Lepidosira minuta sp. nov.

Length of body: 1.4–1.6 mm.

Colour: Ochreous brown to dark reddish-brown, with darker purple-brown markings along ventral edges of thoracic pleura. Metathorax, abdominal segments I, II, and III, and from hinder portion of Abd. IV to tip of abdomen more or less dark-purple-brown. Head ochreous, varying to violet anteriorly. Antennae ochreous at base, changing through pale-violet to deep-violet in terminal segment. Legs proximally brown, merging into dark-violet distally. Furcula ochreous.

Body: Scaled with brown, oval or rounded, heavily-striated scales. Flexed setae occur on the head and occasionally on the body, with a prominent tuft at apex of thorax. Groups of long ciliated setae occur around Abd. IV, V, and VI. Head about equal to thorax in length. Ocelli eight to each side, seven large and one small, on dark pigment patches. No post-antennal organ. Antennal segments related as 4:8:7:11. All segments scaled and clothed by moderately long setae, the scales long, narrow, and apically-pointed. Abdomen IV four times as long as Abd. III. Ventral tube long and with two distinct lips.

Legs: Covered with fine clothing hairs and moderately long setae, the majority of which are finely ciliated. Claw with three inner teeth, the larger and proximal tooth about one-third from claw base, the distal about two-thirds, and halfway between this and the apex is a third very small tooth. Empodial appendage reaching almost to the second tooth. A tenent hair to each foot about equal in length to claw.

Furcula: Reaching forward to last pair of legs. Clothed by setae. Manubrium to mucrodens as 17:14, dentes corrugated and annulated, scaled with long, narrow, pointed scales. Mucrones bidentate with a basal spine, surrounded and overreached by long ciliated setae.

Locality: From old log near Lake Waikare-iti, 2300 ft., 1937.

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Type: Slide 3/120, Dominion Museum Collection.

Lepidosira minima sp. nov.

Length of body: 0.75 mm.

Colour: Basal body colour in mounted specimens very pale cream, more or less tinged with violet. A heavy violet line along ventral edges of pleura and narrow violet bands around posterior margin of all segments. Abdomen III all violet, and Abdomen IV with broad violet band around the middle. Head violet. Antennae violet deepening towards apex. Legs violet, paler at joints. Furcula pale cream. In life, general colour is pale-violet.

Body: Scales are very scarce, the few present being yellowish-brown and striated. Flexed setae occur on top of head and at apex of mesothorax. Occasional setae occur over the body, and several long, slender setae arise from the posterior portion of Abd. IV and from Abd. V and VI. Antennae almost twice as long as head

diagonal, clothed by short setae, the segments related as 3:6:6:8. Ocelli eight to each side, all large, on dark pigment patches. Abdomen IV three times as long as Abdomen III.

Legs: Clothed by moderately long setae, claw with single external basal tooth and one inner tooth near the apex. Empodial appendage a little longer than half the claw. A single tenent hair, almost as long as the claw, to each foot.

Furcula: Reaching forward to ventral tube. Manubrium to mucrodens as 11:13. Dentes annulated and corrugated, scaled lightly with long, thin scales difficult to detect. Furcula clothed with setae, which around mucrones are long and ciliated. Mucrones bidentate with basal spine, the terminal tooth shorter.

Locality: In leaf mould, Akatarawa, 1937.

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Type: Slide 3/146, Dominion Museum Collection.

Lepidosira rotorua sp. nov.

Length of body: 2.8–3 mm.

Colour: In life a beautiful deep blue In mounted specimens body and appendages all a deep blue. There is a tendency for a trace of yellowness along the dorsal surface of the thorax, and abdominal segments I, II, III, and V.

Body: Lightly scaled, with brownish scales strongly striated, a tuft of stiff setae at apex of mesothorax, and occasional similar setae over body. Short, stiff, ciliated setae around tip of abdomen. Tufts of long ciliated setae at ventral posterior edge on each side of ventral groove. Head slightly longer than mesothorax. Antennae scaled on first three segments and heavily clothed with short, finely-ciliated setae. Segments related as 9:14:12:20. Ocelli eight to each side, six large, two small, on dark pigment patches. No post-antennal organ. Terga of mesothorax completely covers prothorax. Mesothorax considerably longer than metathorax as 19:10. Ventral tube short and stout. Abdomen IV five times longer than Abdomen III.

Legs: Scaled and clothed by long and short ciliated setae. Claw with paired inner teeth at about one-third from base and small external tooth. Empodial appendage about two-thirds length of claw; lamellate, truncate on inner margin and finely pointed. A single tenent hair to each foot slightly less than the claw in length.

Furcula: Reaching forward to ventral tube. Clothed with setae. Manubrium to mucrodens as 28:32. Dentes scaled by small elongate lancet-shaped scales. Mucrones bidentate, with a single basal spine. Apical tooth smaller and blunt. Mucrones surrounded by long ciliated setae.

Locality: From amongst dead leaves in bush on shores of Blue Lake, Rotorua, 1937.

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Type: Slide 3/128, Dominion Museum Collection.

