Agnosthaetus aorangi Clarke, 2011

Clarke, Dave J., 2011, A Revision of the New Zealand Endemic Rove Beetle Genus Agnosthaetus Bernhauer (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 10) 2011, pp. 1-118 : 50-51

(20) Agnosthaetus aorangi Clarke , new species

( Figs. 144 , 149 , 153 , Map 5 )

Type Material. Holotype. ♂, with four labels: “ New Zealand WN [WA]| Haurangi | Aorangi Mts | 2 Sep 1965 | J. I. Townsend / litter 65/460/ FMNH- INS 0000 038 388 / HOLOTYPE Agnosthaetus aorangi Clarke , ♂, design. D. Clarke 2011”, in NZAC.

Paratype. 1 specimen (1♀). NEW ZEALAND: North Island: WA: Aorangi Ra., Sutherland Vehicle Trk., 398 m, 41°25.239′S, 175°21.551′E, secondary forest on former grazing land, 24.i.2008, KM245, sifted wood & leaf litter, K. Marske, R. Leschen & T. Buckley , 1♀ (in NZAC) .

Diagnosis. Agnosthaetus aorangi can be distinguished from all other species of Agnosthaetus by the combination of the normal semi-circular eye (similar to Figs. 57–60 ), narrow dorsal tentorial sulcus, weakly developed basal mental tooth, metathoracic pleural ridge present ( Fig. 24 , mp), and lack of microsculpture on the head and thorax. The aedeagus may be distinguished from those of the similar species A. imitator and A. orongo by the straight sides of the apical part of the median lobe and the short apical lobe of the paramere, together with the pair of larger apical parameral setae ( Fig. 149 , cf. Figs. 148, 150 ).

Description. Color: More or less uniformly reddish brown. Head: Frontal ridge absent, or present (cf. Fig. 12 , fr). Dorsum sparsely punctate; with punctures distributed anteriorly, laterally, and posteriorly on disc, middle part impunctate. Punctures shallow, rather indistinct; diameter subequal to or less than diameter of eye facet; interpuncture distance approximately equal to or greater than puncture diameter, less posterolaterally. Dorsal microsculpture present only anterior to dorsal tentorial sulci; faintly reticulate. Dorsal tentorial sulcus (cf. Figs. 10–11 , dt) narrowly ovate; width subequal to or slightly greater than puncture diameter. Sublongitudinal ridge (cf. Fig. 10 , sr) distinct; not confused by smaller carinae or punctures; crest at antennal tubercle without distinct microsculpture. Area above and behind antenno-ocular carina ( Figs. 10–11 , arrow) with single subsidiary carina formed by confluent punctures. Antennoocular carina joining eye at about middle. Temple ( Fig. 11 , tm) short, less than 50% EYL. Subocular surface more or less evenly microsculptured (cf. Fig. 65 ). Labrum distinctly sexually dimorphic. Apical labral margin in males moderately broadly and shallowly emarginate medially, evenly dentate, with 2 large, dorsally projecting, and obliquely oriented medial teeth set back from margin. Apical labral margin in females broadly convex, not emarginate medially; with 22 teeth (n =1), all teeth subequal in length ( Fig. 144 ). Adoral labral surface in males smooth, without subapical transverse ridge. Mandible sexually dimorphic; males with single, dorsally directed tooth, with weakly developed preapical spur (cf. Fig. 190 , arrow); females with single, mesially projecting tooth, without spur. Mentum with indistinct basomedian tooth (cf. Figs. 65–66 ; but weakly developed). Prothorax: Pronotum without microsculpture. Medial pronotal sulci anteriorly separate from and terminating posterior to anterior punctures. Distance between medial sulci subequal along entire length. Pronotal basolateral carina present, but only weakly developed. Anterior pronotal puncture (cf. Fig. 70 , ap) indistinct; medial puncture (cf. Fig. 70 , mu) distinct; basal puncture ( Fig. 70 , bu) indistinct. Medial pronotal seta subequidistant from medial and lateral sulci (cf. Figs. 75–76 ). Pronotal hypomeron ( Fig. 24 , hy) shiny, without microsculpture. Prosternum with faintly reticulate microsculpture. Pterothorax: Elytron ( Fig. 23 , e) without micro- sculpture; with 2 macrosetae, not set in punctures; laterally with single ridge (cf. Fig. 24 , ek). Mesothoracic epimeral region ( Fig. 24 , mer) shiny, without microsculpture. Metathoracic pleural region ( Fig. 24 , m) shiny, without microsculpture. Metathoracic pleural ridge present, fully developed; metathoracic pleural groove ( Fig. 24 , gr) incomplete posteriorly, forming elongate oval punctiform impression. Abdomen: Abdominal vestiture short, somewhat appressed, dorsally more or less evenly projecting posteriorly but with middle setae directed posteromedially. Abdominal sternite V of male with small diffuse patch of modified setae near apex. Aedeagus ( Fig. 149 ): “ Type B” (see description on p. 8). Median lobe with apical part delimited ventrally from basal part ( Fig. 149 , arrow). Apical part of median straight-sided, slightly narrower at base, gradually produced concavely to narrowly sharpened point. Apicolateral setae small; apicomedial setae up to 10X longer than apicolateral setae ( Fig. 153 ). Paramere extending to about level of median lobe apex; in lateral view produced apically into lobe; with apical part perpendicular to median lobe (note: shape of parameres in Fig. 149 , dorsal view, is an artifact of KOH clearing); with 2 small and 2 larger setae at apex.

