Maurodus cinctiger (Broun, 1921) Leschen & Reid & Nadein, 2020

Leschen, Richard A. B., Reid, Chris A. M. & Nadein, Konstantin S., 2020, Generic Review of New Zealand Chrysomelinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Zootaxa 4740 (1), pp. 1-66 : 34-35

Maurodus cinctiger (Broun, 1921) , comb. nov.

( Figs 4 C–F, 5B,C, 7F,G, 13D, 18A; map Fig. 19B )

Caccomolpus cinctiger Broun, 1921a:590 . Type locality: Glenhope.

Diagnosis. Body broadly oval and tricoloured; pronotum bicoloured. Antennal groove delimited by an inner ridge; internal surface glabrous. Prosternal lines in front of procoxae parallel to anteriorly convergent. Elytra with midbasal stria present; maculae broad with outer edges even and contacting broadly at midline; microsculpture weakly impressed (strong in one specimen from Saddle Hill). Ventrites dark-coloured, with hypomera bicoloured and epipleura uniformly pale-coloured; male ventrite 5 not vaulted at middle. Legs bicoloured with femora pale-coloured and dark-coloured tibiae; tarsomere 1 of male not greatly enlarged.

Description. Length 3.3–5.1 mm (greatest depth 1.50–2.80 mm). Body broadly oval and tricoloured with most of the head, most of the pronotum and part of the elytral macula and ventral surfaces and tibiae, dark to black; anterior portion of the clypeus, margins of the pronotum and elytra, mouthparts, antennae, anterior portion of hypomera, and epipleura, yellow to pale-coloured; central portions of elytral maculae chestnut to uniform black and even along lateral edge. Microsculpture distinct, present and weakly impressed on elytra (strongly impressed in a specimen from Saddle Hill). Clypeus coarsely to finley punctate, trapezoidal, nearly as long as wide, anterior margin straight; frontoclypeal suture present with medial and lateral postclypeal lines present that may be weakly impressed or absent; vertex weakly or apunctate, usually less coarse than clypeal punctures. Ratio of antennomere lengths: 1.5/1.0/1.2/1.0/1.1/.9/1.1/1.2/1.4/1.5/1.9. Antennal groove delimited by an inner ridge, internal surface glabrous. Pronotum transverse (2.45–2.62 x wider than long), lateral margins at base not subparallel-sided and converging anteriorly; punctures not uniform, coarse at base and usually progressively diffuse anteriorly, those at base stronger than elsewhere on the dorsum. Prosternal lines or carinae in front of procoxae parallel or anteriorly convergent with the anterior width 0.68x narrower than procoxal width; intercarinal space weakly convex. Elytra widest at basal 1/3 and broad (1.21–1.34x the greatest elytral width), 3.37–3.64x longer than pronotal length; punctation very weakly striate, not impressed towards midline; midbasal stria present. Tarsomere 1 of male not greatly enlarged. Male ventrite 5 not vaulted at middle. Spermatheca annulate, open and u-shaped and narrowed basally with a distinct duct and small basal gland; collum absent. Median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view gradually narrowed from basal ¼ to apex and acute; in dorsal view wide, slender at sides with a subacute apex; flagellum present.

Comments. Maurodus cinctiger is distinguished from all other species by having a broad chestnut to black elytral macula and unicoloured epipleura. Its broad outline distinguishes it from most species, including M. ornatus and other tricoloured species.

Broun described this species based on two specimens, one of which was “badly crushed and somewhat immature” and labelled it as a variant, but is considered here as part of the syntype series (note that Mt. Hope is just west of Glenhope). Both were in the BMNH and one we designated as the lectotype to stabilise the epithet, the other was designated as a paralectotype. Pinned to the undamaged specimen, was an identification label by M. Daccordi (pers. obs.) indicating the species belongs to a separate genus and there were three additional specimens adjacent to the species label in the Broun collection that were not syntypes.

Distribution. South Island: BR, NN.

Types material examined. Lectotype ( BMNH): re-mounted on card with terminalia and ovipositor extracted [left (A6–11) and right (A2–11) antennomeres and tarsomeres from left hindleg and right midleg missing], “4152. ♀. [in Broun’s hand] // New Zealand. [red underline] Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922-482. // Glenhope. 20.12.1914. [in Broun’s hand] // Caccomolpus cinctiger . ♀. [in Broun’s hand] // Aotearoanus cinctiger (Broun) [handwritten] det. M. Daccordi [printed] 1987 [in Daccordi’s hand]” . Paralectotype ( BMNH): 1 card-mounted, “4152. ♀. [in Broun’s hand] // New Zealand. [red underline] Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922-482. // Mt Hope. 14. 2.15. [in Broun’s hand] // var. C. cinctiger . [in Broun’s hand] // Aotearoanus cinctiger (Broun) [handwritten] det. M. Daccordi [printed] 1987 [in Daccordi’s hand]” .

