Sagola major Sharp, 1874

(Figs. 66a, 66g, 66m –o, 67)

Sagola major Sharp, 1874: 507. Broun 1880: 135; Schaufuss 1888: 84; Raffray 1893: 18, 1904: 497, 1911: 5, 1924: 231; Hudson 1923: 365, 1934: 183; Kuschel 1990: 48; Newton and Thayer 2005b; Nomura and Leschen 2006: 243.

Sagola ruficeps Broun, 1893b: 1053. Raffray 1904: 497, 1911: 5, 1924: 233; Hudson 1923: 365, 1934: 183; Newton and Thayer 2005b; Nomura and Leschen 2006: 243. New synonymy.

Sagola mimica Broun, 1893b: 1419. Raffray 1904: 497, 1911: 5, 1924: 233; Hudson 1923: 365, 1934: 183; Newton and Thayer 2005b; Nomura and Leschen 2006: 243. New synonymy.

Sagola elongata Broun, 1893b: 1423. Raffray 1904: 498, 1911: 6; Hudson 1923: 365, 1934: 183; Newton and Thayer 2005b; Nomura and Leschen 2006: 242. New synonymy.

Sagola longipes Broun, 1915: 287. Hudson 1923: 365, 1934: 184; Newton and Thayer 2005b; Nomura and Leschen 2006: 243. New synonymy.

Type Material. Holotype. NEW ZEALAND: 1♂ (BMNH), glued on rectangular card, “Type” [red label, printed]; “ N. Zeal. ” [white label, printed]; “Sharp. Coll. 1905-313.” [white label, printed]; “ Sagola major ♂ Type. D.S.” [white label, handwritten]. Holotype of Sagola elongata. NEW ZEALAND: Auckland: 1♀ (BMNH), glued on rectangular card, “Type” [red label, printed]; “2472.” [white label, handwritten]; “Karaka.” [white label, printed]; “New Zealand Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482.” [white label, printed]; “ Sagola. elongata” [white label, handwritten]. Holotype of Sagola longipes. NEW ZEALAND: Auckland: 1♀ (BMNH), glued on rectangular card, “Type” [red label, printed]; “3702. ♀ ” [white label, handwritten]; “New Zealand Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482.” [white label, printed]; “Woodhill. Waitakerei.” [white label, handwritten]; “ Sagola longipes ♀.” [white label, handwritten]. Holotype of Sagola mimica. NEW ZEALAND: Auckland: 1♂ (BMNH), glued on rectangular card, “Type” [red label, printed]; “2467. ♂ ” [white label, handwritten]; “New Zealand Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482.” [white label, printed]; “Hunua. Clevedon.” [white label, handwritten]; “ Sagola mimica ” [white label, handwritten]. Syntypes of Sagola ruficeps. NEW ZEALAND: Auckland: 1♂ (BMNH), glued on rectangular card, “ Type ” [red label, printed]; “1882.” [white label, handwritten]; “ ♀ ” [white label, handwritten]; “ Hunua. Clevedon. ” [white label, handwritten]; “ New Zealand Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482.” [white label, printed]; “ Sagola ruficeps ” [white label, handwritten]. The original label indicates this specimen is a male, but it is female. 1♂ (BMNH), glued on rectangular card, “1882.” [white label, handwritten]; “ ♂ ” [white label, handwritten]; “ Hunua. Clevedon. ” [white label, handwritten]; “ New Zealand Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482.” [white label, printed]. 1♂ (BMNH), glued on rectangular card, “1882.” [white label, handwritten]; “N. Zealand. 93–56.” [white label, printed]; “ Sagola ruficeps Broun ” [white label, handwritten].

Additional Material (n = 28: 14 males; 14 females). NEW ZEALAND: Northland: 1♂, Pekarau, Mangonui, A.E. Brookes, 24 III 1918; Wellington: 13♂♂ 14♀♀ (1♂, slidemounted), Waikawa Beach, 18 III 1990.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from the other species of the major species-group by the following combination of characters: body length 2.5–2.8 mm; eye large and prominent, two-thirds length of temple; ventral temple of male head with depressed and projecting temporal lobe and surface flattened; male fore trochanter with acute triangular process; male abdominal ventrite VIII with a pair of small processes; shape of antennomeres and genitalia unique to species.

Redescription. Length 2.5–2.8 mm. Body brown, antennae, legs, maxillary palpi, and elytra paler (Fig. 66a). Head: Male head triangular, widest across temples (Fig. 66n). Female head bluntly triangular, widest across eyes. Ventral temple of male head with depressed and projecting temporal lobe and surface flattened (Fig. 66o). Antennomere 1 approximately 2.5 times longer than wide, 2–7 longer than wide, 8–10 subquadrate. Frontal sulcus shallow, reaching midpoint of eye. Anterior frontal fovea oval, partially covered by frontal rostrum, posterior frontal fovea oval. Eye large and prominent, two-thirds length of temple. Thorax: Prosternum as long as wide, widest at one-third length. Male fore trochanter with acute triangular process. Elytra rectangular (Fig. 66a). Meso- and metathorax trapezoidal, longer than wide. Abdomen: Male tergite IV with pair of transverse patches of microtrichia reaching middle, patches absent in female. Male abdominal ventrite VIII with pair of small processes. Aedeagus: Median lobe of genitalia broader apically with tube extending from apex (Fig. 66g). Phallobase of median lobe symmetrical and rounded (Fig. 66g). Parameres symmetrical, broader than median lobe, setose from midpoints to apices (Fig. 66g).

Type Locality. New Zealand (specific locality not mentioned).

Distribution. Auckland, Northland, Wellington (Fig. 67: black circles).

Habitat. Unknown.

Comments. Specimens of S. major can be distinguished from those of other species by the shape of the antennomeres, large eye, ventral temple of male head depressed and projecting, surface flat; male fore trochanter with acute triangular process; male abdominal ventrite VIII with a pair of small processes. The type specimens of S. elongata, S. longipes, S. mimica, and S. ruficeps share these diagnostic characters. For these reasons, we have placed S. elongata, S. longipes, S. mimica, and S. ruficeps in synonymy with S. major.