![Thumbnail: [Volume 84, 1956-57 page 421]](/journals/rsnz/images/rsnz_84/thumbnails/rsnz_84_02_0470_0421_ac_02.gif)
Eggs
An alcohol-preserved ♀ (collected Vinegar Hill Reserve, 12 12 1948) with a greatlv distended abdomen was dissected and contained six “ripe” eggs (i e. with the chorion fully formed) and in addition three nearly ripe eggs which had darkened and shrivelled owing to the immaturity and thinness of the chorion. The fully formed eggs are 1.08–1.13 mm in length and 0.56–0.60 mm in greatest width The chorion itself is transparent and colourless and extremely finely, closely and shallowly pitted, appearing smooth under low magnification, and has no micropylar processes nor operculum. The entire egg, however, is amber-coloured, owing to the alcohol-preserved yolky contents showing through the chorion. Under strong illumination the large yolk granules within are visible; the shrivelled, immature eggs have a roughened outline due to the pressure of these granules against the thin chorion.
The eggs have the form of the Enicocephalid eggs described and figured by Myers (1926, p. 474; fig. 6) These latter eggs were almost certainly of this species, as they were laid (in the middle of January) “by a large specimen from leaf mould at Ohakune,” and Myers differentiates between two unnamed species of this family, a larger one (probably S. maclachlani. which he had only from leaf mould in the North Island, and a smaller one (probably Maoristolus tonnoin). which he had from under bark at Reefton, Nelson, South Island Myers did not give measurements of the egg, but described it as “more or less elliptical with parallel sides and rounded ends, much longer than thick, and of a beautiful frosted white appearance After preservation in alcohol the chorion appeared perfectly colourless and transparent, with a very faint indication of pitting; this may have been due to contents.”
![Thumbnail: [Volume 84, 1956-57 page 422]](/journals/rsnz/images/rsnz_84/thumbnails/rsnz_84_02_0471_0422_ac_02.gif)
Judging from the size of the eggs of this species, the youngest nymphs of S. maclachlani in the collections to hand are of the third instar and of S. notiatis, second instar. This accords with the measurements of the adults and of the available nymphs of both species, and gives a total of five nymphal instars, a very common number in the Heteroptera. The missing first instar of S. maclachlani would probably be in the order of 0.7–1.0 mm in length, with the head width across the eyes about 0.20 mm.
Systelloderes notialis sp. nov. Fig. 33.
♀: Dorsal surface and appendages rather shining, impunctate except for fine, obsolescent punctures on pronotum; head finely granular; body, appendages, and veins of fore wings with a covering of fine, pale hairs, those of head, pronotum, and scutellum, more especially on head and anterior and middle lobes of pronotum, forming a close, down-like investiture; hairs of venter of abdomen very short.
[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]
Head. From above (measured as in maclachlani) about ⅕ longer than pronotum (80:66), anterior lobe across eyes equal in width to posterior lobe (36:36) and ⅗ as long again (49:31); crown between eyes convex and strongly raised above their level; posterior lobe transversely subglobose, ⅙ wider than long (36:31), dorsal surface and sides strongly convex, widest in middle; both anterior and posterior transverse constrictions deep, abrupt, with sides deeply, concavely incised at level of the former Eyes moderate, from above each about ⅓ as wide as interocular space (7:22), from below about ¾ as wide (11:14), in side view convexlv subovoid, with anterior margin convex and posterior margin nearly straight, much higher than wide (17.12), occupying about [ unclear: ] of height of head (17:25); from about ⅖ as long as posterior lobe (12.5:31). Ocelli moderate, set near sides of anterior constriction and nearly three ocellus-widths apart. Rostrum with total length 5/6 that of head (67:80), third segment slightly and gradually widened towards apex, but convexly incrassate ventrad, in side view the thickest subapical region being half as deep again as the base (11:7); relative length of segments I-IV, 10:15:27:15. Antennae about 5/6 as long again as head, and as long as head and pronotum together, clothed with suberect hairs longer than width of the segments, relative length of segments I-IV, 20:48:43:36; first segment the stoutest, gradually thickening towards apex, second and third cylindrical, narrowing at base, second stouter than third, fourth slenderly fusiform.
