Labidaspis myersi

Labidaspis myersi (Green) (Fig. 61)

Fiorina myersi Green 1929, 381 –382. Type data: New Zealand, North Island, Wellington, York Bay, on Astelia salandri, by J.G. Myers. Syntypes, female, Type depository: BMNH.

Cryptoparlatorea myersi (Green); Lindinger 1932, 202. Change of combination.

Labidaspis myersi (Green); Borchsenius & Williams 1963, 379. Change of combination.

Material examined. New Zealand, AK, Aukland, Mangere Otuatana Stonefields, on leaf base of Collospermum hastatum (Asteliaceae), 25.v.2003, N.A. Martin (NZAC, 03-196b): 1/1ad ♂ (good). Also: New Zealand, AK, Corbans Estate, Opanuku stream, on leaf base of C. hastatum, 25.iii.2006, R.C. Henderson (NZAC, 06-214d): 1/2ad ♂♂ (fg, one still not fully expanded).

Described from all 3 specimens.

Mounted material. Small, total body length 1.12–1.3 mm. Antennae more than half total body length; antennae and legs with long fs. Body without pores and few setae. Wings without alar setae or sensilla. Legs with a long trochanter; tarsi with bifurcated setae. Style and aedeagus needle-like.

Head. Somewhat rounded anteriorly and elongate; attached to thorax by a broad neck; width across genae (g) (pronotal ridge) 165–185 μm. Median crest (mc) broad posteriorly, narrowing greatly anteriorly, lightly sclerotised; with 2 pairs of hs posteriorly and a group of 4 long setae anteriorly. Postoccipital ridge (por) heavily sclerotised, with 2 short, stout arms extending anteriorly (each anterior arm with a seta) and 2 long posterior arms extending almost into prothorax. Mid-cranial ridge (mcr) well developed, with a pair of long hs anteriorly; lateral arms of mid-cranial ridge absent. Genae (g) not reticulated, each with 2 setae. Simple eyes (se): 2 pairs; ventral eyes marginally larger than dorsal eyes, dorsal eyes 21–27 μm wide; ventral eyes 29–33 μm wide. Ocelli (o) present, oval, each 16–17 μm widest. Ocular sclerite (ocs) lightly sclerotised, without setae. Preocular ridge (procr) short dorsally, extending medially from base of each antenna and fusing with margins of median crest, but absent or ill-defined ventrally. Postocular ridge (pocr) long, extending anterodorsally from near mouth onto dorsal surface to just mesad to each dorsal simple eye (dse). Ventral mid-cranial ridge (vmcr) with 2 longish setae (vmcrs) medially and with 3 or 4 pairs of long interocular setae (iocs) laterad to each ventral simple eye. Preoral ridge (pror) narrow and poorly defined. Cranial apophysis (ca) long and narrow, extending anteriorly between ventral simple eyes, about 50 μm long. Tentorial pits (tpt) not noted.

Antennae. Ten segmented; segments becoming shorter near apex. Total length 575–700 μm. Scape (scp) 33 μm wide, 25–28 μm long, without any setae or reticulations. Pedicel (ped) 25–27 μm wide, 21 μm long, each with 3 hs and with reticulations throughout. Segments III–IX parallel-sided, all 16–18 μm wide, with many fs, each 40–50 μm long; segment lengths (μm): III 66–70; IV 68–85; V 76–90; VI 63–85; VII 66–100; VIII 60–75; IX 55–70; ap- proximate number of setae: III 9–11 fs; IV 9–14 fs; V 10–12 fs + I hs; VI 12–17 fs + 2 or 3 hs; VII 13–15 fs + 2 or 3 hs; VIII 15 or 16 fs + 1 or 2 hs; IX 12–29 fs, 1 antennal bristle (ab) + 2 hs. Segment X 58–68 μm long, with 2 ab, 0 or 1 capitate setae (cs) laterally (see under Comment below) + 1 cs on apex, plus 10–13 fs.

Thorax. Prothorax: pronotal ridge (prnr) present but short, not reaching proepisternum + cervical sclerite (pepcv) ventrally, and short dorsally; pronotal sclerite (prn) narrow. Post-tergites (pt) present, represented by a narrow sclerite on each side. Medial (mpns) and lateral pronotal setae (lpns) absent. Proepisternum + cervical sclerite (pepcv) not reaching mouth area. Sternum (stn 1) with a strong median ridge and well-defined transverse ridges. With a pair of prosternal setae (stn 1 s) posterior to each procoxa, and a single antemesospiracular seta (asp 2 s) on each side; anteprosternal setae (astn 1 s) absent.

