Fauna of NZ 45 - Landcare Research

Fauna of New Zealand 45 29
sinuous, laterally abbreviated sulcus ending in distinct pit
halfway between eyes and epistome, in female about as
long as wide, with shallow median depression instead of a
transverse sulcus; apical margin rounded or slightly lobed
on middle in male, truncate in female, in both sexes ciliate;
underside with pit on postmentum bearing tight tuft of
bristles; vestiture on dorsal surface directed basad behind
transverse sulcus or median depression, apicad in front of
sulcus or depression. Antennae short, extending to about
middle of prothorax, reaching eyes with segment 2, with
segments 1 and 2 similar in length and width to each other,
segments 3–8 distinctly slenderer, segment 9 usually a
little wider and larger than 8, segments 10–11 loosely articulated,
forming a distinct 2-segmented club. Mandibles
at distal half relatively slender, subparallel, with the outer
edge slightly turned downwards, with three apical teeth;
pharyngeal process absent; laterodorsal surface plurisetose.
Maxillae with ill-defined galea, with 4-segmented palp.
Prementum very large, concealing maxillae, plurisetose, labial
palp 3-segmented, invisible, inserting about middle of
dorsal surface.
Prothorax quadrangular or rounded, with or without
denticulation on lateral margin, with one or more discal
impressions. Scutellum small, almost level with
mesonotum. Elytra slightly depressed, parallel sided or
very slightly converging apicad from base, jointly rounded
at apex, 10-striate; striae with perfectly aligned puncta;
scutellar striole distinct; sutural and even interstriae with a
row of erect squamiform setae; inferolateral flange absent.
Hind wing fully developed, long, narrow, with apical field
large, 0.6 of total wing length; basal part narrow, Cu at this
area equally distant from fore and hind margins; jugular
(anal) lobe absent; anterior margin with up to 7 stigmatic
setae, hind margin with long cilia from apex to a short
distance basad from Cu; venation strongly reduced, C and
Sc indistinct at proximal half, R well-pigmented for most
part, radial cell incomplete, M indistinct, r-m missing, Cu
rather distinct to near hind margin, anals absent except for
one running parallel with hind margin.
Underside same level throughout, flat. Coxal cavities
closed laterally, notopleural suture obsolete; metepisternal
head with a prominent dorsal tooth sharply indenting elytra.
Fore coxae separated by 3–4 coxal widths, not protruding,
inserted at basal third of prosternum; femora pedunculate,
moderately incrassate; tibiae robust, straight, lacking spurs
and mucro; tarsi 3-segmented, segment 2 bilobed, rather
small.
Ventrite 1 longer than 2, ventrites 2–4 about same length
to each other, 1–4 laterally with distinct transverse
impression or groove. Tergites 1–7 pigmented, undivided
along midline, 7 with large pruinose patches; spiracular
area not pigmented. Proventriculus with well defined,
strongly pigmented blades, these with distinct plate
anteriorly and brushes elsewhere, nearly twice as long as
wide. Rectum with elongate, posteriorly broadened and
more intensely pigmented loop (Fig. 99).
Male. Sternite 8 pigmented, strongly transverse,
undivided, lacking apodeme; sternite 9 bifurcate. Tegmen
(Fig. 92, 93) pigmented, with parameral sector broad, entire,
broadly rounded or truncate at apex, finely setose . Aedeagus
(Fig. 94, 95) short, slightly longer than last three ventrites
combined; aedeagal body tubular, pedon and tectum fused
except briefly at apex, tectal part extending to or slightly
beyond pedal part, covering it; ostium apical; apodemes
much longer than aedeagal body, attached laterally.
Female. Tergite 8 (Fig. 96) denticulate at apex, with 7
or more teeth; sternite 8 as in Fig. 97, tergite 9 absent;
rectum outside genital pocket, its loop as in Fig. 99. Genitalia
as in Fig. 98, proximal and distal hemisternites without
oblique suture, pigmented, setose at apex, without stylus;
bursa large; spermatheca very small, not falciform, weakly
curved or slightly bent, duct inserted at one end, about 2–
3x longer than spermatheca, entering bursa dorsally near
base of slender section of bursa; gland large, sessile, heading
towards spermathecal apex.
Distribution. New Zealand (Northland to mid Canterbury),
New Caledonia.
Host plants. Some if not all Aralius species are associated
with members of the family Araliaceae in New Zealand and
New Caledonia. Hudson (1934) stated that the New Zealand
species was ‘associated with the tree fern Cyathea
dealbata’, a statement at odds with subsequent field observations
carried out in the Nelson and Auckland areas.
Biology. Adults and larvae live and complete the development
under bark of recently dead branches of the host
species.
Remarks. Aralius is readily differentiated from Proterhinus
and Aglycyderes in having antennae that extend only to
about the middle of the prothorax, a very short first
antennal segment, ventrites 1–4 with transverse lateral
impressions or grooves, with a setiferous pit behind
postmentum in the male, and a tergite 8 with 7 or more
teeth on the apical margin in the female. New Zealand has
one species and New Caledonia three (two of these
undescribed).