Apetaenus (Apetaenus) litoralis subsp. marionensis Munari, 2008, new subspecies

Apetaenus (Apetaenus) litoralis marionensis new subspecies

Type material. Holotype ɗ, [printed labels] “Janvier // I. Marion / baie Jeannel // Muséum Paris / Croisière du / Bougainville / R. Jeannel I–II 1939 // [printed red label] Holotypus / Apetaenus litoralis / marionensis n. ssp. ɗ / L. Munari des. 2007 // [printed white label] subgenus / Apetaenus / Eaton”. The specimen is in excellent condition, except for a few tarsal segments lacking, and is double mounted, micropinned ventro-dorsally. The holotype is deposited in MNHN.

Paratypes: same data as holotype, 4 ɗɗ 3 ΨΨ; Marion Island, i–ii.1952, R. W. Rand, 13 ɗɗ 7 ΨΨ (one male specimen det. by Séguy in 1953 as Apetenus [sic] litoralis Eat.). Paratypes (double mounted, micropinned ventro-dorsally) from “Bougainville Expedition” are deposited in MNHN, except for one male preserved in the author’s collection (MCNV); paratypes (double mounted, glued to a card slip) collected by R. W. Rand are deposited in NMSA, except for a pair preserved in the author’s collection (MCNV). Almost all the paratypes preserved in NMSA are unfortunately in poor condition due to an inadequate, old preparation by using excessive glue to fix them to the card slip.

Description. Similar to A. (Apetaenus) litoralis litoralis Eaton, agreeing with descriptions of that species (Harrison, 1959; Munari, 2007), except as indicated below.

Size. Body length 3.60–3.95 mm; wing length 0.42–0.53 mm.

Coloration. Ground colour mostly darker, dark brown to blackish.

Head. Eye roundish to slightly oblong, its longest diameter about two times as long as genal height; setal vestiture of head very long and strong.

Thorax. A few specimens exhibit considerably long main setae, which are sometimes thin and characteristically wavy on their distal half; setulae very long and numerous, in particular on anterior half of mesonotum, forming dense, soft, sometimes ruffled, pubescence; costal vein of the reduced wings with numerous, strikingly long, close, apical setae.

Abdomen. Entirely covered with a very characteristic and distinctive setal vestiture (fig. 12) formed by a multitude of considerably long, dense, sometimes ruffled and tuft-forming, thin hairs, distinctly more numerous on abdomen of male specimens, where they constitute an evenly soft pubescence, quite similar to that of A. litoralis watsoni Hardy. No distinct, strong setae are present.

Distribution. Subantarctic Indian Ocean: Marion Island.

Etymology. The subspecific epithet, marionensis, is a toponymic Latin adjective, referring to the subantarctic island where the type series was collected.

Remarks. The main, consistent feature distinguishing this new subspecies from the nominal subspecies is the abdomen being densely and softly haired (fig. 12) rather than markedly bristly (fig. 11). Unlike the nominal subspecies, no strong abdominal seta is consistently present.