Additional material examined. NN: Saddle Hill, 3000’, 41.275403S, 173.431698E, 12.01.1981, E.S. Gourlay (1, NZAC); Mt Arthur Tk, nr carpark, 41.189998S, 172.746243E, beating at night RL938, 22.01.2005, R. Leschen, T. Buckley, R. Hoare (4, NZAC); Mt Arthur Tk Ridge, above Mt Arthur Hut, 1347m, 41.197843S, 172.711686E, sifting tussock litter TB362, 01.03.2010, T. Buckley, R. Leschen, L. Dunning (1, NZAC); Mt Arthur Hut, 23 Jan 2012, R. Leschen, L. Dunning, H. Lindsay, 41.197893S, 172.713534E, sifting Olearia litter, RL1628 (2, NZAC); Mt Arthur Hut, 23 Jan 2012, R. Leschen, L. Dunning, H. Lindsay, 41.197893S, 172.713534E, sifting litter (mainly Poa and Phormium ), RL1629 (1, NZAC); Lyell Walkway, FIT RL339, 8–19/2/1999, R. Leschen, R. Hoare (1, NZAC); Flora Saddle Carpark, 41.189863S, 172.746362E, on filmy fern Nertera astelia, 04.05.1997, J.S. Dugdale (1, NZAC); Mt Owen, 41.552011S, 172.541345E, 13.03.1938, C.E. Clarke, C.E. Clarke Collection, (1, AMNZ); Mt Glasgow, 41.588294S, 172.052547E, 23.02.1938, C.E. Clarke Collection (1, AMNZ; 1 BMNH); Waikaiha R, N Karamea, 41.588983S, 172.054276E, 02.03.1935, C.E. Clarke Collection (1, AMNZ); Mt Hope, 41.664986S, 172.514238E, 14.02.1915, 4152 Broun Collection (1, BMNH); Mt Arthur Tableland, Balloon Hut, 41.168895S, 172.622347E, 21.01.1943, C.E. Clarke, C.E. Clarke Collection (1, AMNZ; 1, BMNH); Mt Arthur, Flora Hut, 41.182574S, 172.729877E, 14.01.1943, C.E. Clarke, C.E. Clarke Collection (1, BMNH); Maggie Creek, 41.784618S, 172.723333E, 23.12.1915, 4152 Broun Collection (1, BMNH); Riwaka Resurgence, Abel Tasman National Park, mixed beech/punga/broadleaf forest, 15 Dec 2007, K. Marske, J. Allwood, sifted leaf and wood litter, S 41.01.978’, E 172.54.031’, KM144, 98m (3, NZAC). BR: Punakaiki, Pororari River mouth, 42.100033S, 171.337626E, in flood debris, 29.12.2010 [J.Nunn] (2, NZAC); Punakaiki, Truman Tk, 4.iv.1994, J.W.M. Marris (1, LUNZ); Mt Faraday, 14 Jan 2014, M. Gimmel, R. Leschen, T. Buckley, sifting tussock and leaf litter, RL1723, 1280 m, 42°01.972’S, 171°34.638’E (1 + 1 associated larva, NZAC); Sewell Peak, 27 Jan 2012, R. Leschen, L. Dunning, sifting litter and rotten wood, 42.406342S, 171.342016E, RL1635 (1, NZAC); Mawhera SF, 19km SE of Ngahere, litter 72/81, 25.01.1972, J.M. McBurney (1, NZAC); Mt Robert, 41.831676S, 172.810804E, 17.01.1984, G. Kuschel (1, NZAC); L Rotoiti, 600–700m, 41.811721S, 172.836988E, in sphagnum, 23–27/12/1983 (3, BMNH); Rotoiti, 41.849466S, 172.841229E, 16.06.1916, 4152 Broun Collection (1, BMNH); same except 26.07.1916 (1, BMNH); L. Rotoiti, 615m, 19–25.xii, J.W. Early, Swept in Nothofagus forest at night (2, LUNZ); Nelson Lakes NP, E. Matakitaki R, Mt Una Tk, 1050m, R.M. Emberson & P. Syrett, under logs Nothofagus forest (1, LUNZ).

Figures

FIGURES 4A–F. Habitus of Maurodus spp.; A, Maurodus arcus, dorsal; B, Maurodus arcus, lateral; C, Maurodus cinctiger, dorsal, length 4.1 mm; D, Maurodus cinctiger, lateral, length 4.2 mm; E, Maurodus cinctiger, dorsal; F, Maurodus cinctiger, ventral.

FIGURES 19A–B. A and B, South Island.