Ctenognathus elevatus ( White, 1846 )

Larochelle & Larivière, Marie-Claude, 2021, Synopsis of the tribe Platynini in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Insecta Mundi 2021 (864), pp. 1-96 : 34-35

Ctenognathus elevatus ( White, 1846) , reinstated

Fig. 56 , 99 , 131

Anchomenus elevatus White, 1846: 3 . Holotype: male (BMNH) labeled “Type H.T. (circular red-bordered label; typed) / New Zealand (hand-written) / Anchomenus elevatus Zool. Erebus & Terror (hand-written) / Anchomenus elevatus . White (hand-written).” Erroneously synonymized with Anchomenus novaezelandiae Fairmaire, 1843 by Sharp (1884: 297). Reinstated as full species

Ctenognathus actochares Broun, 1894: 307 . Holotype: male (BMNH) labeled “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed) / 2660 (hand-written) / [WN] Wellington (hand-written) / New Zealand. Broun. Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line; typed) / Ctenognathus actochares (hand-written).” New synonym

Ctenognathus (Anchomenus) actochares: Walker 1904: 76 .

Ctenognathus actochares: Hudson 1923: 356 .

Description. Body length 12.0– 13.2 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen black; antennae, palpi, and legs rufopiceous. Microsculpture very transverse (with microlines) on head and pronotum, isodiametric on elytra. Iridescence present on head and pronotum. Very shiny on head and pronotum, moderately shiny on elytra. Forebody moderately wide in comparison to elytra. Head. Moderately wide. Mandibles moderately long and curved anteriorly. Labrum strongly transverse, slightly emarginate anteriorly. Eyes moderately convex; two setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Tempora moderately inflated (about two-thirds as long as eyes). Neck constriction shallow dorsolaterally. Mentum: medial tooth entire, rounded apically; two setae. Submentum with four setae. Palpi with terminal segment obtuse apically. Thorax. Pronotum slightly convex, obsoletely punctate across base, obsoletely wrinkled on disc and across base, wide, moderately cordate, widest before middle; apex strongly emarginate; anterolateral angles well developed, broadly rounded; anterior bead complete; sides strongly rounded, moderately sinuate posteriorly; lateral beads complete; lateral depressions wide, slightly widened near posterolateral angles; a single setiferous puncture on each side (anteriorly); posterolateral angles rectangular or slightly acute (projected laterally); laterobasal foveae moderately deep and wide, prolonged forward; posterior bead absent; base convex. Legs. Moderately long. Metafemora with three posteroventral setae. Meso- and metatarsomeres 1–4 poorly developed, not carinate dorsally, deeply bisulcate laterally. Metatarsomeres 4 moderately bilobed and asymmetrical apically. Metatarsomeres 5 setose ventrally (with long setae). Elytra. Slightly convex, not sloping down toward apex, oblong, widest about middle. Shoulders slightly rounded. Sides moderately rounded. Scutellar setiferous pore invisible. Scutellar striole short, impunctate. Striae deep, impunctate. Intervals moderately convex; interval 3 with a single very deep, large (foveate) subapical setiferous puncture. Umbilicate series with 19–20 setiferous punctures. Subapical sinuations moderately strong. Apices rounded. Abdomen. Sterna IV–VI: both sexes with two long apical ambulatory setae. Sternum VII (last visible sternum): male with two long apical ambulatory setae; female with nine or ten long apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 99 ): strongly arcuate; base strongly convex and biconcave dorsally, with basal lobe narrow; middle strongly convex dorsally, strongly concave ventrally, with dorsal membranous area moderately wide and moderately long; apex strongly convex dorsally, slightly concave ventrally, with extreme tip narrow and very long. Dorsal view: narrow, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to the left); basal bulb moderately distant from membranous area.

Material examined. 95 specimens ( AMNZ, BMNH, CMNH, JNNZ, MONZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 131 ). North Island: WN.

Ecology. Coastal lowland. Epigean, fossorial. Sand dunes and adjacent scrublands or pine forests. Mostly open ground; dry soil. Nocturnal; hides during the day in burrows at the base of plants ( Muehlenbeckia ), or under stones and logs. Gregarious.

Biology. Seasonality: Throughout the year. Tenerals: October–November. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology). Predators: Spiders. Occasionally infested with mites and fungi (Laboulbeniales).

Dispersal power. Subapterous (incapable of flight). Moderate runner.

Collecting techniques. Examining burrows at the base of Muehlenbeckia plants; turning stones and logs.

References. Larochelle and Larivière 2001: 133, 135 (as junior synonym of Ctenognathus novaezelandiae , as C. actochares ; catalogue; biology, dispersal power, ecology, geographic distribution, references), 2007: 111 (as C. actochares ; list); 2016: 36 (as C. actochares ; list).

Remarks. Anchomenus elevatus was erroneously synonymized with Ctenognathus novaezelandiae by Sharp (1884). However, the holotype was seen and there is no ambiguity regarding the identity of this taxon which is here resurrected from synonymy. In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, C. elevatus has the following distinguishing features: tempora moderately inflated (about two-thirds as long as eyes); pronotum moderately sinuate posteriorly, sides strongly rounded, posterolateral angles slightly acute, base convex, posterior bead absent; elytral apices rounded. The two species are allopatric: C. elevatus is restricted to southern areas of the North Island (WN), while C. novaezelandiae occurs in more northern areas of the North Island (ND to TK–HB). Examination of the type of Ctenognathus actochares Broun , revealed it to be conspecific with Ctenognathus elevatus . Anchomenus elevatus Bates, 1874 is a nomen nudum ( Larochelle and Larivière 2001: 135, 178).

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 130–135. Species distribution maps. 130) Ctenognathus edwardsii. 131) C. elevatus. 132) C. garnerae new species. 133) C. helmsi. 134) C. hoarei new species. 135) C. intermedius.