Mecyclothorax georgettae Perrault, 1978b: 149; 1989: 60

Liebherr, James K., 2013, The Mecyclothorax beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) of Tahiti, Society Islands, ZooKeys 322, pp. 1-170 : 89-90

70. Mecyclothorax georgettae Perrault, 1978b: 149; 1989: 60

Identification.

Sharing the basally fused elytral striae 1 + 2 and narrow pronotum with Mecyclothorax taatitore , this species can be told by the glossy discal elytral intervals, their surface without any microsculpture, the only microsculpture on the elytra confined to the deepest portions of the narrowly incised striae, where indistinct isodiametric sculpticells occur near the small, elongate strial punctures. The frons, clypeus, and vertex are rufopiceous, with the pronotal disc slightly paler, a dark rufobrunneous. The elytra are contrastedly paler, with a ground color of dark rufoflavous, and a piceous cloud on each elytron that spans elytral intervals 2-4 and centers on the posterior dorsal elytral seta. The elytra are more ovate than in Mecyclothorax taatitore , with broadly rounded lateral margins outside the angulate humeri (Fig. 37C). The frons is covered with mixed isodiametric and transverse-mesh microsculpture that occurs on the flat surfaces between the transverse wrinkles, and the pronotal disc is covered with an indistinct transverse mesh, sculpticell breadth 2 –4× length, the microsculpture visible only outside areas of reflected light. The male aedeagal median lobe is similar to that of Mecyclothorax taatitore in its great breadth and short apex, but in Mecyclothorax georgettae males, the median lobe apex is truncate with an acuminate dorsal tooth ( Perrault 1989; fig. 5). Setal formula 2121; standardized body length 5.0 mm.

Distribution and habitat.

This species’ known distribution is Mont Aorai from 1000-1750 m elevation. Two of the three known specimens were collected in a vinegar pitfall trap, demonstrating that this species shares geophilic habits with its sister, Mecyclothorax taatitore .