Kiwisaldula hurunui, Larivière & Larochelle, 2017

Larivière, Marie-Claude & Larochelle, André, 2017, Kiwisaldula waiho and K. hurunui, two new species of Saldidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from the South Island of New Zealand, with redescriptions of K. butleri (White) and K. laelaps (White), Zootaxa 4341 (1), pp. 41-55 : 48-50

Kiwisaldula hurunui new species

Kiwisaldula hurunui Larivière and Larochelle , new species. Holotype: Male ( NZAC) labelled “ NEW ZEALAND NC Hurunui, Hurunui River 4252 S 17246 E [= 42º52’S 172º46’E] 11.III.2005 Larivière, Larochelle / Sand bar in gravelly riverbank: wet; sparse veg. (Juncus) ; 0.5-1 m from water / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Kiwisaldula hurunui Larivière & Larochelle, 2017 (red label).” Paratypes: 2 males (1 LUNZ, 1 NZAC), 3 females (1 LUNZ, 2 NZAC) with same data as holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description (Brachypterous adult). Body length 2.28–2.82 (2.57 mm); short-ovate, somewhat pear-shaped ( Fig.

2). Dorsal colour largely dark with contrastingly pale exocorium of hemelytra and moderately to broadly pale lateral margins of pronotum. Facial colour ( Fig. 10 ) slightly to moderately contrasted. Head, pronotum, and scutellum moderately shiny against mostly dull hemelytra. Dorsal pubescence short to moderately long, mostly reclined, usually more densely distributed, thicker and more golden brown on pronotum, clavus, and endocorium (as in K. waiho ). Hemelytra with reduced cells in membrane; hindwings highly reduced (not fully formed), reaching about half to two-thirds of corium length. Head ( Fig. 10 , facial view). Preocellar spots whitish yellow tinged with brown (more obscured than in K. waiho ). Preocular spots whitish yellow tinged with brown or brownish (more obscured than in K. waiho ). Transverse swelling slightly to moderately developed; lateral portions contiguous (mostly) or separated by a narrow gap; whitish yellow to dark yellowish brown, darker near facial midline. Mandibular plates moderately developed, concolorous with transverse swelling. Maxillary plates strongly developed, concolorous with or paler than transverse swelling; contrastingly more bulbous and more brightly pale than transverse swelling or mandibular plates (as opposed to K. waiho ). Rostrum brown, reaching hind coxae. Antennae about 4.0x longer than pronotum + collar medially; segment I whitish yellow, with ventral side at least partially dark (often striped, usually more darkly so than in K. waiho ); segment II whitish yellow to pale brown, about 2.3x longer than segment I; segments III–IV dark brown to nearly black. Thorax. Lateral margins of pronotum subrectilinear, moderately explanate (usually more so than in K. waiho ), narrowly to moderately pale whitish yellow (more broadly pale than in K. waiho ; pale area at midlength about 1.5x the width of antennal segment II), never completely dark. Scutellum about 1.4x longer than pronotum + collar medially. Thoracic underside black, with slightly to moderately contrasting acetabula (acetabulum I broadly pale, acetabulum II moderately or narrowly pale, acetabulum III very narrowly pale or completely dark), and broadly pale lateral margins. Legs largely pale; fore and mid femora with ventral side dark brown to nearly black over most of length (usually distinctly striped); hind femora sometimes with ventral and dorsal sides dark brown to black, coalesced into an annulus; fore tibiae pale or strongly infumate dorsally (rarely darkly striped over most of length), generally darker brown than in K. waiho and with distinct pale subapical annulus; hind tibiae about 2.3x longer than tarsal segments II+III combined. Hemelytra: eunomy similar to K. waiho ( Fig. 13 ); pruinose areas moderately developed, distributed on base of clavus, rarely on apex of clavus, on endocorium, and sometimes on membrane near apex of clavus; basal pruinose area of clavus broad and long, covering more than one-third of clavus length (usually half of length); basal pale spot of clavus present or absent; subapical pale spot of clavus present; membrane with four reduced cells; cell 1 distinctly shorter than cells 2 and 3, oval to subtriangular; cells 2 and 3 subrectangular, subequal in length and width; cell 4 the narrowest, slender, shorter than other cells or only slightly longer than cell 1, ending apically well before tip of cell 3. Abdomen. Venter: male, completely dark brown to nearly black; female, dark brown to nearly black medially, narrowly to moderately margined with yellowish ivory to yellowish brown. Male parandria ( Fig. 21 ) elongate, broadly subtriangular, acutely rounded and moderately broad at tip; inner margins almost straight (only sinuate subapically); medial membrane with acute inward projection on each side; basal margin sinuate, narrowly convex (roundly subtriangular) medially. Male paramere ( Fig. 17 ) without distinct processus sensualis, instead with rather flat cuticular surface bearing less than ten setae; processus hamatus moderately long, not constricted basally, its tip narrow, acutely rounded. Other characters as in generic description ( Larivière & Larochelle, 2016: 459).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 24 ). South Island, northeastern areas (NC, KA).

Material examined. A total of 80 specimens including types, from the following localities. South Island. KA – Clarence River, 12 km inland via Clarence Valley Road ( NZAC) . NC –Hurunui, Hurunui River ( NZAC) ; Waiau, Waiau River ( NZAC) ; Waiau River , near Leslie Hills Road ( NZAC) ; Waiau River , 6.2 km West of Highways 7 and 7A junction ( NZAC) .

Biology. Altitudinal range. Lowland; collected between 75 and 400 m above sea level. Inland. Habitat. Sandy terraces, sandy bars, sandy side-channels and other sandy areas with sparse vegetation (e.g., rushes) along gravelly rivers; on wet sand between rushes and other sparse vegetation; usually at a certain distance from water (up to 30 m away from the waterline); also in intermittently inundated terrains far away from permanent water. Seasonality. Adults and tenerals (newly emerged adults) collected in March when they appeared equally abundant in the field, suggesting summer breeding and overwintering in the egg stage. Food. Predator or scavenger. Behaviour. Jumps short distances (8–10 cm) when disturbed.

Remarks. This species is named after its type locality the Hurunui River (NC).

At first glance K. hurunui may superficially resemble K. waiho . The eunomy of both species appears similar although this could not be studied in detail for K. hurunui because most of the study material consisted of recently emerged adults (tenerals) with soft and pale cuticle that had not yet completely hardened and darkened.

In addition to differences in male paramere and parandria, K. hurunui has darker, less distinct preocellar and preocular spots on the head, usually paler, more strongly developed mandibular plates, as well as more broadly pale and more explanate lateral margins of pronotum. The two species are allopatric in distribution.

Figures

FIGURE 24. Collecting localities of Kiwisaldula species, South Island, New Zealand.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Dorsal views of Kiwisaldula species (males; legs and antennae omitted). Scale bar = 1 mm. (1) K. waiho, (2) K. hurunui, (3) K. butleri, (4) K. laelaps.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Facial views of Kiwisaldula species; males. (9) K. waiho, (10) K. hurunui, (11) K. butleri, (12) K. laelaps.

FIGURES 13 – 15. Eunomy (left corium), most frequently observed pigmentation patterns. (13) Kiwisaldula waiho, (14) K. butleri, (15) K. laelaps.

FIGURES 16 – 23. Schematic view of male genitalia (16 – 19) Paramere, ventral view. (16) Kiwisaldula waiho (shaft base broken), (17) K. hurunui (shaft base broken), (18 a – b) K. butleri, (19) K. laelaps. (20 – 23) Parandria, posterior view. (20) K. waiho, (21) K. hurunui, (22) K. butleri, (23) K. laelaps.