Micropathus tasmaniensis Richards, 1964

Micropathus tasmaniensis Richards, 1964 View in CoL

Figs 1–2 View Fig View Fig , 8 View Fig , Table 1

Micropathus tasmaniensis Richards, 1964: 218–220 View in CoL , fig. 1.

Micropathus tasmaniensis View in CoL – Richards 1968: 171 (in key, additional records); 1971: 579–580 (in key, additional records); 1974: 252 (in key, additional records).

Diagnosis

The apices of the hind femora variably bear a spine retrolaterally but the ventral surfaces are entirely without linear spines. The male suranal plate is rounded at the proximal margin and bears a weak medial notch distally ( Figs 2 View Fig , 8b View Fig ). The female subgenital plate bears two elongate, finger-like lobes projecting distally ( Figs 2 View Fig , 8e View Fig ). The ovipositor bears 7–8 small teeth on its ventral valves ( Fig. 8f–g View Fig ).

Etymology

Not explained by Richards. Formed from Tasmania + the Latin suffix ‘- ēnsis ’ to form an adjective, which takes the masculine ending following the grammatical gender of the genus.

Type material

Holotype

AUSTRALIA – Tasmania • ♂; Florentine Valley , unnamed limestone cave; 3 Dec. 1961; G. Dolezal leg.; ANIC 14-042011 About ANIC ; ANIC.

Other material examined

TASMANIA – Junee-Florentine karst • 2 ♀♀; Mount Field National Park, Growling Swallet Cave (JF-036); 42.690° S, 146.50° E; 600 m a.s.l.; 12 Sep. 2011; R. Eberhard leg.; TMAG F073187 View Materials ; TMAG. – Maydena GoogleMaps • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; Risbys Basin, Hellebore Cave ; 42.772° S, 146.60° E; 310 m a.s.l.; 24 Apr. 2022; R. Eberhard leg.; GenBank: PV368140 ( COI); TMAG F127197 View Materials ; TMAG GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Junee Cave State Reserve , unnamed cave [likely Junee Cave JF 8]; 42.737° S, 146.60° E; 300 m a.s.l.; 5 Oct. 2021; R. Turnbull leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 97974950 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 19 Sep. 2021; N. Fitzgerald leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 95367962 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 5 Dec. 2024; K. Magnacca leg.; photograph; iNaturalist 259004982 GoogleMaps • 1 spec.; Junee Cave State Reserve, Junee Cave (JF8); 42.737° S, 146.60° E; 320 m a.s.l.; 12 Sep. 2011; S.M. Eberhard leg.; molecular data only; GenBank: MH171949 View Materials ( 12S rRNA); SARFMEE 12:0620; SARFMEE. – Mount Anne GoogleMaps • 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂; northeast ridge of mountain, Cave MA-CS-8; 42.922° S, 146.46° E; 895 m a.s.l.; 17 Dec. 2022; S.M. Eberhard leg.; GenBank: PV368139 ( COI); TMAG F156350 to F156353; TMAG.

Other material (not examined)

TASMANIA – Florentine Valley • 1 spec.; What-U-Callit Cave (JF-456); 42.530° S, 146.45° E; 12 Sep. 2011; R. Eberhard leg.; TMAG F073207 View Materials ; TMAG GoogleMaps • 1 spec.; Frankcombes Cave (JF-007); 42.533° S, 146.46° E; 27 Jul. 2012; R. Eberhard leg.; TMAG F073223 View Materials ; TMAG GoogleMaps • 1 spec.; Beginners Luck Cave (JF-079); 42.569° S, 146.47° E; 27 Jul. 2012; R. Eberhard leg.; TMAG F073191 View Materials ; TMAG GoogleMaps • 1 spec.; Cashions Creek Cave ; 25 Nov. 1971; T. Goede leg.; TMAG F000199 View Materials . – Junee-Florentine karst • 1 spec.; Niggly Cave (JF-237); 42.702° S, 146.53° E; 3 Jul. 2011; R. Eberhard leg.; TMAG F073224 View Materials ; TMAG GoogleMaps .

Redescription

MEASUREMENTS. ♂ body length 14–19 mm. ♀ body length 10–19 mm, ovipositor 8.5–11 mm. Hind tibia 19–24 mm.

