Oopterus garnerae, 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 : 50-51

Oopterus garnerae new species

Fig. 51 , 97 , 128

Holotype: male ( NZAC) labeled: “[ NEW ZEALAND FD] Mt. [= Mount ] Barber 1350m Wilmot Pass (hand-written) / Wilmot Pass 300m- 630m (typed) / Manapouri Exp. Jan 70 A.C. Eyles (typed) / Mats (typed) 70/88 (hand-written) / [male symbol] / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Oopterus garnerae Larochelle & Larivière, 2017 (red label; typed).” Paratype: one male (NZAC) from Lake Hauroko (FD), bearing a blue paratype label.

Description. Body length 4.1–6.2 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly dark reddish (forebody slightly paler); disc of head darker; lateral margins, suture, and apex of elytra reddish; abdomen yellow laterally and apically; antennae, palpi, and legs reddish; antennal segments 1+2 pale yellow; femora mostly pale yellow, reddish basally. Microsculpture strong and isodiametric on head, moderately transverse on pronotum, strong and very transverse (with microlines) on elytra. Iridescence absent on head and pronotum, very strong on elytra. 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, impunctate, 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 blunt, short (shorter than adjoining foveae); laterobasal foveae well defined, impunctate, moderately deep, very wide, oblong, prolonged forward, double; posterior bead absent; base emarginate, much narrower than pronotal apex, slightly narrower than 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 obsolete. Striae shallow, finely punctate; stria 1 complete; striae 2–7 incomplete; stria 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, sharp, directed apically toward stria 5, 6 or 7. Subapical seta present. Intervals subdepressed. 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. 97 ): moderately arcuate, narrowed in apical half; base slightly convex dorsally; middle angulate anteriorly and slightly convex dorsally, slightly convex ventrally, with dorsal membranous area moderately wide and long; apex triangular, straight dorsally, slightly concave ventrally, with extreme tip narrow and long. Dorsal view: narrow, symmetrical (ostium of membranous area dorsal); apex straight; basal orifice narrow, closed anteriorly, moderately distant from membranous area. Parameres with four to six apical setae.

Material examined. 38 specimens ( JNNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 128 ). South Island: FD, SL.

Ecology. Montane, subalpine, alpine. Epigean. Wet forests (beech); alpine grasslands. Shaded or open ground. Nocturnal; hides during the day in moss and tussock litter.

Biology. Seasonality: October–February, April–June. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

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

Collecting techniques. Sifting moss and tussock litter; pitfall trapping.

Remarks. This species is named after our friend and colleague Beulah Garner (The Natural History Museum, London) for facilitating our study of the type material of Carabidae , especially the Broun Collection. Oopterus garnerae is morphologically close to O. nunni . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, O. garnerae has the following distinguishing features: head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly dark reddish; tempora moderately inflated (about half as long as eyes); pronotum strongly convex and cordate, posterolateral carinae blunt and short; elytra strongly convex. The two species are allopatric: O. garnerae occurs in the southwest of the South Island (FD, SL), while O. nunni is found in the southeast of the South Island (DN, SL).

Figures

Figures 51–54. Dorsal habitus. 51) Oopterus garnerae new species. 52) O. nunni new species. 53) Synteratus ovalis. 54) Pseudoopterus otiraensis new species. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 90–97. Aedeagi, lateral. 90) Oopterus trechoides new species. 91) O. sculpturatus. 92) O. taieriensis new species. 93) O. ocularius. 94) O. marrineri. 95) O. anglemensis new species. 96) O. nanus new species. 97) O. garnerae new species.

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.