Oopterus lewisi ( Broun, 1912 )

Larochelle, Larivière, Marie-Claude, Larochelle & Larivière, 2017, Synopsis of the tribe Zolini in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Insecta Mundi 2017 (594), pp. 1-110 : 25-26

Oopterus lewisi ( Broun, 1912)

Fig. 29 , 76 , 131

Tarastethus lewisi Broun, 1912: 388 . Holotype: female (BMNH) labeled: “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed) / 3172. (hand-written) / New Zeal. Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line; typed) / [BR] Greymouth. Lewis. / Tarastethus lewisi . (hand-written).”

Molopsida lewisi: Britton 1940: 477 .

Oopterus lewisi: Johns 1980: 57

Description. Body length 4.1–4.9 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly piceous black; apex and base of head reddish; base of pronotum reddish; lateral margins, suture, and apex of elytra reddish; abdomen reddish laterally and apically; antennae, palpi, and femora pale yellow; femora (base), tibiae, and tarsi reddish. Microsculpture absent. Iridescence absent. Very shiny, with metallic luster (aeneous) on head, pronotum, and elytra. 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 moderately convex; a single setiferous puncture on inner side of each eye (posteriorly). Tempora not inflated. Mentum: medial tooth entire, acute apically, moderately shorter than lateral lobes. Paraglossae membranous, prominent, about as long as ligula. Thorax. Pronotum strongly convex, obsoletely punctate across base, unwrinkled, strongly transverse, slightly cordate, widest about middle; apex subtruncate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, obtusely rounded; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides strongly rounded, slightly sinuate posteriorly; lateral grooves absent; setiferous punctures absent on each side; posterolateral angles obtuse; posterolateral carinae blunt, very long (about as long as adjoining foveae); laterobasal foveae well defined, obsoletely punctate, very deep and wide, subrectangular, not prolonged forward, double; posterior bead absent; base subtruncate, wider than pronotal apex, about as wide as elytral base. Legs. Moderately long. Elytra. Strongly convex, ovate, widest about middle. Basal margin incomplete, reaching about stria 4. Shoulders obtuse. Sides strongly rounded. Scutellar striole present. Striae mostly replaced by rows of coarse punctures; stria 1 complete, very deep; rows 2–5 moderately deep, obsolete apically; rows 6–7 obsolete basally and apically; interval 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, sharp, directed apically toward row 5. Subapical seta present. Intervals slightly convex. 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. 76 ): moderately arcuate, widest medially, narrowed in apical half; base moderately biconvex dorsally; middle strongly convex dorsally, strongly concave ventrally, with dorsal membranous area moderately wide and very long; apex triangular, slightly concave dorsally, straight ventrally, with extreme tip wide and long. Dorsal view: narrow, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to right); apex straight; basal orifice narrow, closed anteriorly, moderately distant from membranous area. Parameres with five apical setae.

Material examined. 52 specimens ( BMNH, CMNZ, JNNZ, LUNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 131 ). South Island: BR, WD.

Ecology. Lowland, montane, subalpine. Endogean. Wet forests (podocarp, broadleaf, beech) and scrublands. Shaded ground. Nocturnal; hides during the day under fallen branches, logs, well-embedded stones, and in moss. Gregarious.

Biology. Seasonality: October–May. Tenerals: March (WD). Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

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

Collecting techniques. Lifting branches, logs and stones; sifting moss; pitfall trapping.

References. Larochelle and Larivière 2001: 75 (catalogue; biology, dispersal power, ecology, geographic distribution, references), 2016: 21 (list).

Figures

Figures 27–30. Dorsal habitus. 27) Oopterus discoideus new species. 28) O. marrisi new species. 29) O. lewisi. 30) O. patulus. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 74–81. Aedeagi, lateral. 74) Oopterus discoideus new species. 75) O. marrisi new species. 76) O. lewisi. 77) O. patulus. 78) O. fulvipes. 79) O. sobrinus. 80) O. collaris. 81) O. laeviventris.

Figures 130–135. Species distribution maps. 130) Oopterus laeviventris. 131) O. lewisi. 132) O. marrineri. 133) O. marrisi new species. 134) O. mohiensis new species. 135) O. monticola new species.