Pharmacus perfidus Hegg & Morgan-Richards & Trewick 2022, sp. nov.

Pharmacus perfidus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 9AB3A946-049F-42B6-8EBE-D57ED33CB3E0

Figs 1–2, 6, 8J, 9H, 11G–I, 13G–I, 15E, 17C, 18G

A mid-sized cave wētā known only from the alpine regions of the Takitimu Mountains in Southland. It is among the smallest of all Pharmacus species. Body colour is brown, with a distinctive dark brown or black frons.

The species shares the habitat with Talitropsis chopardi. The latter is larger, has fewer, larger spines on the hind tibiae, has unarmed hind tarsi, and generally shows a prominent dorsal yellow stripe or diamond on the abdomen in the Takitimu Mountains population.

‘ Perfĭdus ’ (noun) is Latin for ‘criminal’, ‘crook’. Pharmacus perfidus means ‘criminal sorcerer’. Try scrambling on the jagged, crumbly ridgelines of the Takitimu Mountains at night and you will know why. It is also banished to an isolated mountain range, a great distance away from all other Pharmacus species (see Fig. 6).

Material examined (see also Supp. file 1: Table S10)

Holotype NEW ZEALAND • ♂, adult; Southland (SL), Spence Peak, Takitimu Mountains; 45.70540° S, 167.85058° E; 1450 m a.s.l.; 30 Mar. 2019; D. Hegg leg.; on rocky ridge; night search + insect net; NMNZ AI.052300 (prev. MPN CW4497).

Paratype NEW ZEALAND • 1 ♀, adult; same collection data as for holotype; NMNZ AI.052301 (prev. MPN CW4488).

Other material

NEW ZEALAND – Southland (SL) • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; GenBank: OM293724; MPN CW4490 • 5 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 3 nymphs; same collection data as for holotype; MPN CW4487, CW4489, CW4494 to CW4496, CW4498, CW4499, CW4553 to CW4555 • 1 ♀; Clare Peak, Takitimu Mountains; 45.63303° S, 167.94057° E; 1300 m a.s.l.; 23 May 2020; D. Hegg leg.; on rock bluffs; night search + insect net; GenBank: OM293729; MPN CW4877 • 3 ♂♂, 1 nymph; same collection data as for preceding; MPN CW4878 to CW4881 • 1 ♂ [dead]; Clare Peak, Takitimu Mountains; 45.63516° S, 167.91564° E; 1340 m a.s.l.; 6 Jun. 2021; D. Hegg leg.; on snow slope; casual find while climbing; MPN CW5257.

MEASUREMENTS. See Table 1.

HEAD. As per generic description. Eyes grey/brown. Antennae brown. Frons dark brown or black; darker than body.

THORAX. As per generic description.

LEGS. Variegated colour, mostly brown; hind tibiae dark above. Hind tibiae approximately as long as body in males, 10% shorter than body in females. Fore femora armed with one prolateral spine at the apex in four out of five females and seven out of nine males examined. 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 8J, 15E). A thin, pale median line along the whole length of the insect is generally present.

MALE TERMINALIA. Nearly identical to the male terminalia of Pharmacus concinnus sp. nov. Subgenital plate deep when seen from the side; shaped like a spoon when seen from above, broader at the vertex and less constricted at the neck compared to the subgenital plate of Pharmacus cochleatus comb. nov. Paraprocts large and swollen, bristled on the inside, glabrous on the outside (Fig. 11G–I).

FEMALE TERMINALIA. Subgenital plate bilobed, the two lobes narrow and elongated (Fig. 13G), very similar to the subgenital plate of Pharmacus montanus. Ovipositor longer in proportion to body size than in any other Pharmacus species; approximately 80% of body length; lower valve with 6 to 8 teeth below at the apex (Fig. 13H–I).