[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]
Pronotum ¼ as wide again across humeral angles as long in median line (83:66); middle lobe about ⅜ as long again as posterior lobe (30:21) and twice as long as anterior lobe (30:15); posterior lobe over twice as wide as anterior lobe and 4/9ths as wide again as middle lobe (83:38:58), median impression of middle lobe wide, expanding behind as a wide fovea ending before posterior transverse constriction, median longitudinal carina of posterior lobe obsolescent; middle lobe with a small, oblique, sublateral fovea on each side at about half its length, the posterior angle behind it roundly tuberculate; posterior margin deeply, widely and concavely emarginate, humeral angles broadly rounded Scutellum with disc subflattened, its base largely exposed; posterior carina short, convex above, considerably widened and subtruncate behind, often obscured by hairs, only ⅕ as long as scutellum (7:35).
Fore wings with venation as for genus; veins not strongly raised, but more conspicuous than in maclachlani, being pale brown against the fuscous brown of the membrane.
Legs. Front legs moderately thickened; middle and hind legs rather slender, front and middle coxae subglobose. hind coxae rather more linear. Front legs: length of coxa, femur, tibia, tarsus, 22:82:72.20, tarsus nearly cylindrical, widest at base, where half as wide as long, one-segmented, with two pairs of ventral spines in apical third, the more apical pair shorter and stouter, thorn-like; posterior (outer) claw equal in length to tarsus; anterior (inner) claw much stouter than outer and longer (25:20); tibia gradually expanded toward apex, which is slightly deeper than tarsus is long (22:20), and bears, in addition to long pale hairs, a pecten along anterior (inner) margin, a group of five stout spines on ventral angle, and two spines close above them on posterior face, the inner one the longer and stouter. Middle and hind tibiae slender; apex with a pair of ventro-lateral pectines and, mid-ventrallv between them, a pair of slender spines longer than the pectines. Middle and hind tarsi twosegmented, the basal segment very short, longest ventrally; apical segment subcylindrical, somewhat flattened laterally, with a pair of subequal claws about ⅓ as long as tarsus. Hind legs: length of coxa, femur; tibia, tarsus, 25:90.95:32, femur rather less than ⅙ as deep as long (14.90)
Colour. Less infuscated than maclachlani. Head and thorax fuscous reddish-brown; fore wings more or less fuscous brown, lighter than in maclachlani, with veins brown or yellowish brown, antennae and rostrum yellowish brown to testaceous; legs testaceous; venter of abdomen paler, duller yellowish brown, except for the darker eighth sternum, and the other dark, sclerotised areas as in maclachlani.
Length. (to apex of closed wings): 5.2–5.5 mm.
Width. (across eyes) 0.46–0.49 mm, (across base of pronotum) 1.11–1.17 mm, (across closed wings) 1.33–1.36 mm.
![Thumbnail: [Volume 84, 1956-57 page 423]](/journals/rsnz/images/rsnz_84/thumbnails/rsnz_84_02_0472_0423_ac_02.gif)
The ♀ differs from the ♀ of maclachlani principally in its smaller size and paler colour, the less smooth and less polished head, with the posterior lobe more transverse and the anterior (postocular) constriction more abruptly and deeply incised both above and at sides, the eyes differently shaped in side view and relatively narrower below, the more broadly foveate median impression of the middle lobe of the pronotum, the obsolescent and non-carinate median line of the posterior pronotal lobe, the more deeply, broadly, and roundly excavated posterior pronotal margin, the shorter, less erect hairs of both dorsum and venter, those of head and pronotum closer and more down-like, the shorter posterior carina of scutellum, with its widened and truncate apex, the relatively shorter rostrum with the third segment more incrassated, and the paler membrane and rather more conspicuous veins of the fore wings.
♂; As with maclachlani, there is considerable sexual dimorphism; the [ unclear: ] is readily distinguished by the longer, more slender legs, the larger eyes, the more yellowish veins of the fore wings, and the presence of the capsule-like pygophor.
