Maungazolus ranatungae, 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 : 69-70

Maungazolus ranatungae new species

Fig. 64 , 109 , 117

Holotype: male ( NZAC) labeled: “[ NEW ZEALAND MB] Fell Pk. [= Mount Fell ] 1296m (typed) / Richmond Ra. [= Range] (typed) / 13 March 69 J.C. Watt (typed) / Litter (typed) 69/113 (hand-written) / [male symbol] / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Maungazolus ranatungae Larochelle & Larivière, 2017 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: one female (NZAC) and one male (LUNZ) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description. Body length 2.9–3.4 mm. Head and pronotum dark brown; elytra yellowish, dark brown discally, base dark brown medially, sides and apex widely pale yellow; abdomen mostly reddish piceous, reddish laterally and apically; antennae, palpi, and legs reddish; antennal segments 1+2 yellow; femora bright yellow, 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, slightly emarginate apically, moderately shorter than lateral lobes. Paraglossae membranous, prominent, slightly longer than ligula. Thorax. Pronotum strongly convex, coarsely punctate across base, unwrinkled, moderately 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 subrectangular; posterolateral carinae absent; laterobasal foveae well defined, coarsely punctate, very deep, moderately wide, rounded, not prolonged forward, simple; posterior bead absent; sub-basal transverse impression replaced by two foveolae; basal transverse impression well developed, coarsely punctate (with 10 to 12 punctures); base emarginate, much narrower than pronotal apex, about as wide as elytral base. Legs. Short. Elytra. Strongly convex, subovate, widest about middle. Basal margin incomplete, reaching about stria 4. Shoulders rounded. Sides strongly rounded. Scutellar striole present. Striae finely punctate; stria 1 complete, very deep; striae 2–5 incomplete, shallow; striae 6–7 obsolete; stria 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, blunt, directed apically toward stria 5. Subapical seta present. Intervals subdepressed. Sutural apices obtusely rounded. Abdomen. Last visible sternum (sternum VII): male with two apical ambulatory setae; female with four apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 109 ): rather strongly arcuate, not widened in apical half; base moderately convex dorsally; middle slightly concave dorsally, slightly convex ventrally, with dorsal membranous area very wide and long; apex subtriangular, moderately convex dorsally, slightly 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 two apical setae.

Material examined. 49 specimens ( LUNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 117 ). North Island: WN–Tararua Range (Dundas Ridge Hut; Otaki Forks, Judd Ridge). South Island: MB –Mount Fell. Mount Johnson. NN –Abel Tasman National Park, Moa Park. SD–Mount Stokes.

Ecology. Montane, alpine. Epigean. Mostly forests (beech); tussock grasslands. Shaded or open ground. Nocturnal; hides during the day in leaf litter and tussock litter. Gregarious.

Biology. Seasonality: October–December, March. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

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

Collecting techniques. Sifting leaf litter and tussock litter.

Remarks. This species is named after Dhahara Ranatunga (Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland) for her special help in our entomological studies. Maungazolus ranatungae is morphologically close to M. tararuaensis . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, M. ranatungae has the following distinguishing features: head and pronotum dark brown; elytra yellowish, dark brown discally; abdomen mostly reddish piceous; mentum tooth slightly emarginate apically; pronotum moderately transverse and cordate, coarsely punctate across base; elytra with striae finely punctate and intervals subdepressed. M. ranatungae occurs in the south of the North Island (WN) and northern areas of the South Island (MB, NN, SD), while M. tararuaensis is only found in the south of the North Island (WN). M. ranatungae is the only zoline species known from both North and South Islands.

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 112–117. Species distribution maps. 112) Maungazolus acutus new species. 113) M. pallidipes. 114) M. parvulus. 115) M. priestleyensis new species. 116) M. pygmeatus. 117) M. ranatungae new species.