Pseudoopterus latipennis ( Broun, 1903 )

Larochelle, Larivière, Marie-Claude, Larochelle & Larivière, 2017, Synopsis of the tribe Zolini in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Insecta Mundi 2017 (594), pp. 1-110 : 58-61

Pseudoopterus latipennis ( Broun, 1903) , reinstated

Fig. 56 , 102 , 150

Oöpterus latipennis Broun, 1903: 609 . Holotype: male (BMNH) labeled: “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed) / 2615. (hand-written) / [NN] Westport. (hand-written) / New Zealand. Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line; typed) / Oöpterus latipennis (hand-written).”

Oöpterus probus Broun, 1903: 610 . Holotype: male (BMNH) labeled: “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed) / 2616. [male symbol] (hand-written) / New Zealand. Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line; typed) / [NN] Westport. 1902. (hand-written) / Oöpterus probus . [male symbol] (hand-written).” New synonym

Oöpterus latifossus Broun, 1917: 365 . Holotype: male (BMNH) labeled: “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed) / 3806. [male symbol] (hand-written) / New Zeal. Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line; typed) / [MC] Moa Basin[s] 20.10.1913. (hand-written) / Oöpterus latifossus . [male symbol] (hand-written).” New synonym

Pseudoopterus latipennis: Csiki 1928: 225 . Combination reinstated

Pseudoopterus probus: Csiki 1928: 225 .

Pseudoopterus latifossus: Csiki 1928: 225 .

Oopterus latipennis: Hudson 1934: 177 .

Oopterus probus: Hudson 1934: 177 .

Oopterus latifossus: Hudson 1934: 177 .

Description. Body length 4.5–5.5 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly piceous black; apex and base of head reddish; base of pronotum reddish; lateral margins and suture of elytra reddish; apex of elytra with two large reddish apical spots; abdomen yellow laterally and apically; antennae, palpi, and legs testaceous; base of femora reddish. Microsculpture absent on head and pronotum, strong and very transverse (with microlines) on entire elytra. Iridescence absent on head and pronotum, very strong on elytra. Very shiny, without metallic luster. Head. Labrum strongly transverse, slightly emarginate anteriorly. Antennae submoniliform, moderately long: segment 1 (scape) moderately long, about 2x longer than its maximum width. Frontal furrows wide, deep, convergent. Eyes slightly convex; two setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Tempora moderately inflated (about two-thirds as long as eyes). Mentum: medial tooth bifid, moderately shorter than lateral lobes. Paraglossae membranous, prominent, slightly longer than ligula. Thorax. Pronotum moderately convex, coarsely punctate across base, wrinkled discally, strongly transverse and cordate, widest before middle; apex emarginate; anterolateral angles well developed, rounded; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides strongly rounded, strongly sinuate posteriorly; lateral grooves moderately deep, very long (as long as pronotum); two setiferous punctures on each side; posterolateral angles acute, projected laterally; posterolateral carinae blunt, very long (about as long as adjoining foveae); laterobasal foveae well defined, coarsely punctate, very deep and wide, oblong, prolonged forward, simple; posterior bead absent; base emarginate, much narrower than pronotal apex and elytral base. Legs. Moderately long. Elytra. Moderately convex, subovate, widest about middle. Shoulders moderately rounded. Sides strongly rounded. Scutellar striole absent. Striae shallow, finely punctate; stria 1 complete; striae 2–7 incomplete; stria 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, sharp, directed apically toward stria 7. Intervals subdepressed. Sutural apices obtusely rounded. Abdomen. Last visible sternum (sternum VII): male with two apical ambulatory setae; female with four apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 102 ): moderately arcuate, slightly widened in apical half; base moderately convex dorsally; middle angulate anteriorly and slightly convex dorsally, moderately concave ventrally, with dorsal membranous area moderately wide, very long; apex subtriangular, almost straight dorsally, straight ventrally, with extreme tip wide and long. Dorsal view: moderately wide, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to right); apex straight; basal orifice wide, open anteriorly, moderately distant from membranous area. Parameres with three or four apical setae.

Material examined. 82 specimens ( AMNZ, BMNH, CMNZ, JNNZ, LUNZ, MONZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 150 ). South Island: BR, CO, MC, NN, OL, WD.

Ecology. Lowland, montane, subalpine, alpine. Epigean-arboreal. Forests (beech, podocarp, broadleaf) and scrublands, along streams and seepages; herbfields. Shaded or open ground. Nocturnal; active at night on moss and trees; hides during the day under stones and in moss. Gregarious.

