Miotopus Hutton 1898

Genus <i>Miotopus</i> Hutton, 1898 <p> Medium size cave wētā (body length 11–17 mm) found in forests and caves, on three main islands of New Zealand. The genus consists of two species that are structurally quite distinct from one another, and share some morphological characteristics with <i>Pleioplectron</i>.</p> <p> The head of <i>Miotopus</i> tends to be more elongated than in <i>Pleioplectron,</i> coloured mostly brown. Scapes of the antennae are sexually dimorphic, very broad in the males, thinner in the females (Fig. 5). Maxillary palps are long with moderately dense hair. The colour pattern of the upper body parts of the two species is similar, but darker in <i>P. diversus</i>, and surprisingly uniform across the whole distribution range with alternating reddish-brown and black patches. The light-coloured patches form a large inverted W-shape on the pronotum, and an X-shape stretching across the mesanotum, metanotum and first abdominal tergite (Fig. 6).</p> <p>Legs are relatively long in both species, especially so in the newly described species. Fore and mid femora are armed at the apex with a prolateral and a retrolateral apical spine. Fore and mid tibia armed with two pairs of apical spines each, four pairs on the hind tibia. The number of linear spines on all tibiae varies within and between species (Table 1).</p> <p>Male and female terminalia are species specific (Figs 7–8); cerci long and slender, especially in the males. The upper valves of the ovipositor are scabrous but not serrated (the irregularities being visible only at high magnification), while the lower valves have 7+ shallow teeth near the apex (Fig. 8).</p>Published as part of <i>Fitness, Josephine L., Morgan-Richards, Mary, Hegg, Danilo & Trewick, Steven A., 2018, Reinstatement of the New Zealand cave wētā genus Miotopus Hutton (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) and description of a new species, pp. 1-24 in European Journal of Taxonomy 468</i> on page 8, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.468, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3827074">http://zenodo.org/record/3827074</a&gt

Miotopus diversus Hutton 1898

Miotopus diversus Hutton, 1898 Figs 4, 5 A–B, 6A–B, 7A–B, 8A–C, 9, 10A–B Diagnosis A medium sized cave wētā found in forested areas around the North Island, New Zealand, mainly in leaf litter on the forest floor, or in the roots of trees. Dark brown with visible dark and pale bands on the fore and mid legs, it could be most easily confused with the sympatric Pleioplectron hudsoni. However, adult Miotopus diversus are larger (see Table 1), usually appear darker in life, and have small spines on the dorsal surface of the mid tibiae, and are further distinguished from Pleioplectron by spine count and male terminalia. Type material Holotype NEW ZEALAND: ♀, from Upper Wanganui (as Pleioplectron diversum) in Canterbury Museum (Hutton 1897). Other material NEW ZEALAND: 1 ³ from Makaretu, Hawkes Bay (as Miotopus diversus) (Hutton 1898). Material examined See Table 2. Description HEAD. Mostly brown with vertical pale stripes, covered in fine setae, palps light brown with fine setae, fastigium brown with pale spots on the sides, eyes black and ovoid, antennae long and dark brown. Male antennae are notably thick, densely clothed in setae and abruptly tapering to a thin thread at the end, whereas female antennae are narrow and almost uniformly thin from end to end, scape and peduncle pale (Fig. 5). THORAX. Pronotum with anterior and posterior margins convex, and sides rounded with a slight outward ‘lip’, dark brown–red brown with occasional pale markings (Fig. 6 A–B). LEGS. Moderately long, hind femora shorter than tibiae, coxae and trochanters cream, femora and tibiae dark brown with cream bands. Fore femora compressed with one prolateral apical spine and one retrolateral apical spine present, short dark setae present. Fore tibiae with two prolateral and three or four retrolateral long, pale to transparent, linear spines positioned in the mid to distal portion of the tibiae. Fore tibiae with two superior apical spines (one prolateral and one retrolateral), pale with dark tip, almost hidden amongst the setae, two inferior apical spines (one prolateral and one retrolateral), inferior apical spines longer than superior spines, articulate, pale with dark tip, longer and thicker than the surrounding setae. Mid femora compressed with one long articulated prolateral apical spine, one long articulated retrolateral apical spine. Mid tibiae with three or four prolateral and two or three retrolateral long, linear spines positioned in the mid to distal portion of the tibiae, prolateral linear spines longer than the retrolateral spines. Mid tibiae with two superior apical spines (one prolateral and one retrolateral), pale with dark tip, two inferior apical spines (one prolateral and one retrolateral), inferior spines longer than superior spines, pale with dark tip. Hind femora with one retrolateral apical spine (sometimes very small), slightly pigmented. Hind tibiae longer than femora with small brown alternate spines along superior surface (Fig. 9). Hind tibiae with two superior subapical spines (one prolateral and one retrolateral), two superior apical spines (one prolateral and one retrolateral), spines twice as long as superior subapical spines, two inferior apical spines (one prolateral and one retrolateral) ¾ length of superior apical spines above, two inferior subapical spines. Tarsi with four segments, 1 st and 2 nd segment with a pair of spines on distal end, 1 st segment has eight small spines up from the end in alternate fashion; on the underside of the 1 st segment minute brown spinules run up the length of the segment either side of the tarsal pad. The 2 nd segment has three minute spines above, 4 th segment half the length of the 1 st segment. ABDOMEN. Glossy, brown tones. Short setae covering both tergites and sternites; sternum light brown colour. TERMINALIA MALE (Fig. 7 A–B). Cerci long, round, brown in colour, clothed in setae, styli short, not extending beyond the end of the subgenital plate. Subgenital plate is a finger-like protrusion TERMINALIA FEMALE (Fig. 8 A–C). Subgenital plate with three points, the outer two slightly longer than the middle one. Apex rounded and blunt. Ovipositor reddish-brown with 7–8 teeth on the ventral edge near at the tip.Published as part of Fitness, Josephine L., Morgan-Richards, Mary, Hegg, Danilo & Trewick, Steven A., 2018, Reinstatement of the New Zealand cave wētā genus Miotopus Hutton (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) and description of a new species, pp. 1-24 in European Journal of Taxonomy 468 on pages 8-9, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.468, http://zenodo.org/record/382707

Reinstatement of the New Zealand cave wētā genus Miotopus Hutton (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) and description of a new species

Comparison of morphological and genetic data from New Zealand forest cave wētā suggests we should recognise the genus Miotopus proposed by Hutton (1898). A new species within this genus is described (Miotopus richardsi sp. nov.). Both Miotopus diversus (Hutton, 1898) and Miotopus richardsi sp. nov. are common in native forests and widespread in New Zealand. Here we provide their known distributions and key traits

Reinstatement of the New Zealand cave wētā genus Miotopus Hutton (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) and description of a new species

Comparison of morphological and genetic data from New Zealand forest cave wētā suggests we should recognise the genus Miotopus proposed by Hutton (1898). A new species within this genus is described (Miotopus richardsi sp. nov.). Both Miotopus diversus (Hutton, 1898) and Miotopus richardsi sp. nov. are common in native forests and widespread in New Zealand. Here we provide their known distributions and key trait