Praecantrix silvatica subsp. silvatica Hegg & Morgan-Richards & Trewick 2024
Creators: name: Hegg, Danilo
name: Morgan-Richards, Mary
name: Trewick, Steven A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Orthoptera
Rhaphidophoridae
Praecantrix
Praecantrix silvatica
Praecantrix silvatica silvatica

description: Praecantrix silvatica silvatica gen., sp. et subsp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 94CE2C17-C99C-4E92-8870-F3494E224A98
Figs 3, 9, 10B, 11C–D, 12J, 16D–F, 19D–F, 23E
Diagnosis
Praecantrix silvatica silvatica gen., sp. et subsp. nov. is very similar to the sister subspecies Praecantrix s. lutea gen., sp. et subsp. nov., from which it is only differentiated by the overall darker coloration of the tergites, and by the longer ovipositor. The two subspecies are allopatric.
Etymology
The Latin adjective ‘ silvātĭcus ’ means ‘of or belonging to a wood or to trees’. The insect is exclusively a forest dweller.
Material examined (see also Supp. file 1: Table S10)
Holotype NEW ZEALAND • ♂, adult; Nelson (NN), Mt Arthur Tablelands; 41.18506° S, 172.64476° E; 1170 m a.s.l.; 24 Dec. 2020; D. Hegg leg.; on tree trunk in native forest; night search + insect net; NMNZ AI.071900.
Paratype NEW ZEALAND • 1 ♀, adult; Westland (WD), Smoothwater Bay; 43.97494° S, 168.59452° E; 0 m a.s.l.; 14 Oct. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; on tree trunk in native forest; night search + insect net; NMNZ AI.071901.
Other material
NEW ZEALAND – Otago Lakes (OL) • 1 ♀; Aspiring Hut, Matukituki Valley; 44.47580° S, 168.65914° E; 460 m a.s.l.; 6 May 2017; D. Hegg leg.; on tree trunk in native forest; night search + insect net; GenBank: PP155094; MPN CW3518. – North Canterbury (NC) • 1 ♀; Casey Hut, Poulter River; 42.89625° S, 171.87076° E; 600 m a.s.l.; 1 Oct. 2021; D. Hegg leg.; on tree trunk in native forest; night search + insect net; MPN CW5388. – Buller (BR) • 1 ♀; Nina Valley, Lewis Pass; 42.46093° S, 172.34196° E; 680 m a.s.l.; 26 Jan. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; leaf litter in beech forest; night search + insect net; GenBank: PP155095; MPN CW3777 • 1 ♂; Cannibal Gorge, Lewis Pass; 42.33964° S, 172.42218° E; 820 m a.s.l.; 25 Apr. 2017; D. Hegg leg.; in native forest; night search + insect net; GenBank: PP155091; MPN CW3453 • 1 ♀; Ces Clarke Hut, Paparoa Range; 42.29007° S, 171.39307° E; 900 m a.s.l.; 6 Apr. 2019; D. Hegg leg.; on tree trunk in native forest; night search + insect net; MPN CW4945. – Nelson (NN) • 1 ♂; Denniston Plateau; 41.73792° S, 171.78861° E; 570 m a.s.l.; 8 Jul. 2012; M. Morgan-Richards and S. Trewick leg.; bioblitz; GenBank: PP155092; MPN CW1767 • 1 ♂; Mt Arthur Hut; 41.19771° S, 172.71606° E; 1280 m a.s.l.; 21 Dec. 2020; D. Hegg leg.; on tree trunk in native forest; night search + insect net; GenBank: PP155093; MPN CW5390 • 1 ♂; Mt Arthur Tablelands; 41.18500° S, 172.64370° E; 1170 m a.s.l.; 9 Feb. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; on tree branch in native forest; night search + insect net; GenBank: PP155096; MPN CW3766 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; MPN CW4000 • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; GenBank: PP155097; MPN CW5391 • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; CW5392 • 1 ♂; Chaffey Hut, Cobb River; 41.09600° S, 172.57535° E; 880 m a.s.l.; 27 Dec. 2020; D. Hegg leg.; on tree trunk in native forest; night search + insect net; MPN CW5389. – Marlborough (MB) • 1 ♂; Richmond Saddle; 41.47924° S, 173.38111° E; 1200 m a.s.l.; 20 Oct. 2018; D. Hegg leg.; hopping on forest floor; night search + insect net; GenBank: PP155098; MPN CW4136.
