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Volume 73, 1943-44
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Genus Sminthurinus Börner.

Previously (Trans. Roy. Soc. N.Z., 71, p. 409) I described two endemic species and one sub-species belonging to this genus, from New Zealand; and to these I now can add a further three species, making a total of eight species and one sub-species known from this country. The following key will assist in their separation.

Key to the New Zealand Species of Sminthurinus.
1. Wart on Ant. III absent, black species with golden-brown appendages. S. nigrafuscus Salmon.
Wart on Ant. III present. 2
2. Wart on Ant. III dome-like, simple, with sometimes faint constrictions but without subdivisions. 3
Wart on Ant. III subdivided into sections. 6
3. Dark-blue species, claw with two pairs of outer teeth and one inner tooth, apex of mucro fused solid S. lividus sp. nov.
Colour otherwise, claw with inner teeth only or no teeth at all 4
4. Entirely black species. S. lichenatus sp. nov.
Yellow species. 5
5. Entirely yellow species. S. aureus Lubbock.
Yellow with dorsal saddle of violet to purple pigment. S. aureus sub-spec. purpureus Salmon.
6. Wart on Ant. III subdivided into three sections. 7
Wart on Ant. III subdivided into four sections. 9
7. Outer edge of claw with tunica having serrated edges. S. terrestris Womersley.
Outer edge of claw without any tunica. 8
8. Abdomen with laterally a large white ocellus-like marking. S. oculatus Womersley.
Abdomen with a large yellow hexagon surrounded by a wide circle of yellow markings. S. duplicatus Salmon.
9. Olive-green species with one pair of outer lateral teeth and one inner tooth to claw. Outer edge of claw serrated basally. Mucro apically upturned and slightly recurved. S. glaucus sp. nov.
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Sminthurinus lividus. Plate 2, figs. 1–6.

Colour: In life, dark slatey-blue with four light-dorsal intersegmental bands; paler blue ventrally. Mounted, a deep blackish-blue coarsely granular pigment all over the body and appendages except for the distal halves of the dens, the mucrones and the claws, which are colourless. A suggestion of brownish-red around the periphery of each ocellar field. Ocellar fields black. A small raised brilliant-white spot on the inner top margin of each ocellar patch.

Clothing: On the body and appendages of occasional short plain setae, which are larger and more numerous around the posterior region.

Body: Length up to 0.8 mm. Antennae approximately twice as long as front of head, the four segments related as 11:21:42:98. Ant. III with very large undivided wart-like organ which is in contact with the surrounding cuticular granules. Ant. IV apically truncated with two exsertile knobs and 8–9 sensory bristles. Ant. IV faintly subdivided into 12 sections. Ocelli eight to each side, central one extremely small, posterior one smaller than remaining six, which are large and equal. Cuticle finely granulate.

Legs: Claw with single inner tooth at two-thirds down and two pairs of outer teeth, one at half-way down and the other at two-thirds. Empodial appendage with equal inner and outer lamellae, no tooth on inner lamella but terminal bristle long, much over-reaching tip of claw. Two clavate tenent hairs to each foot, of which one is much longer and stouter than the other.

Furcula: Dens to mucro as 26:11. Mucro boat-shaped, fused at apex for one-eleventh of its total length. Inner lamella strongly crenulate.

Locality: Karori Hills, in leaf mould in bush-clad gullies. (Author's Coll.).

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Type: Slide 3/1284 Dominion Museum Collection.

Sminthurinus glaucus sp. nov. Plate 1, fig. 8; plate 2, figs. 7–10.

Colour: In life, a greenish-brown with the head yellowish and a dark band down head between ocellar fields. Mounted, olive-green with occasional depigmented spots on the body. Head ochreous with patches of green on the sides, and a band of dark-green or brown down centre of head between ocellar fields. A half-circle of white dots on each side posteriorly. Legs and furcula pale greenish-yellow. Antennae violet. A small raised brilliant-white spot on the inner top margin of each ocellar field. Ocellar fields black.

Clothing: Occasional short plain curved setae on body and legs. On the antennae and furcula the setae are plain, straighter and relatively longer, each seta of Ants. III and IV arising from a distinct papilla.

Body: Length up to 0.75 mm. Antennae twice as long as the front of the head, the four segments related as 17:21:40:81. Ant. III with small wart-like organ, having four distinct subdivisions. Ant. IV faintly subdivided into 9–10 sections with apically small exsertile knob and 4–5 strong, straight sense rods. Ocelli eight to each side, the centre one very small; remainder all large and approximately equal.

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Legs: Claw with strong inner tooth at two-thirds. A pair of small outer teeth at four-fifths down, and outer edge of claw serrated basally. Empodial appendage with very broad angular inner lamella supplied with small tooth at the angle. Outer lamella narrower. Short terminal bristle arising just below apex and over-reaching tip of claw. Three clavate tenent hairs half as long as the claw to each foot.

Furcula: Dens to mucro as 50:23. Mucro long and tapering, upturned apically and slightly recurved. Outer lamella strongly serrated.

Locality: Karori Hills. In leaf mould in bush-clad gullies (Author's Coll.).

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Type: Slide 3/1281 and Figured Paratype Slide 3/1289. Dominion Museum Collection.

Remarks: I have placed this species and the foregoing species (S. lividus) provisionally in the genus Sminthurinus on account of the structure of the wart-like organ on Ant. III and the nature of the clothing. It is possible, however, when further material has been obtained and if more similar species come to light, that the erection of a new genus may become necessary.

Sminthurinus lichenatus sp. nov. Plate 2, figs. 11–13.

Colour: Black all over, legs pale dirty yellow, furcula very pale dirty yellow, antennae dark-brown on basal segments, with Ant. IV black.

Clothing: Sparsely clothed with very short curved plain setae with larger straight plain setae posteriorly.

Body: Up to 0.9 mm. in length. Antennae one-and-a-half times as long as front of head, the four segments related as 3:5:7:13. Ant. III with large wart-like organ undivided but with a suggestion of four constrictions. Ant. IV undivided, with two exsertile apical knobs and six short sensory rods. Ocelli eight to each side on black pigment patches, the central ocellus small, the others large and all equal. Cuticle strongly granulate.

Legs: Claw widened basally with small blunt inner tooth at angle of recession of wide portion nearly one-quarter down; a pair of large inner teeth just past centre, and a small, single inner tooth at nine-tenths down. No outer teeth, but 3–4 outer lateral serrations to each side. Empodial appendage nearly as long as claw with narrow outer and broad inner lamella and whip-like bristle arising just below apex and extending well beyond claw. Inner lamella with large blunt tooth at angle and 5–7 small teeth or serrations on inner edge. Four strongly-clavate tenent hairs, shorter than the claw to each foot.

Furcula: Dens to mucro as 45:17. Mucro distinctly granular, long and tapering, slightly upturned apically, and with both inner and outer lamellae strongly serrated.

Locality: Karori Hills, under lichen covering rocky outcrops. (Author's Coll.).

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Type: Slide 3/1276 and Figured Paratype Slide 3/1277. Dominion Museum Collection.

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