Etymology. The name aorangi is a noun in apposition and is derived from the Aorangi Mountains east of Wellington, where the holotype and paratype were collected.

Distribution. ( Map 5 ). North Island: WA.

Remarks. This species is known only from single male and female specimens. Both have a faint basomedian mental tooth, but besides this difference the species is obviously close to A. orongo . The faint mental tooth is the only external nonsexual character that will separate this species from A. orongo . Males of A. aorangi may be distinguished from all other known species by the secondary abdominal sexual characters and the presence of two oblique, fin-like teeth before the apex of the labrum. The shape of the aedeagal parameres shown in Fig. 149 is an artifact of clearing in KOH; the apices twisted very slightly laterally after clearing.

Figures

Map 5. Geographic distribution of all georeferenced specimens of North Island species in the Agnosthaetus imitator species-group. Triangles = A. imitator; stars = A. aorangi; circles = A. lanceolatus; squares = A. stilbus; X = A. minutus.

Figs. 143–147. Male (left) and female (right) labra of species in the Agnosthaetus imitator species-group, dorsal (anterior margin) view. 143) A. imitator; 144) A. aorangi, female; 145) A. orongo; 146) A. stilbus; 147) A. lanceolatus. Scale bar = 100 mm.

Figs. 148–151. Aedeagi of species in the Agnosthaetus imitator species-group, dorsal (left) and right lateral (right) views. 148) A. imitator; 149) A. aorangi; 150) A. orongo; 151) A. stilbus. Scale bar = 100 mm.

Figs. 152–155. Apex of median lobe of species in the Agnosthaetus imitator species-group, ventral view.

Figs. 57–62. Heads of Agnosthaetus spp., dorsal view. 57) A. vicinus; 58) A. heteromastax; 59) A. nitidus;

Figs. 23–24. Agnosthaetus cariniceps, thorax. 23) Dorsal view; 24) Left lateral view. Scale bars = 100 mm.

Figs. 10–13. Head capsules of Agnosthaetus spp. 10) A. stilbus; 11) A. rodmani; 12) A. brouni; 13) A. chiasma. Scale bars = 100 mm.

Figs. 63–68. Heads of Agnosthaetus spp., ventral view. 63) A. brouni; 64) A. stilbus, oblique view; 65) A. chiasma;

Figs. 189–194. Mandibles of Agnosthaetus spp., dorsal view (189–193, left; 194, right). 189) A. newtoni; 190) A. falx; 191) A. stenomastax; 192) A. heteromastax (Rakeahua Valley); 193) A. heteromastax (Big South Cape Island); 194) A. heteromastax (Twilight Bay). Scale bar = 100 mm.

Figs. 69–74. Pronota of Agnosthaetus spp. 69) A. chiasma; 70) A. rodmani; 71) A. heteromastax; 72) A. stenomastax;

Figs. 75–78. Pronota of Agnosthaetus spp. 75) A. vicinus; 76) A. stilbus; 77) A. nitidus; 78) A. brouni. Scale bar =