Anderus rakiura, Trewick & Morgan-Richards, 2025

Anderus rakiura sp. nov.

Type material: Holotype. Male , Mount Allen , Tin Range, Rakiura, New Zealand, latitude -47.08575, longitude 167.79894, 11.I.2018, D. Hegg. https://inaturalist.nz/observations/9593056. MPN_GW1393, MNZ_AI.083173 . Paratype. Female , Islet Cover , Port Pegasus, Rakiura, latitude -47.19996, longitude 167.63831, 17.I.2018, D. Hegg. MPN_GW1389. MNZ_AI.083174 .

Etymology: The Māori name for Stewart Island where this species is endemic.

Description: A small, slim, ground wētā recorded only on Rakiura-Stewart Island ( Figure 2 View FIGURE 2 ). Head, thorax and abdomen predominantly dark brown above but with a prominent large cream patch on either side of the pronotum ( Figure 2 View FIGURE 2 ). Small lateral pale patches also on mesonotum, metanotum and tergites. Hind femora dark above, pale below. Hind tibiae predominantly cream, slightly darker on dorsal surface. Femora without spines. Fore and mid tibiae have four apical spines each ( Figure 2 View FIGURE 2 ). Foretibiae with 1 prolateral superior linear spine, 4 prolateral and 4 retrolateral inferior linear spines. Midtibiae with 2 prolateral and 2 retrolateral superior linear spines, 4 prolateral and 4 retrolateral inferior spines. Two rows of about 10 small, pale, fixed spines along distal three quarters of superior surface. Male— with simple, oblong subgenital plate bearing small, cylindrical styles on each rounded corner. Paraprocts are short, stout and tapering abruptly, directly rearwards. Cerci pale, slender, similar in length to paraprocts. Female—ovipositor long but less than length of hind femur, pale and stout at base but tapering rapidly, gently curved upwards, and grading to orange-brown at tip, with no serrations. Subgenital plate pale, simple triangle ( Figure 2 View FIGURE 2 ).

Dimensions: Holotype: HD 5.6, BL14.2, HFL 10.7, HFW 3.3, HTL 8.8, PL 2.9 , PW 3.7 . Paratype: HD 6.6, BL 14.6, HFL 12.4, HFW 4.1, HTL 11, PL 4.3 , PW 5.0, OL 10.2.

Distribution: SI. Rakiura—Stewart Island including Big Moggy and Big South Cape islands ( Figure 3 View FIGURE 3 ). CMNZ_2005.56.804–831. MPN_GW075, MPN_GW933, MPN_GW1389–1394. Also, https://inaturalist.nz/ observations/262247477, 262247478, 255127879, 255127146.

Comments: The same entity referred to as Anderus ‘Rakiura’ ( Trewick et al. 2024) and probably the entity referred to as Hemiandrus “saxatilis” ( Johns 2001). Phylogenetically sister to A. subantarcticus on Snares Island.