Oopterus discoideus, 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 : 23-24

Oopterus discoideus new species

Fig. 27 , 74 , 125

Holotype: male ( NZAC) labeled: “[ NEW ZEALAND FD] Wolfe Flat 600m- 680m (typed) / Turret Ra [= Range] (typed) / Manapouri Exp. Jan. 70 J. McBurney (typed) / moss (typed) 70/69 (hand-written) / [male symbol] / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Oopterus discoideus Larochelle & Larivière, 2017 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: two females (LUNZ, NZAC) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description. Body length 3.4–4.2 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly testaceous; disc of head dark rufous; base and disc of pronotum dark rufous; a dark rufous oblong vitta present on each elytron; abdomen dark rufous medially; antennae, palpi, and femora pale yellow; femora (base), tibiae, and tarsi reddish. 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, shallow, convergent. Eyes subdepressed; a single setiferous puncture on inner side of each eye (posteriorly). Tempora moderately inflated (about half as long as eyes). 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, wrinkled discally, strongly transverse, widest about middle; apex subtruncate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, obtusely rounded; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides strongly rounded, not 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, virtually impunctate, very deep and wide, subrectangular, not prolonged forward, double; posterior bead absent; base subtruncate, about as wide as pronotal apex and elytral base. Legs. Moderately long. Elytra. Strongly convex, ovate, widest about middle. Basal margin complete, reaching about scutellum. Shoulders obtuse. Sides strongly rounded. Scutellar striole present. Striae complete, very deep, coarsely punctate; striae 2–7 shallower apically; interval 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, blunt, directed apically toward stria 5. Subapical seta present. Intervals strongly 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. 74 ): moderately arcuate, strongly widened in apical half; base strongly biconvex dorsally; middle moderately convex dorsally, slightly concave ventrally, with dorsal membranous area moderately wide and very long; apex triangular, straight dorsally, slightly concave ventrally, with extreme tip narrow, long, and curved downward. Dorsal view: narrow, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to left); apex straight; basal orifice narrow, closed anteriorly, moderately distant from membranous area. Parameres with five apical setae.

Material examined. 8 specimens ( JNNZ, LUNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 125 ). South Island: FD –Fiordland National Park (Borland Saddle; Turret Range, Percy Stream; Wilmot Pass, Spey River; Wolfe Flat).

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

Biology. Seasonality: January–February. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology). Occasionally infested with fungi (Laboulbeniales).

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

Collecting techniques. Sifting leaf litter and moss.

Remarks. This species name is based on the Latin adjective discoideus (discoid), referring to the discal color-pattern on head, pronotum, and elytra. Oopterus discoideus is morphologically close to O. marrisi . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, O. discoideus has the following distinguishing features: body length 3.4–4.2 mm; head, pronotum, and elytra mostly testaceous; eyes subdepressed; tempora moderately inflated (about half as long as eyes); pronotum strongly convex, sides strongly rounded, not sinuate posteriorly, laterobasal foveae subrectangular. Both species are known only from the Fiordland region (South Island).

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 124–129. Species distribution maps. 124) Oopterus corvinki new species. 125) O. discoideus new species. 126) O. frontalis. 127) O. fulvipes. 128) O. garnerae new species. 129) O. laevicollis.