Zolus helmsi Sharp, 1886

Larochelle, Larivière, Marie-Claude, Larochelle & Larivière, 2017, Synopsis of the tribe Zolini in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Insecta Mundi 2017 (594), pp. 1-110 : 12-14

Zolus helmsi Sharp, 1886 , reinstated

Fig. 22 , 69 , 155

Zolus helmsi Sharp, 1886: 372 . Lectotype (here designated): male (BMNH) labeled: “[male and female symbols] Zolus helmsi D.S. [BR] Greymouth. N.Z. types Helms. (hand-written) / Type H.T. (circular red-bordered label; typed) / Greymouth New Zealand. Helms. (white label with red horizontal line; typed) / Sharp Coll. 1905-313. (typed) / LECTOTYPE [male symbol] Zolus helmsi Sharp, 1886 designated by Larochelle & Larivière, 2017 (red label; typed).” Original combination reinstated

Zolus labralis Broun, 1921: 599 . Holotype: male (BMNH) labeled: “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed) / 4162- [male symbol] (hand-written) / New Zealand. Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line; typed) / [BR] Mt. Roberts [= Mount Robert]. 28.12.1915. (hand-written) / Zolus labralis . [male symbol] (hand-written).” New synonym

Oopterus helmsi: Jeannel 1940: 92 .

Oopterus labralis: Jeannel 1940: 92 .

Zolus helmsi: Johns 1977: 316 .

Zolus labralis: Townsend 1997: 12 .

Oopterus helmsi: Larochelle and Larivière 2007: 45 .

Oopterus labralis: Larochelle and Larivière 2007: 45 .

Description. Body length 7.6–8.9 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly reddish piceous; base of pronotum reddish; lateral margins and suture of elytra reddish; abdomen reddish laterally and apically; antennae, palpi, and legs reddish; femora pale yellow. Microsculpture obsolete and isodiametric on head, feeble, very transverse (with microlines) on pronotum, moderately transverse (brick-like) on elytra. Iridescence absent on head and elytra, moderately strong on pronotum. Very shiny, without metallic luster. Head. Labrum moderately transverse, subtruncate anteriorly. Antennae subfiliform, very long: segment 1 (scape) very long, about 2.5x longer than its maximum width. Frontal furrows wide, shallow, convergent. Eyes strongly 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 moderately convex, finely punctate across base and apex, wrinkled across base, subquadrate, widest about middle; apex subtruncate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, rounded; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides moderately rounded, slightly sinuate posteriorly; lateral grooves very deep, very long (longer than adjoining foveae); setiferous punctures absent on each side; posterolateral angles rectangular; posterolateral carinae sharp, very long (longer than adjoining foveae); laterobasal foveae well defined, finely punctate, very deep and wide, square, prolonged forward, simple; posterior bead absent; base emarginate, about as wide as pronotal apex and elytral base. Legs. Very long. Elytra. Moderately convex, subovate, widest before middle. Basal margin complete, reaching about scutellum. Shoulders oblique. Sides moderately rounded. Scutellar striole present. Striae complete, moderately deep, finely punctate; stria 3 or interval 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, sharp, directed apically toward stria 5. Intervals subdepressed. Sutural apices strongly rounded. Abdomen. Last visible sternum (sternum VII): male with two apical ambulatory setae; female with four apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 69 ): strongly arcuate, strongly widened in apical half; base moderately convex dorsally; middle angulate anteriorly and moderately convex dorsally, slightly concave ventrally, with dorsal membranous area moderately wide and very long; apex subtriangular, strongly convex dorsally, almost straight ventrally, with extreme tip wide and rather short. Dorsal view: very wide, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to right); apex straight; basal orifice wide, closed anteriorly, moderately distant from membranous area. Parameres with five or six apical setae.

Material examined. 233 specimens ( AMNZ, BMNH, CMNZ, JNNZ, LUNZ, MONZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 155 ). South Island: BR, MB, NN, SD, WD.

Ecology. Lowland, montane, subalpine. Epigean-arboreal. Wet forests (beech, podocarp, broadleaf). Shaded ground. Nocturnal; active at night on mossy logs and trees; hides during the day under logs, fallen branches, and the loose bark of fallen trees. Gregarious.

Biology. Seasonality: September–March, May–August. Tenerals: February–March, August. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

Dispersal power. Subapterous (incapable of flight). Fast runner. Occasional climber on logs and trees.

Collecting techniques. Lifting logs, fallen branches, and the loose bark of fallen trees; pitfall trapping.

References. Larochelle and Larivière 2001: 78–79 (as Zolus helmsi , Z. labralis ; catalogue; biology, dispersal power, ecology, geographic distribution, references), 2007: 45, 118 (as Oopterus helmsi , O. labralis ; taxonomy), 2016: 20 (as Oopterus helmsi , O. labralis ; list).

Remarks. Sharp described Z. helmsi from a pair of specimens, one of which (a male) is here designated as lectotype. The second specimen (a female) is considered to be a paralectotype. These type designations are made to preserve stability of nomenclature in the future. As stated in Broun’s description, the male holotype of Z. labralis (BMNH) only has four setiferous punctures on the labrum; this represents an anomaly. In all other material seen, the labrum displays six setiferous punctures. Examination of the type of Z. labralis revealed it to be conspecific with Z. helmsi .

Figures

Figures 19–22. Dorsal habitus. 19) Zolus subopacus. 20) Z. kauriensis new species, teneral. 21) Z. carinatus. 22) Z. helmsi. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 66–73. Aedeagi, lateral. 66) Zolus subopacus. 67) Z. kauriensis new species. 68) Z. carinatus. 69) Z. helmsi. 70) Z. wongi new species. 71) Oopterus suavis. 72) O. laevicollis. 73) O. quadripunctatus new species.

Figures 154–158. Species distribution maps. 154) Zolus carinatus. 155) Z. helmsi. 156) Z. kauriensis new species. 157) Z. subopacus. 158) Z. wongi new species.