290). F. Pharmacus cristatus sp. nov., Skippers Range, South Westland (MPN CW4562). G. Pharmacus vallestris sp. nov., Matukituki River West Branch (MPN CW3700). H. Pharmacus notabilis sp. nov., Remarkables ski-field access road (NMNZ AI.052296). I. Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov., Eyre Peak, Eyre Mountains (MPN CW4482). J. Pharmacus perfidus sp. nov., Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains (MPN CW4494). Scale bar = 10 mm.

Fig. 9. Left hind tibia of adult ♂ cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893, dorsal view. A. Pharmacus montanus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893, Lake Anna, Mt Franklin, Arthur’s Pass (MPN CW3989). B. Pharmacus cochleatus cochleatus (Karny, 1935) comb. nov., Gertrude Saddle, Darran Mountains (MPN CW3413). C. Pharmacus cochleatus rawhiti subsp. nov., Mt Tūwhakarōria, Hector Mountains (MPN CW4431). D. Pharmacus cristatus sp. nov., Skippers Range, South Westland (NMNZ AI.052292). E. Pharmacus notabilis sp. nov., Remarkables ski-field access road (NMNZ AI.052296). F. Pharmacus senex sp. nov., Obelisk, Old Man Range (NMNZ AI.052294). G. Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov., Eyre Peak, Eyre Mountains (MPN CW4480). H. Pharmacus perfidus sp. nov., Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains (NMNZ AI.052300). I. Pharmacus vallestris sp. nov., Matukituki River West Branch (MPN CW3700). Scale bar = 5 mm.

Fig. 11. Adult male terminalia of cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. Left column: dorsal view; central column: ventral view (subgenital plate); right column: lateral view. A–C. Pharmacus senex sp. nov., The Obelisk, Old Man Range (NMNZ AI.052294). D–F. Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov., Symmetry Peaks, Eyre Mountains (NMNZ AI.052298). G–I. Pharmacus perfidus sp. nov., Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains (NMNZ AI.052300). J–L. Pharmacus vallestris sp. nov., Matukituki River West Branch (NMNZ AI.052302). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 13. Adult female terminalia of cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. Left column: subgenital plate; central and right columns: ovipositor. A–C. Pharmacus senex sp. nov., Old Woman Range (NMNZ AI.052295). D–F. Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov., Symmetry Peaks, Eyre Mountains (NMNZ AI.052299). G–I. Pharmacus perfidus sp. nov., Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains (NMNZ AI.052301). J–L. Pharmacus vallestris sp. nov., Matukituki River West Branch (NMNZ AI.052303). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 15. Live Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893 in their natural environments. A–B. Pharmacus senex sp. nov. A. Adult ♂, Dunstan, Dunstan Mountains, 1670 m a.s.l. B. Adult ♂ and ♀. The Obelisk, Old Man Range, 1680 m a.s.l. C. Pharmacus notabilis sp. nov. Adult ♂, Remarkables Ski-field Access Road, Wakatipu, 1200 m a.s.l. D. Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov. Adult ♂, Symmetry Peaks, Eyre Mountains, 1500 m a.s.l. E. Pharmacus perfidus sp. nov. Adult ♀ and ♂, Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains, 1450 m a.s.l. F. Pharmacus vallestris sp. nov. Adult ♀, French Ridge, Matukituki River West Branch, 1700 m a.s.l. (MPN CW5145).

Fig. 16. Habitat of Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893.A. Sealy Range, Mount Cook.a–b. Collection localities of Pharmacus montanus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. a. Mueller Hut Track, 1500 m a.s.l. (MPN CW3299, CW3300, CW3532–3535). b. Mount Annette, 2200 m a.s.l. (MPN CW3302, CW3303, CW3323). c. Mount Edgar Thomson, Ben Ohau Range, 2350 m a.s.l., collection locality of P. cochleatus cochleatus (Karny, 1935) comb. nov. (MPN CW3278). B. Lochnagar, Richardson Mountains. d. Rock bluffs at 2080 m a.s.l., collection locality of P. cochleatus cochleatus (Karny, 1935) comb. nov. (MPN CW4590). C. Matukituki River West Branch. e–f. Collection localities of P. vallestris sp. nov. e. Valley floor, dry creek bed at 1000 m a.s.l. (MPN CW3430, CW3700). f. French Ridge, 1650 m a.s.l. (MPN CW5145, CW5146, CW5213–5215). g–h. Collection localities of P. cochleatus cochleatus (Karny, 1935) comb. nov. g. French Ridge, 1800 m a.s.l. (MPN CW5207, CW5208). h. Bevan Col, 1850 m a.s.l. (OMNZ IV7927 and MPN CW5178 to 5180). D. The Remarkables, Queenstown. i–j. Collection localities of Pharmacus notabilis sp. nov. i. Remarkables Ski-field Access Road, 1220 m a.s.l. (NMNZ AI.052296). j. The Remarkables North ridge, 1600 m a.s.l. (MPN CW2588 – 2594). k. Lake Alta, 1820 m a.s.l., collection locality of Pharmacus cochleatus rawhiti subsp. nov. (MPN CW5219 – 5221).

Fig. 18. Map of South Island, New Zealand, showing the known distribution of cave wētā in the genus Pharmacus Pictet & de Saussure, 1893. A–B. Solid shapes indicate material collected as part of this study; empty circles indicate additional locations of material examined by Richards (1972). B. Shapes represent different subspecies: dark blue circle = Pharmacus cochleatus cochleatus; light blue circle = Pharmacus cochleatus nauclerus subsp. nov.; diamond = Pharmacus cochleatus fiordensis subsp. nov.; triangle = Pharmacus cochleatus rawhiti subsp. nov.