[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]
Differences from ♀ : Head with anterior lobe [ unclear: ] as long again as posterior lobe (40:30) and across eyes slightly wider than it (33:31); posterior lobe slightly wider than long between constrictions, the main globose region definitely transverse Eyes larger and more prominent than in ♀, from above each ⅗ as wide as interocular space (9.15), from below 2 ¾ times as wide (13.5:5), in side view occupying nearly whole height of head (19:21), from above about half as long as posterior lobe (14:30). Ocelli more prominent than in ♀. Rostrum with third segment less strongly incrassated ventrad than in ♀, the thickest subapical region ⅖ as deep again as the base (7:5), relative length of segments I-IV, 6.14:24.14 Antennae relativelv longer than in ♀, about twice as long as head and rather longer than head and pronotum together; relative length of segments I-IV, 20:47.40:30 Pronotum relatively broader than in ♀ across humeral angles, where it is 3/7 as wide again as long (82:58), 2 ¾ times as wide as anterior lobe (82.30), and nearly ¾ as wide again as middle lobe (82:48); middle lobe ¼ as long again as posterior lobe (25:20) and nearly twice as long as anterior lobe (25:13). postero-lateral angles of middle lobe only weakly tuberculate. Legs, especially tibiae, longer and more slender than in ♀. Tibiae, especially the hind, curved. Front legs: length of coxa, femur, tibia, tarsus, 22:88:88:17; tarsus only ⅓ as wide at base as long; anterior (inner) claw as long as tarsus, posterior (outer) claw only about ¾ as long; tibia only weakly expanded toward apex, which is less deep than tarsus is long (13.5:17) Hind legs: length of coxa. femur.
Fig. 33—Systelloderes notialis sp. nov a, 5th instar nymph; b, 4th instar nymph; c, 3rd instar nymph.
![Thumbnail: [Volume 84, 1956-57 page 424]](/journals/rsnz/images/rsnz_84/thumbnails/rsnz_84_02_0473_0424_ac_02.gif)
[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]
tibia, tarsus, 28:105:120:33, claws subequal and only about ¼ as long as tarsus; femur only about 1/10 as deep as long (10:105) Eighth abdominal sternum with posterior margin nearly straight, pygophor dark shining brown; rest of abdomen beneath yellowish brown, eighth sternum rather darker.
Length. 5.3 mm.
Width (across eyes) 0.44–0.45 mm, (across base of pronotum) 1.09 mm, (across closed wings) 1.33 mm.
Differs from the ♂ of maclachlani mainly in the less shining head, with its down-like covering of much closer hairs; the hairs of the pronotum and scutellum also closer and more down-like; the more trough-like postocular constriction; the eyes wider in proportion to interocular space, particularly in ventral view; the relatively longer femora and tibiae; and the different proportions of the pronotum.
Owing to similar general trends in sexual dimorphism in maclachlani and notialis, members of the one sex, particularly the male, in the two species, are more similar in a number of features than the opposite sexes of the same species. But within a species there are adequate common characters, as given in the descriptions and the keys, for identification irrespective of sex.
Specimens Examined. 2 ♂ ♂, Leslie Valley Track, leaf mould, beech forest, 23 1.1948, R. R. Forster (C.M.). 2 ♀ ♀, Chalk Hill (Cant.), leaf mould, 4.11.1951, R. R. Forster (C.M.). 1 ♀, Mt Sumner (Cant), ex moss, 13.4.1952, R. R. Forster (C.M). 1 ♀, Lake Te Au (near S. arm of L. Te Anau), leaf mould, 12–24 1.1953, R. R. Forster (C.M.). 1 ♀, Otira,—3.1945, T. P. Harris (C.M). 1 ♀, Fox's Creek (Cant.), ex moss, 22.2 1953, R. R. Forster (C M.)
Types. Holotype ♂ (Leslie Valley Track) and allotype ♀ (Mt. Sumner), in Canterbury Museum. Paratypes in Dominion Museum, Auckland Museum and British Museum (N.H.).