Caledonica Chaudoir, 1860

Kudrna, Arnošt, 2016, Revision of the genusCaledonica (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (2), pp. 567-628 : 573-574

Caledonica Chaudoir, 1860

Caledonica Chaudoir, 1860: 312 (original description). CHAUDOIR (1865): 15 (catalogue); FAUVEL (1882): 222 (review incl. key to species); FAUVEL (1903): 21 (review incl. key to species); FLEUTIAUX (1892): 31 (catalogue); FLEUTIAUX (1911): 162 (catalogue); GEMMINGER & HAROLD (1868):32 (catalogue); HORN (1910): 180 (description, catalogue); HORN (1926): 104 (catalogue); HORN (1936): 5 (catalogue); DEUVE (1981): 179 (revision incl. key); DEUVE (2015): 69 (review); WIESNER (1992): 75 (catalogue).

Type species. Caledonica mniszechii ( Thomson, 1856) , designated by HORN (1910).

Diagnosis. Body metallic lustrous, ranging from bronze, cupreous, black, green, olivaceous to blue. Body small, medium-sized or large, varying from 8.30 to 21.00 mm. Labrum in both sexes entirely testaceous or testaceous with darkened lateral margins or apices of teeth. Each mandible with three teeth and basal molar. Lateral margins of pronotum often with elevated notopleural sutures obvious in dorsal view in form of various ribs. Elytra of most of species with longitudinal (discal and sublateral) costae between basodiscal convexity and apical impression. Interspaces between these costae and also along suture notably iridescent or dull depending on angle of illumination. Elytral maculation in all species consists of humeral, median and anteapical maculae. All thoracic portions and ventrites glabrous.

Differential diagnosis. The genus Caledonica differs from other genera present in New Caledonia by following characters: Vata Fauvel, 1903 has labrum distinctly shorter, and entire elytra immaculate (maculate in Caledonica ). Oceanella Rivalier, 1963 resembles Caledonica by similar elytral maculation consisting of humeral, median and anteapical maculae, but can be easily distinguished by much shorter and unidentate labrum with distinct median tooth in both sexes, whereas labrum of Caledonica possesses anterolateral teeth and in female also sharply tridentate median lobe. Manautea Deuve, 2006 differs in smaller size of body, 5.80–7.80 mm, whereas the length of smallest Caledonica specimens is 8.30 mm; proportionally longer legs and elytral maculation with missing or only slightly indicated humeral macula. Myriochila Motschulsky, 1862 differs in shorter labrum and pilose lateral margins of pronotum, which is bare in Caledonica . Caledonica also differs in glabrous thoracic and abdominal ventrites, which are setose in Oceanella and Myriochila . Moreover all above mentioned genera except for Manautea have mandibles with four teeth, instead of three in Caledonica .

The morphological similar genus Distipsidera Westwood, 1837 , occurring in Australia, Solomon Islands and New Guinea, can be distinguished by 6-setose labrum (with additional one seta on each side of middle tooth), while Caledonica has 2-setose or 4-setose labrum (rarely with additional seta). Labrum of Distipsidera also possesses, except for tridentate median lobe and anterolateral teeth, one additional lateral tooth on each side of labrum that is missing in Caledonica . Moreover long labral tridentate median lobe is present in both sexes in Distipsidera , but only in females of Caledonica .

Distribution. Endemic to New Caledonia