Anderus pipiwai, Trewick & Morgan-Richards, 2025

Anderus pipiwai sp. nov.

Type material: Holotype. Male , Brewster Hut Track, Haast Pass, New Zealand, latitude -44.08194, longitude 169.39138, 24.II.2017, D. Hegg, MPN_GW1403, MNZ_AI.083175 Paratype. Female , Brewster Hut Track, Haast Pass, New Zealand, latitude -44.08194, longitude 169.39138, 24.II.2017, D. Hegg, MPN_GW1402, MNZ_ AI.083176 .

Etymology: Māori word pīpīwai meaning damp or humid in reference to the very moist environment in the forested valleys of the West Coast region.

Description: A small dark wētā ( Figure 4 View FIGURE 4 ). Head, thorax and abdomen predominantly dark brown, nearly black at dorsal limits, lacking pale patches on thoracic and abdominal segments. Legs dark brown on dorsal surfaces grading laterally to yellow-brown. Abdominal sternites brown including male subgenital plate, but female subgenital plate yellow. Cerci and styles (of male) yellow-brown. Numerous discrete, pale spots on dark areas of legs and posterior-lateral of abdomen. Stridulatory pegs on flanks of abdominal tergites T1, T2 and T3 small and sparse. Femora unarmed. Fore and mid tibiae have four apical spines. Foretibiae with 1 prolateral superior linear spine, 4 prolateral and 4 retrolateral inferior linear spines. Midtibiae with 2 prolateral and 3 retrolateral superior linear spines, 4 prolateral and 4 retrolateral inferior spines. Hind tibiae with 2 pale prolateral and retrolateral spines on inferior surface. Two rows of about 10 small or very small, fixed spines along distal three quarters of superior surface. Male—subgenital plate in ventral view oblong, blunt, slightly longer than wide. Stout pale styles with few hairs. Cerci pale, longer than paraprocts, cylindrical, with long fine hairs. Paraprocts stout, triangular and blunt. Abdominal tergite T9 simple with shallow, medial indent and only slightly raised at medial posterior margin. Subgenital plate simple, square, straight posterior margin curved slightly downwards at posterior margin, and ventral surface Falci hidden by tergite 9. Female—ovipositor wide base, pale yellow-brown at base tapering and becoming darker rapidly to the tip, curved upwards. Cerci and subgenital plate pale, similar colour to base of ovipositor. Subgenital plate simple triangle.

Dimensions: Holotype: HD 7.2, BL 18.5, HFL 12.4, HFW 3.4, HTL 12.0, PL 4.9 , PW 5.0. Paratype: HD 7.3, BL 17.8, HFL 13.4, HFW 3.7, HTL 13.2, PL 4.7 , PW 5.1 , OL 9.6. Average male (n=2) HD 7.2, BL 17.4, HFL 12.3, HFW 3.35, HTL 11.65, PL 4.875 , PW 5.3 . Average female (n=4) HD 7.8, BL 18.0, HFL 15.75, HFW 3.85, HTL 13.45, PL 5.375 , PW 5.5 , OL 11.575.

Distribution: FD, WD. Northern Fiordland and southern Westland including Taumaka Island. MPN_GW36A, MPNGW561–563, MPN_GW1066, MPN_GW1402–1407, MPN_GW1622–1624, CMNZ_ 2005.56.717–730 ( Figure 4 View FIGURE 4 ).

Comments: This taxon is probably the entity informally referred to as Hemiandrus “madisylvestris” ( Johns 2001). This species is an important food item for stoats in high elevation Fiordland forest ( Smith et al. 2005).