Maungazolus priestleyensis, 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 : 65-66

Maungazolus priestleyensis new species

Fig. 60 , 106 , 115

Holotype: male ( NZAC) labeled: “[ NEW ZEALAND BR] Mt Priestly [= Mount Priestley] 915m J.G. McBurney (typed) / 10 Dec 1969 Litter (typed) 69/241 (hand-written) / TENERAL (typed) / [male symbol] / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Maungazolus priestleyensis Larochelle & Larivière, 2017 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: one female (NZAC) from the same locality as the holotype and one male (MONZ) from Mount Dewar (BR), bearing blue paratype labels.

Description. Body length 4.0– 4.3 mm. Head, pronotum, and elytra mostly dark reddish (forebody slightly paler); lateral margins, suture, and extreme apex of elytra pale reddish; abdomen mostly reddish piceous, reddish laterally and apically; antennae, palpi, and legs reddish; femora pale yellow, slightly contrasting with tibiae. Microsculpture absent. Iridescence absent. Very shiny, without metallic luster. Head. Labrum strongly transverse, slightly emarginate anteriorly. Antennae submoniliform, moderately long: segment 1 (scape) moderately long, about 2x 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, coarsely punctate across base, virtually unwrinkled, strongly transverse and cordate, widest before middle; apex subtruncate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, rounded; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides strongly rounded, strongly 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 well developed, coarsely punctate (with 10 to 12 punctures); basal transverse impression well developed, coarsely punctate (with about 10 punctures); base emarginate, much narrower than pronotal apex, about as wide as elytral base. Legs. Moderately long (short in other Maungazolus species ). Elytra. Strongly convex, subovate, widest about middle. Basal margin complete, reaching about scutellum. Shoulders rounded. Sides strongly rounded. Scutellar striole absent. Stria 1 complete; striae 2–7 incomplete; striae 1–4 deep, coarsely punctate; striae 5–7 obsolete; stria 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, sharp, directed apically toward stria 5. Subapical seta present. Intervals 1–3 slightly convex, 4–7 depressed. 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. 106 ): moderately arcuate, strongly widened in apical half; base moderately convex dorsally; middle biconvex dorsally, strongly convex ventrally, with dorsal membranous area very wide and long; apex subtriangular, strongly convex dorsally, slightly convex ventrally, with extreme tip wide and very long. 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 or three apical setae.

Material examined. 5 specimens ( MONZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 115 ). South Island: BR –Mount Dewar. Mount Priestley.

Ecology. Montane. Epigean. Wet forest (beech). Shaded ground. Nocturnal; hides during the day in leaf litter and moss.

Biology. Seasonality: December. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

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

Collecting techniques. Sifting leaf litter and moss.

Remarks. This species is named after the type locality, Mount Priestley (BR) and the Latin suffix - ensis, denoting a place, locality, or country. Maungazolus priestleyensis is morphologically close to M. acutus and M. parvulus . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, M. priestleyensis has the following distinguishing features: pronotum with posterolateral angles subrectangular; elytra with basal margin complete, reaching about scutellum; body length 4.0– 4.3 mm. Maungazolus priestleyensis is so far known from Mount Dewar and Mount Priestley (BR) only, while M. parvulus and M. acutus are more broadly distributed on the South Island in the northwest (BR, NN) and southwest (FD), respectively.

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.