Ptinella bitumida
From Species-ID
Ordo: Coleoptera
Familia: Ptiliidae
Name
- Ptinella bitumida Johnson, 1982 Wikispecies link
Introduction
- Ptinella bitumida was originally described only from the Chatham Islands, New Zealand subregion, by Johnson (1982: 366), who noted that 'the bizarre head structure of the male of P. bitumida is quite unique among the Ptiliidae' (see fig. 1). According to the currently published literature, e.g. Emberson (1998: 32) and Maddison in Macfarlane et al. (2010: 413), it is still considered to be endemic to the Chatham Islands.
Notes
- I have identified 80 specimens, including both sexes, from forest litter in the Hope River area in the South Island of New Zealand (BR), collected by R.K. Didham (see figs. 1 & 2)
- all but 2 of these specimens are from one site, "Prairie" (42°39'S 172°21'E), and the remaining 2 (1 male, 1 female) from "Carlyle" (42°35'S 172°26'E)
- I have not had the opportunity to search through unsorted ptiliids in collections for this species
- males of the apterous form of this species are easily and reliably identifiable on external morphology alone
- unassociated females may be difficult to recognise
- form alata is still unknown
References
- Emberson, R.M. 1998: The beetle (Coleoptera) fauna of the Chatham Islands. New Zealand entomologist, 21: 25–64.
- Johnson, C. 1982: An introduction to the Ptiliidae (Coleoptera) of New Zealand. New Zealand journal of zoology, 9: 333-376. BUGZ Google books
- Macfarlane, R.P. et al. 2010: [Chapter] NINE Phylum ARTHROPODA SUBPHYLUM HEXAPODA Protura, springtails, Diplura, and insects. Pp. 233-467 in Gordon, D.P. (ed.): New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume 2. Kingdom Animalia. Chaetognatha, Ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch, New Zealand. ISBN 978-1-87725793-3
Stephen Thorpe 02:17, 23 January 2011 (CET)