Lepidosira bidentata sp. nov.

Length of body: 2–3.25 mm.

Colour: Yellowish-brown, with deep-blue to violet patches on the sides and ventral surface of the head and body segments. Legs mainly bluish, but with femurs brown. Antennae deep-blue with joints pale-brown.

Body: Scaled with brown, heavily-striated scales. A tuft of stout setae occurs at apex of thorax, and strongly ciliated long setae arise around posterior region of abdomen. Antennae slightly less than half the length of the body, thickly clothed with short setae, but no scales, the segments related as 12:23:20:34. Ocelli eight to each side, all large, on dark-blue pigment patches joined by a line of dark-blue pigment across front of head. No post-antennal organ. Tergum of mesothorax completely covers prothorax. Abdomen IV five times as long as Abdomen III. Ventral tube long.

Legs: Claw with one pair of large basal inner teeth, at about one-quarter from base. Empodial appendage broadly lamellate, bluntly pointed on inner margin and sharply-pointed apically. Single tenent hair to each foot about equal to claw in length.

Furcula: Reaching forward to mesothorax. Manubrium slightly shorter than mucrodens. Dentes heavily clothed by ciliated setae, many of which at the tips overreach the mucrones, annulated and corrugated, and scaled with long lancet-like scales. Mucrones bidentate, with single basal spine. Subterminal tooth very large.

Locality: In forest debris, Aniwaniwa Arm, Lake Waikaremoana, 1937.

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Type: Slide 3/125, Dominion Museum Collection.

Lepidosira sexmacula sp. nov.

Length of body: 2.25 mm.

Colour: Pale yellow ochreous with a trace of blue pigment along ventral edge of mesothorax. There are three prominent patches of blue pigment on each side of the abdomen, one on Abd. III, one in centre of Abd. IV, and one on Abd. V. There is also a small patch of blue pigment on posterior ventral region of Abd. IV. Antennae pale brown, darker at joints, and shading to violet in third and terminal segments. Legs and furcula pale ochreous.

Body: Sparsely scaled, scales pale brown, striated, and oval in shape. A tuft of short setae at apex of thorax. A few short ciliated setae around tip of abdomen. Body otherwise mainly bare. Head slightly longer than mesothorax. Ocelli eight on each side, six large and two small. No post-antennal organ. Antennae four-segmented, the segments related as 6:10:10:15. Retractile organ at apex. Mesothorax completely covers prothorax and is related to metathorax as 15:9. Abdomen IV five times longer than Abdomen III.

Legs: Clothed with short ciliated setae and sparsely by lancet-like scales. Claw with two outer basal teeth, one to each side, and two prominent inner teeth, one at about one-quarter and the other at three-quarters down the claw. Empodial appendage about two-thirds the length of the claw and slightly truncate on inner margin. A single tenent hair to each foot somewhat shorter than the claw.

Furcula: Reaching forward to anterior pair of legs. Manubrium related to mucrodens as 20:23. Scales of dentes long and narrow, lancet-shaped. Dentes annulated and corrugated and clothed with setae. Mucrones bidentate with basal spine, the apical tooth small. Mucrones surrounded by short ciliated setae.

Locality: In bush debris on forest floor, Okarita Lake, Rotorua, 1937. A single specimen only obtained.

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Type: Slide 3/119, Dominion Museum Collection.

Lepidosira indistincta sp. nov.

Length of body: 2.7 mm.

Colour: A uniform pale ochreous. Legs and furcula ochreous or pale violet. Basal antennal segments ochreous with a violet tinge, segments III and IV deep violet. Ant. II becomes violet towards joint with Ant. III.

Body: Head and trunk heavily clothed with typical pale brown striated scales. Numerous long ciliated setae occur over body, especially on abdominal segments IV, V, and VI. A prominent tuft of flexed setae at apex of mesothorax. Head diagonal, slightly longer than mesothorax. Ocelli eight to each side, one large, five medium, and two small, situated on dark pigment patches joined across front of head by deep violet band, which also skirts bases of antennae. Antennae slightly less than half the body in length; four-segmented, related as 7:12:10:17, scaled on first two segments and well-clothed by setae, many of which are ciliated. Ant. IV bears very short setae only. A row of short spines across posterior dorsal margin of head. No post-antennal organ. Segmentation very indistinct. Abd. IV about three times longer than Abd. III.

Legs: Not scaled, but clothed thickly with short, heavily-ciliated setae. Claw without any properly-defined teeth, but a slight irregularity like a rudimentary tooth about one-quarter from the base. Empodial appendage sharply pointed with a distinct inner and outer lamella and “mid-rib.” A single tenent hair to each foot about equal in length to the claw.

Furcula: Thickly clothed with setae, many of which are ciliated. Dentes only feebly corrugated and annulated. Scales lancet-like. Mucro-bidentate with basal spine, somewhat long and parallel-sided, surrounded by long, ciliated setae.

Locality: Waioeka Valley, Urewera Country, from old rotten tree stump, 2000 ft., 1937.

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Type: Slide 3/147, Dominion Museum Collection.