Maungazolus acutus, 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 : 67-68

Maungazolus acutus new species

Fig. 62 , 107 , 112

Holotype: male ( NZAC) labeled: “ NEW ZEALAND FD Takahe Valley Murchison Mts [= Mountains] 11 Dec 1972 A.C. Eyles (typed) / Litter (typed) 72/271 (hand-written) / [male symbol] / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Maungazolus acutus Larochelle & Larivière, 2017 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: one female (NZAC) and one male (AMNZ) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description. Body length 2.8–3.5 mm. Head, pronotum, and elytra mostly piceous black; elytra with suture reddish, sides and apex narrowly pale reddish; abdomen mostly reddish black, reddish laterally and apically; antennae, palpi, and legs pale reddish; femora mostly bright yellow, strongly contrasting with tibiae, reddish basally. Microsculpture feeble and isodiametric on head, absent on pronotum and elytra. 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 moderately convex; two setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Tempora slightly inflated (about one third 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, coarsely punctate across base, wrinkled discally, strongly transverse, moderately cordate, widest before middle; apex subtruncate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, rounded; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides strongly rounded, slightly sinuate posteriorly; lateral grooves absent; two setiferous punctures on each side; posterolateral angles unusually acute, projected laterally; 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 well developed, coarsely punctate (with about 10 punctures); basal transverse impression well developed, coarsely punctate (with about 8 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 present. Striae finely punctate; stria 1 complete, deep; striae 2–4 incomplete, shallow; striae 5–7 obsolete; stria 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, sharp, directed apically toward stria 5. Subapical seta present. Intervals depressed. Sutural apices obtuse. Abdomen. Last visible sternum (sternum VII): male with two apical ambulatory setae; female with four apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 107 ): slightly arcuate, moderately widened in apical half; base mostly straight dorsally; middle strongly convex dorsally, mostly straight ventrally, with dorsal membranous area very wide and long; apex subtriangular, slightly convex dorsally, straight 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 apical setae.

Material examined. 79 specimens ( AMNZ, JNNZ, LUNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 112 ). South Island: FD.

Ecology. Lowland, montane, subalpine, alpine. Epigean-arboreal. Wet subalpine forests (beech); alpine herbfields and fellfields. Shaded or open ground. Nocturnal; active at night on trees; hides during the day in leaf litter, tussock litter, moss, and under stones. Gregarious.

Biology. Seasonality: December–February, April. Tenerals: November. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

Dispersal power. Subapterous (incapable of flight). Slow runner. Occasional climber on trees.

Collecting techniques. Sifting leaf litter, tussock litter, and moss; lifting stones.

Remarks. The name of this species is derived from the Latin adjective acutus (acute), referring to the shape of the posterolateral angles of the pronotum. Maungazolus acutus is morphologically close to M. parvulus . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, M. acutus has the following distinguishing features: antennae entirely pale reddish; head, pronotum, and elytra mostly piceous black; elytra with sides and apex narrowly pale reddish, striae present, finely punctate, and intervals depressed; mentum with medial tooth acute apically. The two species are allopatric: M. acutus is known only from the Fiordland region (southwestern South Island), while M. parvulus occurs in the northwest of the South Island (BR, NN).

Figures

Figures 59–62. Dorsal habitus. 59) Maungazolus septempunctatus new species. 60) M. priestleyensis new species. 61) M. parvulus. 62) M. acutus 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.