Oopterus punctatus, 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 : 41-42

Oopterus punctatus new species

Fig. 43 , 89 , 141

Holotype: male ( NZAC) labeled: “ Under logs N. fusca forest Above Long Bay Banks Peninsula [ NEW ZEALAND MC] 1.X.1974 (hand-written) R. M. Emberson (typed) / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Oopterus punctatus Larochelle & Larivière, 2017 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: one male (NZAC) and one female (CMNZ) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description. Body length 5.4–6.5 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly dark brown; apex and base of head reddish; base of pronotum reddish; lateral margins and suture of elytra reddish; abdomen reddish laterally and apically; antennal segments 1–3, palpi, tibiae, and tarsi reddish; antennal segments 4–11 dark brown; femora infuscated. Microsculpture strong, isodiametric on head, very transverse (with microlines) on pronotum and elytra. Iridescence absent on head, very strong on pronotum and 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, rounded apically, moderately shorter than lateral lobes. Paraglossae membranous, prominent, about as long as ligula. Thorax. Pronotum moderately convex, virtually impunctate, wrinkled discally, strongly transverse, widest before middle; apex subtruncate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, rounded; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides strongly rounded, slightly sinuate posteriorly; lateral grooves absent; two setiferous punctures 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 emarginate, wider than pronotal apex, about as wide as 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 obsolete. Striae complete; stria 1 deep, striae 2–7 shallow, finely punctate; stria 3 either without setiferous punctures or with one to three punctures. Recurrent stria long, sharp, directed apically toward stria 5. Subapical seta present. Intervals 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. 89 ): strongly arcuate, strongly widened in apical half; base moderately biconvex dorsally; middle biconvex dorsally, almost straight ventrally, with dorsal membranous area narrow and long; apex subtriangular, moderately convex 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 or five apical setae.

Material examined. 12 specimens ( CMNZ, LUNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 141 ). South Island: MC –Banks Peninsula (Akaroa; Hinewai Scenic Reserve; Long Bay (above); Otepatutu Scenic Reserve; Port Levy). Port Hills, Christchurch.

Ecology. Lowland (hills). Epigean. Forests (broadleaf, podocarp). Shaded ground. Nocturnal; hides during the day under logs and stones.

Biology. Seasonality: October, February. Tenerals: March. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology). Dispersal power. Subapterous (incapable of flight). Moderate runner.

Collecting techniques. Lifting logs and stones.

Remarks. The name of this species is derived from the Latin adjective punctatus (punctate), referring to the strong microsculpture giving a “punctate” appearance to the head of the beetle. Oopterus punctatus is morphologically close to O. frontalis . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, O. punctatus has the following distinguishing features: head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly dark brown; antennal segments 1–3 reddish, segments 4–11 dark brown; pronotum with sides strongly rounded, laterobasal foveae virtually impunctate, not prolonged forward; elytral striae complete and scutellar striole obsolete. The two species are allopatric: O. punctatus is known only from Banks Peninsula and the Port Hills in Christchurch (South Island), while O. frontalis occurs in southern areas of the North Island (WI, WN).

Figures

Figures 43–46. Dorsal habitus. 43) Oopterus punctatus new species. 44) O. trechoides new species. 45) O. sculpturatus. 46) O. taieriensis new species. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 82–89. Aedeagi, lateral. 82) Oopterus corvinki new species. 83) O. palmai new species. 84) O. monticola new species. 85) O. strenuus. 86) O. clivinoides. 87) O. mohiensis new species. 88) O. frontalis. 89) O. punctatus new species.

Figures 136–141. Species distribution maps. 136) Oopterus nanus new species. 137) O. nunni new species. 138) O. ocularius. 139) O. palmai new species. 140) O. patulus. 141) O. punctatus new species.