Mesothorax: prescutum (prsc) roughly oval, 70–90 μm long, 105–120 μm wide; with very faint longitudi- nal ridges; prescutal ridge (pscr) well developed, prescutal sutures (pscs) obscure; without prescutal setae (prscs). Scutum (sct) without a median membranous area, but this area with a few longitudinal ridges; with 1 small seta (scts) just anterior to each end of scutellum. Prealare (pra) and triangular plate (tp) quite well developed. Scutellum (scl) elongate rectangular, 18–20 μm long, 90–110 μm wide, with or without a very small foramen. Basisternum (stn 2) 75–78 μm long, 155–175 μm wide, without a median ridge (mdr); bounded anteriorly by a strong marginal ridge (mr) and posteriorly by strong precoxal ridges(pcr 2); without basisternal setae (stn 2 s); lateropleurite (lpl) narrow; furca (f) broad, each arm diverging strongly. Area bounded anteriorly by scutellum and laterally and posteriorly by mesopostnotum not sclerotised and without faint longitudinal ridges. Mesepisternum (eps 2) not reticulated; subepisternal ridge (ser) well developed; mesopleural apophysis (pla 2) narrow. Postalare (pa) not reticulated anteriorly; without postalare setae (pas). Mesothoracic spiracle (stn 2) small, 16–18 μm wide. Postmesospiracular setae (pm 2 s) absent. Tegular (teg) present, with 1 tegular seta (tegs).

Metathorax: metapostnotum (pn 3) present as a small sclerite; with a pair of metatergal setae (mts); dorsospiracular setae (dss) absent. Dorsal part of metapleural ridge (plr 3) and suspensorial sclerite (ss) present. Posteroventral part of metapleural ridge (plr 3) well developed; metepisternum (eps 3) mildly sclerotised, without postmetaspiracular setae (eps 3 s). Precoxal ridge (pcr 3) strongly sclerotised and extending ventrally. Metepimeron (epm 3) quite long, without setae (epm 3 s). Antemetaspiracular setae (asp 3 s) absent. Metathoracic spiracle (sp 3) 15–20 μm wide. Metasternum (stn 3) lightly sclerotised; metasternal setae (stn 3 s) absent.

Wings: length 890 μm, 270–300 μm wide. Without alar setae (als) or alar sensoria (sens); alar lobe (al) present. Hamulohalteres (h) each 55–58 μm long, hamulus 45–55 μm long.

Legs: metathoracic legs marginally longest. Coxae (cx): lengths (μm): I 66–74; II 66–70; III 66–75, each pro- coxa with two long setae on apex ventrally plus 6 other setae; protrochanter without ridges or teeth; trochanter (tr) + femur (fem): lengths (μm): I 140–160; II 140–157; III 157–182; trochanter III with 4 setae, ventral distal seta long; femur III with 10–14 setae. Tibia (tib): lengths (μm): I 110–133; II 115–140; III 128–150; tibia III with about 26 setae; with 2 tibial spurs (tibs), each 21–25 μm long. Tarsus (tar) lengths (μm): I 80–85; II 78–85; III 85–87; tarsi one segmented, but with a distinct constriction proximally; tarsus III with 20–30 setae, many bifurcated (bs), particularly on ventral surface; other setae rather spinose or spur-like; tarsal campaniform pores (tac) small; tarsal spurs (tars) each 21–25 μm long; tarsal digitules (tdt) short and capitate. Claws (c) long and thin, narrowing gradu- ally, without a denticle; length 23–25 μm long; each claw with 2 capitate digitules (cdt), each longer than claw.

Abdomen: segments I–VII: tergites (at) and sternites (as) lightly sclerotised medially. Caudal extensions (ce) absent although margin of VII slightly rounded. Dorsal abdominal setae (ads): segments I–VII with 1 pair of small hs on each segment mediolaterally. Pleural setae (apls): with 1 dorsopleural setae on each side of segments II–V, 2 on segments VI–VII; with 1 ventropleural seta on each side of segments V–VII, absent from segments I–IV. Ventral abdominal setae (avs): with 2 pairs on segments IV–VII and 0 or 1 pair on segments II and III. Glandular pouches (gp) absent. Segment VIII strongly sclerotised and ring-like but not fused to penial sheath; with 4 pairs of long setae on each side.

Genital segments: style (st) and abdominal segment IX fused and strongly sclerotised; segment IX broad, about 75 μm wide, 17–23 μm long; with a pair of stout setae on posteroventral margin. Style needle-like, broadest anteriorly, gradually narrowing to a sharp point, total length 318–360 μm, with 2 pairs of long hs anteriorly; without small setae and perhaps without sensilla near apex. Aedeagus (aed) long and needle-like, narrowing slowly towards apex; length 335–375 μm; basal rod (bra) possibly absent or represented by a small sclerotisation.

Comment. The exact number of non-apical capitate setae on the apical antennal segment is uncertain; occasionally one of the lateral long setae had a very small capitate apex whereas, on other antennae, these appeared to be absent.