Art. XVII.—A Description of a new and large Species of Orthopterous Insect of the Genus Hemideina, Walker.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 21, 1888, Page 193

Art. XVII.—A Description of a new and large Species of Orthopterous Insect of the Genus Hemideina, Walker. By W. Colenso, F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. [Read before the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute, 12th Nov. 1888.] Insecta. Order. Orthoptera. Section. Saltatoria. Fam. Locustidæ. Genus Hemideina. 1. H. nitens, sp. nov., Col. Female.—Piceous slightly convex, very glossy. Head small, dark (almost black), smooth with a stout keel between the eyes which is forked between antennæ; eyes very prominent, almond-shaped broad end above horns; antennæ (tips broken off) 1¾in. long, sub-moniliform, thickly pubescent, less so at base; clypeus blackish with a transverse brown band; labrum brown; labium black; palpi brown, fifth joint pubescent (also fourth, but less so), tip oval-spathulate; labial palpi slightly hairy, tip broadly-oblong. Prothorax (thoracic shield) much curved, 8 lines long, 4 lines wide, sub-rugulose, margined, anterior margin minutely ciliate, tawny brown with deeply indented rather coarse black markings (somewhat like

a broad full face with spreading horns); pronotum thickish; shield-like, margined, both it and mesothorax very dark; abdomen slightly compressed, clouded; abdominal segments darker below, increasing in hue towards tip; oviduct large, very thick at base; 10 lines long, curved, brown almost piceous. Legs stout; femora with 2 (sub 3) rows of black coarse oblong spots on each side; hind femora with a row of large black spines on lower margin (which is also black), and 2 minute ones inside of the row; the 4 anterior femora smooth; 4 anterior tibiæ with 5 black spines on each side; hind tibiæ very stout, black, with 4 long black spines on the outer side and 5 on the inner side, the third and fourth of the inner ones very long (⅛in.) and sharp, and 2 small spines distant on the upper ridge; the posterior femora and tibiæ of about equal length—11 lines long; the anterior tibiæ with a pair of spines at the lower joint, upper side; the middle tibiæ with a single spine there; the posterior tibiæ with 2 pairs of spines ditto; tarsi piceous, almost black, slightly hairy; hairs short, patent; pulvilli thick, tumid, blackish, shining. Length of body 16 lines. Hab. Found in firewood obtained from Forty-mile Bush, County of Waipawa, 1888; per Mr. A. Hamilton. Obs. A peculiar species, differing from other described ones in its general very dark colour, extreme glossiness, having also a sub-metallic cupreous glow in several places, peculiar broad and coarse femoral markings, extra spines, remarkably thick and smooth tumid pulvilli, and hairy antennæ. I regret much the upper portions of the antennæ being wanting.