HEAD. Light brown and mottled with mid to dark brown patterning on vertex and frons. Fastigium divided into two tubercles with a pale ocelliform spot on either side. Median ocellus present.

BODY. Generally mid brown mottled with pale brown and ochreous patches, particularly prominent on thoracic nota. Thoracic nota and abdominal sternites with row of pale brown flecks at distal margin. Thin medial line running down thoracic nota, not visible beyond metanotum.

LEGS. Ochreous brown with pale brown striations and patches concentrated proximally. Hind femur variably bearing an apical spine on retrolateral surface, often reduced in size relative to other spp. when present. Ventral surface of fore and mid tibia armed with two rows of linear spines, one prolateral and one retrolateral, each bearing 3–5 spines prolaterally and 3–4 retrolaterally. Hind femur without ventral linear spines. Hind tibia with 29–36 prolateral and 27–32 retrolateral dorsal linear spines prolaterally and retrolaterally. First segment of hind tarsus with 1–4 dorsal linear spines. Second tarsal segment with 1–2 prolateral and 1–3 retrolateral dorsal linear spines.

MALE TERMINALIA. Suranal plate dark brown, densely setose at distal margin; proximal margin rounded, approximately level with base of cerci; plate rounded and weakly notched distomedially; curved ventrally at distal margin, underside bearing a narrow, raised fringe of dark brown tubercles on either side of distomedial notch. Sternite 9 bearing styles, mid to dark brown and with pale, V-shaped ridge medially; entire surface setose with long, dense setae at distolateral corners. Subgenital plate rounded with short setae concentrated distally.

FEMALE TERMINALIA. Suranal plate convex laterally and rounded distally. Subgenital plate pale, without setae; plate narrowing distally and split into two flattened, finger-like lobes at distal margin measuring approximately ⅓ × as long as plate; often with sclerotised apices in adults. Basivalvulae present, bulbous, positioned laterally. Ovipositor light reddish brown. Ventral valve of ovipositor bearing 7–8 small, weakly produced teeth decreasing in size towards apex; each tooth often paired with process resembling sclerotised tubercle on corresponding lateral surface.

Distribution

Southern-central Tasmania at 300–750 m a.s.l ( Fig. 1b View Fig ). Known from limestone caves of the Junee-Florentine karst east of Lake Gordon and Lake Pedder and described from an unnamed cave in the Florentine Valley 270 m south south-east from Frankcombe Cave (JF-007) ( Richards 1964, 1968). Richards stated the species is also found in the Hobart and Mount Cygnet area ( Richards 1968), but we have not been able to inspect material from these locations.

Remarks

Micropathus tasmaniensis was described from the Florentine Valley in southern-central Tasmania and was said by Richards to also occur in the southeast near Hastings and Ida Bay (Fig.). However, a molecular phylogenetic analysis has indicated the southeast population is a separate species ( Beasley-Hall et al. 2025a), necessitating the description of M. ditto Beasley-Hall sp. nov. (see above) and the redescription of M. tasmaniensis from Florentine Valley material alone. The species are similar morphologically but primarily differ in the shape of the terminalia. This redescription was complicated by Richards’ initial definition of M. tasmaniensis , which was confusingly inconsistent and referenced both species due to an assumption that these differences simply reflected intraspecific variation (see Fig. 6f View Fig ).

Richards correctly illustrated the female suranal plate of the species, but in-text the structure is described as either rounded distally (as in M. tasmaniensis ) or occasionally notched (as in M. ditto Beasley-Hall sp. nov.). Curiously, Richards refers to the female subgenital plate as it presents in M. ditto only, with no mention of females from the type locality of M. tasmaniensis at Florentine Valley. The lobes at the distal margin of the plate are not as pronounced in M. tasmaniensis as in M. ditto ; it is possible Richards assumed her female paratypes were immatures and instead defaulted to the morphology of females further south. Finally, Richards described M. tasmaniensis as bearing 6–7 teeth on the female ovipositor, but we instead observe this range in M. ditto and 7–8 in M. tasmaniensis . The male terminalia illustrated by Richards correctly depict M. tasmaniensis .