Maungazolus tararuaensis, Larochelle & Larivière & Larochelle & Larivière, 2017

Larochelle, Larivière, Marie-Claude, Larochelle & Larivière, 2017, Synopsis of the tribe Zolini in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Insecta Mundi 2017 (594), pp. 1-110 : 70-71

Maungazolus tararuaensis new species

Fig. 65 , 110 , 119

Holotype: male ( NZAC) labeled: “ NEW ZEALAND WN Dennan Tararua FP [= Forest Park ] 4 Jun 1984 (hand-written) / J. Nunn (typed) / [male symbol] / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Maungazolus tararuaensis Larochelle & Larivière, 2017 (red label; typed).” Paratype: one male (NZAC) from Field’s Hut [= Field Hut], Tararua FP [= Forest Park] (WN), bearing a blue paratype label.

Description. Body length 3.1–3.3 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly testaceous; disc of head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen black; suture of elytra reddish to black; antennae, palpi, and legs reddish; antennal segments 1+2 and femora bright yellow, femora strongly contrasting with tibiae. Microsculpture absent. Iridescence absent. Very shiny, without metallic luster. Head. Labrum strongly transverse, slightly emarginate anteriorly. Antennae submoniliform, short: segment 1 (scape) short, stout, about 1.5x longer than its maximum width. Frontal furrows wide, deep, convergent. Eyes slightly convex; two setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Tempora moderately inflated (about half as long as eyes). Mentum: medial tooth entire, acute apically, moderately shorter than lateral lobes. Paraglossae membranous, prominent, slightly longer than ligula. Thorax. Pronotum strongly convex, finely punctate across base, wrinkled discally, strongly transverse and cordate, widest before middle; apex subtruncate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, rounded; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides strongly rounded, not sinuate posteriorly; lateral grooves absent; two setiferous punctures on each side; posterolateral angles subacute; posterolateral carinae obsolete; laterobasal foveae well defined, virtually impunctate, very deep, moderately wide, oblong, not prolonged forward, simple; posterior bead absent; sub-basal transverse impression replaced by two foveolae; basal transverse impression poorly developed, virtually impunctate (with about 10 obsolete punctures); base emarginate, much narrower than pronotal apex, about as wide as elytral base. Legs. Short. Elytra. Strongly convex, ovate, widest about middle. Basal margin incomplete, reaching about stria 4. Shoulders rounded. Sides strongly rounded. Scutellar striole obsolete. Striae coarsely punctate; stria 1 complete, very deep; striae 2–7 incomplete; striae 2–5 moderately deep; striae 6–7 obsolete; stria 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, sharp, directed apically toward stria 5. Subapical seta present. Intervals moderately convex. Sutural apices rounded. Abdomen. Last visible sternum (sternum VII): male with two apical ambulatory setae; female unknown. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 110 ): strongly arcuate, very strongly widened in apical half; base moderately convex dorsally; middle strongly convex dorsally, slightly convex ventrally, with dorsal membranous area very wide and long; apex subtriangular, slightly concave dorsally, moderately concave ventrally, with extreme tip wide and short. Dorsal view: very narrow, almost thin, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to right); apex straight; basal orifice narrow, very close to membranous area. Parameres with four or five apical setae.

Material examined. 3 specimens ( JNNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 119 ). North Island: WN–Tararua Range (Dennan; Field Hut).

Ecology. Montane. Forests (beech). Epigean. Shaded ground. Nocturnal; hides during the day in leaf litter.

Biology. Seasonality: January, June. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

Dispersal power. Subapterous (incapable of flight). Slow runner.

Collecting technique. Sifting leaf litter.

Remarks. This species is named after the Tararua Range (WN) where the beetle occurs, and the Latin suffix - ensis, denoting a place, locality, or country. Maungazolus tararuaensis is morphologically close to M. ranatungae . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, M. tararuaensis has the following distinguishing features: head, pronotum, and elytra mostly testaceous; disc of head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen black; mentum tooth acute apically; pronotum strongly transverse and cordate, finely punctate across base; elytra with striae coarsely punctate and intervals moderately convex. Maungazolus tararuaensis is only found in the south of the North Island (WN), while M. ranatungae occurs both in the south of the North Island (WN) and in northern areas of the South Island (MB, NN, SD).

Figures

Figures 63–65. Dorsal habitus. 63) Maungazolus pallidipes. 64) M. ranatungae new species. 65) M. tararuaensis new species. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 106–110. Aedeagi, lateral. 106) Maungazolus priestleyensis new species. 107) M. acutus new species. 108) M. pallidipes. 109) M. ranatungae new species. 110) M. tararuaensis new species.

Figures 118–123. Species distribution maps. 118) Maungazolus septempunctatus new species. 119) M. tararuaensis new species. 120) Oopterus anglemensis new species. 121) O. arthurensis new species. 122) O. clivinoides. 123) O. collaris.