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Volume 85, 1957-58
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Discussion

Peloridiids have not previously been collected in the areas in which these specimens were found; in fact the whole of the central part of the North Island, south of Mt. Te Aroha, east of Ohakune, and north of the Tararua Ranges, has not up till now been worked for this family.

O. cumberi appears to be most closely related to distincta Woodward, from the S.W. part of the South Island. We thus now know of two species or subspecies pairs, each with one representative in the South Island and another, apparently widely separated from it geographically, in the North Island. The other pair is fuscata

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Fig. 5.—Terminalia, ♂. a, b, e, right clasper, Oiophysa distincta Woodward; c, d, f, right clasper, O. cumberi sp. nov.; a, c, lateral; b, d, inner aspect; e, f, dorsal; g, h, O. cumberi, apex of abdomen; g, ventral; h, dorsal; i, j, pygophor, dorsal; i, O. cumberi; j, O. distincta; k, 1, anal tube; k, O. distincta; l, O. cumberi.

Drake and Salmon, from Nelson, South Island, and fuscata pendergrasti Woodward, from Coromandel Peninsula, North Island. On available evidence, cumberi and distincta appear to have diverged further than have pendergrasti and fuscata, and to have attained specific distinctness. However, as indicated earlier (Woodward, 1956: 49, 50), a detailed study of the terminalia of South Island fuscata might yet show pendergrasti to be best regarded as a species. Interbreeding experiments would provide more decisive evidence in both instances.

Cumberi resembles distincta in the tegminal, pronotal and paranotal characters, though the former does vary in the degree of posterior angulation of the paranota. Both species are also rather variable in the precise shape of the anterior and the postero-lateral margins of the head. Such variations are illustrated in figs. 1, 2. As with other Peloridiids, they are often not quite bilaterally symmetrical. In both species the posterior process of the pygophor is acute, differing from the more rounded apex of pendergrasti. Differences between cumberi and distincta, and characters in which both differ from other species of Oiophysa are listed in the description and the key. The narrowly rounded apex of the claspers of cumberi could have been derived from a truncate apex as seen in distincta by a rounding off of the inner angulated margin.

Corrigendum. In the description of O. fuscata pendergrasti (Woodward, 1956, p. 49, second line of paragraph on Abdomen) “87” should read “67”.

With the number of species of Peloridiidae now described from this country, it has been thought desirable to include a key tabulating the main distinctive features so far as they are known. Figures explaining the venation will be found in Evans (1939) and Woodward (1956); figures of the terminalia involved are given in the latter paper, with references to further descriptions and figures under each species heading.

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Fig. 3—Oiophysa cumberi sp. nov. Holotype ♀. Photograph, E. W. Hollywood.

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Key to New Zealand Peloridiidae
1. Eyes and postero-lateral margins of head touching or nearly touching paranota; head with two thin anterior areolae half or more than half as long as entire median length of crown. Pronotum with no or very few distinct punctures. Tegmina with costal margins not or scarcely sinuate; except for anal region, few or no cells margined with distinct punctures; apex of M ends on C beyond junction of R with C; usually with a single median cell, occasionally two cells, very rarely three Xenophyes Bergroth 2
Postero-lateral margins of head angled away from paranota so that eyes are distant from the latter; head with an anterior “membrane” much less than half as long as entire median length of crown. Pronotum with numerous distinct punctures. Tegmina with costal margins sinuate; all cells mesad of R margined with distinct punctures; apex of M ends on R before its junction with C; always with three median cells. Oiophysa Drake and Salmon 3
2. Eyes projecting behind beyond the adjacent postero-lateral angles of head. Median carina of pronotum broadly rounded. Apical junction of Cu1 and Cu2 + 1A within basal third of tegmen. Costal area wide, at middle of tegmen one third or more width of tegmen; costal veinlets and areolae very distinct. Subcostal cell large, as wide as or wider than the first costal. Aedeagus sigmoidally curved in side view, ventral membrane not visible from above. Anal tube of male broadest near basal third, considerably narrowed toward apex. Widespread throughout New Zealand Xenophyes cascus Bergroth
Eyes not projecting behind beyond the postero-lateral angles of head. Median carina of pronotum sharp and narrow. Apical junction of Cu1 and Cu2 + 1A about half way along tegmen. Costal area narrow, at middle of tegmen about one-sixth width of tegmen; costal veinlets and areolae, except basally, usually indistinctly defined. Subcostal cell small, narrower than first costal. Aedeagus not sigmoidally curved, ventral membrane visible from above as two wing-like lateral lobes. Anal tube of male with sides nearly parallel, apex broadly rounded, not tapering. Recorded only from Stewart Island Xenophyes stewartensis Woodward
3. Pronotum about three times as wide as long in middle. Width across tegmina near base less than or subequal to width at middle. Tegmina with costal margins not strongly bisinuate, either basal half or apical half nearly straight Postero-lateral angles of paranota more or less rectangularly rounded 4
Pronotum at least three and a-half times as wide as long in middle. Width across tegmina near base distinctly greater than width at middle. Tegmina with costal margins markedly bisinuate, strongly excavated both before middle and before apex. Postero-lateral angles of paranota usually acutely rounded (ca 60°–70°) 6
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4. Head with anterior membrane about half as long in middle as rest of crown; not coarsely punctate toward eyes; with three large punctures behind membrane on each side. Pronotum with disc slightly rugulose, rather finely punctate posteriorly; median carina (as delimited on each side by a row of punctures) wide; paranotal areolae wide, largely rectangular Tegmina with costal margins in dorsal view nearly straight to middle, shallowly concave beyond middle; the membrane margining cross veins of costal area not fuscous (though veins themselves may be fuscous). Recorded from Nelson Province Oiophysa ablusa Drake and Salmon
Head with anterior membrane one-third or less as long in middle as rest of crown; rather coarsely punctate toward eyes; with a row of numerous small punctures behind membrane on each side. Pronotum with disc coarsely punctate posteriorly and especially on postero-lateral angles; median carina very narrow; paranotal areolae more irregularly arranged and mostly divided into areolets. Tegmina with costal margins in dorsal view shallowly concave before middle, nearly straight beyond middle; cross veins of costal area margined on membrane with dark fuscous Oiophysa fuscata Drake and Salmon 5
5. Anterior margin of head shallowly excavated, biarcuate, the median notch shallowly V-shaped, so that “membrane” is not much shorter in middle than elsewhere. Cell 2 m of tegmen larger than apical radial and much larger than subapical radial. Larger; total length about 3.0 mm; width across tegmina about 1.65 mm. Recorded only from Mt. Arthur Tableland, Nelson, South Island O. fuscata fuscata Drake and Salmon
Anterior margin of head deeply excavated, broadly and deeply U-shaped in middle, where “membrane” is only about half as long as beyond the U. Cell 2 m of tegmen much smaller than apical radial and subequal to or smaller than subapical radial. Smaller; total length about 2.65–2.7 mm; width across tegmina about 1.48–1.55 mm Recorded only from Coromandel Peninsula. North Island O. fuscata D. and S. pendergrasti Woodward
6. Head wider (1.22–1.38 mm across eyes); right and left halves of margin of anterior excavation nearly straight. Apical segment of antennae long (0.20–0.21 mm), extending to basal third or half of eye. Claspers of male larger, stout, not strongly flattened laterally, apices obliquely truncate seen from inner aspect. Abdomen of female (measured as in description) about ⅙–¼ as wide again as long. Total length about 2.64–3.31 mm; width across tegmina about 1.56–2.20 mm. Recorded only from Southland, South Island Oiophysa distincta Woodward
Head narrower (1.02–1.05 mm across eyes); right and left halves of margin of anterior excavation convex. Apical segment of antennae shorter (0.13–0.15 mm), not or scarcely extending beyond base of eye.
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Claspers of male smaller, thinner, and laterally flattened, apices narrowly rounded in lateral aspect, not truncate. Abdomen of female (see description) about half as wide again as long Total length about 2.53–2.63 mm; width across tegmina about 1.44–1.52 mm. Recorded only from east central part of North Island Oiophysa cumberi sp. nov
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