Bembidion (Zeplataphus) townsendi Lindroth, 1976

Larochelle, André, Zeperyphodes, Broun & Larivière, Marie-Claude, 2015, Synopsis of the genus Bembidion Latreille in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Bembidiini), Insecta Mundi 2015 (415), pp. 1-78 : 25

Bembidion (Zeplataphus) townsendi Lindroth, 1976

Fig. 14 , 102

Bembidion (Zeplataphus) townsendi Lindroth, 1976: 176 . Type locality: Limestone Creek, Teal Valley, near Nelson, NN.

Description. Body length 3.8 mm. Black; antennae and legs rufous (antennal segments 3–11 and femora slightly infuscated). Microsculpture of elytra in female, very strong, regularly isodiametric. Very shiny, with slight metallic lustre (aeneous). Thorax. Pronotum moderately convex; thin raised lateral bead complete, well developed near posterolateral angles; sides moderately rounded anteriorly, slightly sinuate posteriorly; posterolateral angles rectangular, obtuse at tip; laterobasal foveae shallow, obsolete, not reaching basal margin. Elytra. Slightly convex, elongate. Scutellar striole consisting of a row of punctures. Striae 2–6 complete, deep, coarsely punctate; stria 7 strong, incomplete, coarsely punctate. Intervals slightly convex; interval 3 with three discal setiferous punctures. Apical striole deep, connected to stria 5. Sutural apices angulate. Abdomen. Last visible sternum (sternum VII) of female with numerous short setae in addition to four long ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Male unknown.

Material examined. 1 specimen ( NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 102 ). South Island: NN –Teal Valley, Limestone Creek.

Ecology. Lowland. Habitat unknown; probably riparian.

Biology. Seasonality: January.

Dispersal power. Macropterous, probably capable of flight. Moderate runner. Vagility likely favoured by flight capacity.

Reference. