Tuiplatynus libitus ( Broun, 1914 ) Larochelle & Larivière, 2021

Larochelle & Larivière, Marie-Claude, 2021, Synopsis of the tribe Platynini in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Insecta Mundi 2021 (864), pp. 1-96 : 28-29

Tuiplatynus libitus ( Broun, 1914) , new combination

Fig. 54 , 97 , 165

Anchomenus libitus Broun, 1914: 84 . Holotype: male (BMNH) labeled “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed) / 3391. [male symbol] (hand-written) / New Zeal. Broun. Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482 (white label with red horizontal line; typed) / Hakapoua. Southland. March 1911. (hand-written) / Anchomenus libitus . [male symbol] (hand-written).”

Ctenognathus libitus: Larochelle and Larivière 2007: 81 , 111.

Description. Body length 11.4–12.3 mm. Head, pronotum, and elytra mostly piceous black; lateral margins of pronotum and elytra reddish; abdomen piceous black; antennae and palpi dark rufous; femora dark yellow; tibiae and tarsi reddish. Microsculpture isodiametric on head, moderately transverse on pronotum, and isodiametric on elytra. Iridescence absent. Very shiny. Head. Mandibles moderately curved anteriorly. Labrum strongly transverse, strongly emarginate anteriorly. Mentum: medial tooth strongly emarginate apically; twelve to eighteen setae. Palpi with terminal segment obtuse apically. Thorax. Pronotum moderately convex, impunctate, obsoletely wrinkled on disc, narrow, moderately cordate; apex slightly emarginate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, rounded; anterior bead complete; sides strongly rounded, moderately sinuate; lateral beads complete; lateral depressions narrow anteriorly, widened posteriorly; posterolateral angles obtuse; laterobasal foveae very deep, moderately wide, prolonged forward; posterior bead complete; base emarginate. Elytra. Moderately convex, not sloping down toward apex. Shoulders moderately rounded. Sides moderately rounded. Scutellar striole impunctate. Striae shallow, impunctate. Intervals subdepressed; interval 3 with three shallow, minute setiferous punctures. Umbilicate series with 16–17 setiferous punctures. Subapical sinuations feeble. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 97 ): strongly arcuate, slender; base strongly convex dorsally, with basal lobe very wide; middle strongly convex dorsally then moderately concave before apex, strongly concave ventrally, with dorsal membranous area much wider in apical half and moderately long; apex moderately convex dorsally, slightly concave ventrally, with extreme tip subtriangular, moderately wide and short. Dorsal view: moderately wide, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to the left); basal bulb moderately distant from membranous area.

Material examined. 143 specimens ( AMNZ, BMNH, JNNZ, LUNZ, MNHN, MONZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 165 ). South Island: FD, OL. Stewart Island.

Ecology. Lowland. Epigean, arboreal. Wet forests (beech, podocarp, broadleaf). Shaded ground; wet soil. Nocturnal; hides during the day under logs and stones; active at night on tree trunks. Gregarious.

Biology. Seasonality: October–March, May. Tenerals: February–March. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology). Occasionally infested with fungi (Laboulbeniales).

Dispersal power. Subapterous (incapable of flight). Moderate runner. Frequent climber (on trees).

Collecting techniques. Examining tree trunks at night; pitfall trapping; turning logs and stones.

References. Larochelle and Larivière 2001: 131 (as “ Anchomenus ” libitus ; catalogue; biology, dispersal power, ecology, geographic distribution, references), 2007: 81, 111 (as Ctenognathus libitus ; list), 2016: 37 (as C. libitus ; list).

Figures

Figures 53–56. Dorsal habitus. 53) Tuiplatynus sophronitis, teneral. 54) T. libitus, teneral. 55) Ctenognathus novaezelandiae. 56) C. elevatus. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 94–100. Aedeagus, lateral. 94) Kupeplatynus crenatus. 95) K. lucifugus. 96) Tuiplatynus sophronitis. 97) T. libitus. 98) Ctenognathus novaezelandiae. 99) C. elevatus. 100) C. garnerae new species.

Figures 165–166. Species distribution maps. 165) Tuiplatynus libitus. 166) T. sophronitis.