Ptinella octopunctata
From Species-ID
Ordo: Coleoptera
Familia: Ptiliidae
Name
- Ptinella octopunctata Johnson, 1975 Wikispecies link
Introduction
- Ptinella octopunctata was originally described, by Johnson (1975), from two male specimens, from widely separated localities. The holotype was from the subantarctic Auckland Islands, but the paratype was from northern New Zealand (Whangarei). No further specimen records have been published, and Johnson (1982: 363) noted that no further specimens had come to light. It is a very distinctive species, immediately recognisable by the basal and apical rows of 4 foveae on the pronotum (see fig. 1, but note that it is very difficult to make them clearly visible in a photo).
Notes
- Maddison in Macfarlane et al. (2010: 413) incorrectly mark this species with a Su (=Offshore island endemic: subantarctic islands), but it is not endemic to the subantarctic islands
- I have identified over 100 specimens from litter samples at several sites in the Waikato (WO) region of the North Island of New Zealand, collected by R.K. Didham
- I have seen a large amount of litter sample material of the genus Ptinella from the South Island (Hope River area), also collected by R.K. Didham, but containing not even a single specimen of P. octopunctata
- I have not had the opportunity to search through unsorted ptiliids in collections for this species
- the singleton Auckland Island record (type locality) needs confirmation, as it could be a case of mislabelling
- only the northern North Island is a confirmed locality, at present, for this species
- this species almost certainly belongs to the Ptinella cavelli group, but this needs confirmation on the basis of females, which are at present undescribed
- this species is easily and reliably identifiable on external morphology alone
References
- Johnson, C. 1975: Arthropoda of the subantarctic islands of New Zealand 8. Coleoptera: Ptiliidae. New Zealand journal of zoology, 2(1): 9-14. doi
- 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 05:56, 19 January 2011 (CET)