Biology. Seasonality: October–March, May. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

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

Collecting techniques. Lifting stones; sifting moss.

References. Larochelle and Larivière 2001: 74–76 (as Oopterus latipennis , O. latifossus , O. probus ; catalogue; biology, dispersal power, ecology, geographic distribution, references), 2016: 20–21 (as Oopterus latipennis , O. latifossus , O. probus ; list).

Remark. Examination of the types of Oopterus probus and O. latifossus revealed them to be conspecific with Pseudoopterus latipennis .

Pseudoopterus fi ordlandensis new species

Fig. 57 , 103 , 149

Holotype: male ( NZAC) labeled: “ NEW ZEALAND FD Takahe Valley Murchison Mts [= Mountains] 11 Dec 1972 A.C. Eyles (typed) / Litter (typed) 72/271 (hand-written) / JOHN NUNN (typed) / [male symbol] / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Pseudoopterus fiordlandensis Larochelle & Larivière, 2017 (red label; typed).” Paratype: one female (NZAC) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing a blue paratype label.

Description. Body length 5.3–5.7 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly piceous black; base of pronotum reddish; lateral margins and suture of elytra reddish; extreme apex of elytra with two small reddish apical spots; abdomen yellow laterally and apically; antennae, palpi, and legs reddish; femora pale yellow. Microsculpture absent on head, pronotum, and in basal half of elytra, feeble and very transverse (with microlines) in apical half of elytra. Iridescence absent on head, pronotum, and in basal half of elytra, feeble in apical half of elytra. Very shiny, without metallic luster. Head. Labrum strongly transverse, slightly emarginate anteriorly. Antennae submoniliform, moderately long: segment 1 (scape) moderately long, about 2x longer than its maximum width. Frontal furrows wide, deep, convergent. Eyes slightly convex; two setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Tempora moderately inflated (about as long as two-thirds of eyes). Mentum: medial tooth bifid, moderately shorter than lateral lobes. Paraglossae membranous, prominent, slightly longer than ligula. Thorax. Pronotum moderately convex, coarsely punctate across base, wrinkled discally, strongly transverse, moderately cordate, widest before middle; apex emarginate; anterolateral angles well developed, rounded; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides strongly rounded, slightly sinuate posteriorly; lateral grooves absent; two setiferous punctures on each side; posterolateral angles rectangular; posterolateral carinae absent; laterobasal foveae well defined, coarsely punctate, very deep and wide, oblong, prolonged forward, simple; posterior bead absent; base emarginate, much narrower than pronotal apex and elytral base. Legs. Moderately long. Elytra. Strongly convex, subovate, widest about middle. Shoulders moderately rounded. Sides strongly rounded. Scutellar striole present. Striae shallow, finely punctate; striae 1–7 complete; stria 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, sharp, directed apically toward stria 7. Intervals depressed. Sutural apices acute. Abdomen. Last visible sternum (sternum VII): male with two apical ambulatory setae; female with four apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 103 ): moderately arcuate, slightly widened in apical half; base moderately convex dorsally; middle moderately convex dorsally, strongly concave ventrally, with dorsal membranous area moderately wide and long; apex subtriangular, slightly convex dorsally, straight ventrally, with extreme tip wide and long. Dorsal view: moderately wide, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to right); apex straight; basal orifice wide, open anteriorly, moderately distant from membranous area. Parameres not seen (lost during dissection).

Material examined. 4 specimens ( JNNZ, LUNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 149 ). South Island: FD –Fiordland National Park (Murchison Mountains; Murchison Mountains, Takahe Valley).

Ecology. Montane. Epigean. Forests (beech). Shaded ground. Nocturnal; hides during the day in leaf litter.

Biology. Seasonality: December. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

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

Collecting techniques. Sifting leaf litter; pitfall trapping.

Remarks. The name of this species is based on the geographic region of Fiordland where the beetle occurs, and the Latin suffix - ensis, denoting a place, locality, or country. Pseudoopterus fiordlandensis is morphologically close to P. latipennis . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, P. fiordlandensis has the following distinguishing features: pronotum lacking lateral grooves and posterolateral carinae, posterolateral angles rectangular; elytra strongly convex, microsculpture present in apical half only, striae 1–7 complete, extreme apex with two small reddish spots. The two species are allopatric: P. fiordlandensis is known only from the Fiordland region (South Island), while P. latipennis occurs both in western and southern areas of the South Island (NN to OL–CO).

