Prosphodrus sirvidi Larochelle and Larivière, 2021

Larochelle & Larivière, Marie-Claude, 2021, Synopsis of the tribe Platynini in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Insecta Mundi 2021 (864), pp. 1-96 : 15-16

Prosphodrus sirvidi Larochelle and Larivière , new species

Fig. 44 , 87 , 162

Prosphodrus sirvidi Larochelle and Larivière , new species. Holotype: male (NZAC) labeled “[ NEW ZEALAND WN] Wellington (typed) Akatarawa Range 1300’ 11.5.73 (hand-written) J.I. Townsend (typed) / J.I. Townsend Collection (typed) / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Prosphodrus sirvidi Larochelle & Larivière, 2021 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: two females (CMNZ, NZAC) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description. Body length 14.0– 16.1 mm. Head, pronotum, and elytra dark brown; abdomen dark rufous; antennae, palpi, and legs reddish. Microsculpture isodiametric on head, moderately transverse on pronotum, and isodiametric on elytra. Moderately shiny, with metallic luster (bronze). Head. Mandibles strongly curved anteriorly. Labrum moderately transverse, slightly to moderately emarginate anteriorly. Antennae very long. Eyes small, strongly convex. Tempora moderately inflated and long (about half as long as eyes). Mentum with two setae. Submentum with six setae. Palpi with terminal segment truncate apically. Thorax. Pronotum feebly convex, impunctate, deeply wrinkled throughout, narrow (wide in other species), subcordate, widest before middle; apex subtruncate; anterolateral angles well developed, subangulate; anterior bead incomplete, present only around anterolateral angles; sides angulate anteriorly, moderately sinuate posteriorly; lateral beads complete, widened basally; lateral depressions absent anteriorly, wide posteriorly; posterolateral angles rectangular; laterobasal foveae moderately deep and wide, elongate (reaching anterolateral setiferous punctures), prolonged forward; posterior bead obsolete; base emarginate. Legs. Very long. Protibiae with dorsal longitudinal groove obsolete. Elytra. Subdepressed, sloping down toward apex, subovate, widest behind middle. Basal margin incomplete, reaching about stria 3. Shoulders angulate. Sides slightly rounded. Scutellar striole short or moderately long, impunctate. Striae deep, finely punctate. Intervals depressed; interval 3 with or without a single obsolete setiferous puncture. Umbilicate series with 17–18 setiferous punctures. Subapical sinuations feeble. Apices broadly rounded. Abdomen. Sternum VII (last visible sternum): male with two long apical ambulatory setae; female with four long apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 87 ): strongly arcuate, transversely wrinkled in apical third; base slightly convex dorsally, with basal lobe very wide; middle strongly convex, slightly concave toward apex dorsally, strongly concave ventrally, without visible dorsal membranous area; apex subtriangular, slightly concave dorsally and ventrally, with extreme tip narrow and very long. Dorsal view: narrow, symmetrical (ostium of membranous area dorsal).

Material examined. 42 specimens ( CMNZ, JNNZ, MONZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 162 ). North Island: HB, RI, WA, WI, WN.

Ecology. Lowland, montane. Fossorial, amphibious. Margins of rills (about 1 m wide) and seepages crossing dense wet forests (beech, broadleaf, podocarp); caves (occasionally). Associated with gullies and ravines. Shaded ground; wet clay soil. Nocturnal; hides during the day under embedded stones. Gregarious.

Biology. Seasonality: September, November, February–May, August. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology). Defense mechanism: when alarmed, the adult escapes by running and diving into the water.

Dispersal power. Subapterous (incapable of flight). Swift runner. Excellent swimmer.

Collecting technique. Turning embedded stones.

Remarks. The species is named after our friend and colleague Phil Sirvid (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington) for his special help and encouragement in our entomological studies. In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, Prosphodrus sirvidi has the following distinguishing features: antennae, palpi, and legs reddish; pronotum subcordate and narrow, sides moderately sinuate posteriorly, anterolateral angles subangulate. Prosphodrus sirvidi occurs in southern areas of the North Island (RI–HB to WN–WA), mostly in the Wellington and Wairarapa regions.

Figures

Figures 41–44. Dorsal habitus. 41) Notagonum submetallicum. 42) Prosphodrus mangamuka new species. 43) P. waltoni. 44) P. sirvidi new species. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 87–93. Aedeagus, lateral. 87) Prosphodrus sirvidi new species.88) P.waimana new species.89) P. occultus. 90) Maoriplatynus marrisi new species. 91) Kiwiplatynus bidens. 92) K. taranaki new species. 93) Kupeplatynus sulcitarsis.

Figures 160–164. Species distribution maps. 160) Prosphodrus mangamuka new species. 161) P. occultus. 162) P. sirvidi new species. 163) P. waimana new species. 164) P. waltoni.