Description
MEASUREMENTS. See Table 1. Sexual dimorphism in body length, with females being larger by 1.5 mm (15%).
HEAD (Fig. 11C–D). Vertex pale with an elongated black patch in the middle and four dark stripes running from the eyes to the anterior margin of the pronotum, the two external stripes being thicker. Eyes black. Frons, clypeus and labrum pale, with two faint vertical dark stripes below the scapes of the antennae. Scapes and pedicels pale; flagellum variegated reddish-brown.
THORAX. Pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum glabrous and shiny, black on the sides, reddish-brown in the middle (Fig. 12J). Crisp line delimitating the dark upper parts from the white sternites.
LEGS. Rather short in both sexes. Sexual dimorphism present. The hind tibiae are about three quarters of body length in both males and females. Since females are larger than males, their hind tibiae are also longer, by approximately the same amount. Fore femora always unarmed at the apex. Mid femora armed with one retrolateral spine at the apex; prolateral apical spine absent. Hind femora armed with up to one prolateral and up to two retrolateral ventral linear spines, the retrolateral ones being larger. Fore tibiae armed with one or two pairs of ventral linear spines, and with one pair of ventral apical spines. A retrolateral dorsal spine at the apex of the fore tibia is usually absent. Mid tibiae armed with one or two pairs of ventral linear spines, one pair of ventral spines and one retrolateral dorsal spine at the apex. A prolateral dorsal spine at the apex of the mid tibia is always absent. Hind tibiae armed with about 10 dorsal linear spines (min 7, max 13) on both the anterior and the posterior edge. Hind tibiae armed at the apex with two ventral apical spines, two dorsal apical spines and two dorsal sub-apical spines; the dorsal apical spines are largest. Ventral sub-apical spines are always absent. First and second segments in hind tarsi always unarmed except at the apex.
ABDOMEN. All tergites glabrous and shiny, black on the sides, reddish-brown in the middle (Fig. 12J). Sternites pale.
MALE TERMINALIA. Suranal plate trapezoidal, the posterior, shorter side concave (Fig. 16D). Subgenital plate pear-shaped; covered in sparse, thin tomentum on the sides only; with two obvious lobes at the apex, covered with short, stout bristles on the upper side (Fig. 16E). Cerci on average 20% of body length, covered in sparse, mostly short hair; conical in the basal half, tapering to a blunt tip in the distal half. Styli short and stumpy.
FEMALE TERMINALIA. Subgenital plate square, with two rounded lobes on the distal corners, covered with sparse hair at the apex (Fig. 19D). Ovipositor approximately 65% of body length; moderately recurved upwards from the base to the apex; lower valve with 5 to 7 teeth below at the apex; dorsal surface of upper valve heavily serrated with strong teeth in distal third (Fig. 19E–F).
Distribution and habitat
Exclusively a forest insect, common and widespread in the western regions of New Zealand’s South Island, on both sides of the Main Divide of the Southern Alps, from Jackson Bay to Kahurangi National Park and to the Richmond Ranges (Fig. 10B).
description: Published as part of Hegg, Danilo, Morgan-Richards, Mary & Trewick, Steven A., 2024, Revision of the New Zealand cave wētā genus Isoplectron Hutton (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae), with synonymy of Petrotettix Richards and Setascutum Richards, and the description of a new genus, pp. 1-75 in European Journal of Taxonomy 971 on pages 58-59, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.971.2761, http://zenodo.org/record/14451786