Genus Maungazolus , new

Fig. 58–65 , 104–110 , 112–119

Type species. Oopterus pallidipes Broun, 1893 , by present designation.

Description. Body length 2.8–4.4 mm; not ovate, narrowed around bases of pronotum and elytra. Color dark or pale. Metallic luster absent (present in M. septempunctatus ). Dorsal surface mostly glabrous. Head. Moderately wide. Mandibles moderately long. Labrum slightly emarginate anteriorly. Eyes convex; two setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Antennae submoniliform. Tempora inflated or not. Mentum tooth entire (acute, rounded, truncate, or slightly emarginate apically). Ligula with four setae (two medial setae fused, two lateral setae free). Thorax. Pronotum cordate; lateral grooves absent (present in M. septempunctatus ); two setiferous punctures on each side; posterolateral carinae absent or obsolete; base narrower than apex. Scutellum visible, inserted entirely between elytral bases. Legs. Short (moderately long in M. priestleyensis ). Segments 1+2 of male protarsi with a single row of ventral scales. Elytra. Ovate or subovate. Basal margin incomplete (reaching about stria 3 or stria 4) or complete (reaching about scutellum). Shoulders poorly or well developed, rounded or obtuse. Scutellar setiferous pore present, inserted at junction of striae 1+2. Scutellar striole present or absent. Striae complete or incomplete, consisting of lines (replaced by rows of coarse punctures in M. parvulus ); three discal setiferous punctures in stria or row 3 (four punctures in M. pygmeatus ; seven punctures in M. septempunctatus ); recurrent stria directed apically toward stria or row 5. Subapical seta present (absent in M. pygmeatus ). Apical seta present. Sutural apices obtuse or rounded. Abdomen. Last visible sternum (sternum VII): male with two apical ambulatory setae (with two additional medial ambulatory setae in M. septempunctatus ); female with four apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view: dorsal membranous area very wide (moderately wide or narrow in other zoline genera). Dorsal view ( Fig. 17 ): very narrow (wide in other zoline genera, rarely moderately narrow in Oopterus (part)); basal orifice narrow, open anteriorly, very close to membranous area (distant from membranous area in other zoline genera, rarely moderately close); lateral lobes of basal bulb moderately distant. Parameres with two to five apical setae. Right paramere curved, very long, narrow, untwisted medially.

Remarks. The generic name is derived from the Maori noun maunga, mountain and Zolus , the type genus of the tribe Zolini . The morphological characters unifying species of Maungazolus are: mentum tooth entire (not bifid); segments 1+2 of male protarsi with a single row of ventral scales; aedeagus with the dorsal membranous area very wide and very close to the basal bulb. The new genus includes five newly described species as well as three species previously described in Oopterus .

Figures

Figures 55–58. Dorsal habitus. 55) Pseudoopterus plicaticollis. 56) P. latipennis. 57) P. fiordlandensis new species. 58) Maungazolus pygmeatus. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 98–105. Aedeagi, lateral. 98) Oopterus nunni new species. 99) Synteratus ovalis. 100) Pseudoopterus otiraensis new species. 101) P. plicaticollis. 102) P. latipennis. 103) P. fiordlandensis new species. 104) Maungazolus pygmeatus. 105) M. septempunctatus new species.

Figures 148–153. Species distribution maps. 148) Oopterus trechoides new species. 149) Pseudoopterus fiordlandensis new species. 150) P. latipennis. 151) P. otiraensis new species. 152) P. plicaticollis. 153) Synteratus ovalis.

Figures 112–117. Species distribution maps. 112) Maungazolus acutus new species. 113) M. pallidipes. 114) M. parvulus. 115) M. priestleyensis new species. 116) M. pygmeatus. 117) M. ranatungae new species.

Figures 118–123. Species distribution maps. 118) Maungazolus septempunctatus new species. 119) M. tararuaensis new species. 120) Oopterus anglemensis new species. 121) O. arthurensis new species. 122) O. clivinoides. 123) O. collaris.

Figures 1–18. Microsculpture: 1) isodiametric; 2) moderately transverse; 3) very transverse. Ligula: 4) with two fused setae; 5) four setae (medial setae fused); 6) six setae (medial setae fused). Mentum tooth: 7) entire, acute; 8) entire, rounded; 9) entire, truncate; 10) bifid. Elytral apex: 11) subapical seta present; 12) subapical seta absent. Right paramere: 13) straight, twisted medially; 14) curved, untwisted. Aedeagus, dorsal: 15) basal orifice closed anteriorly; 16–18) basal orifice open anteriorly.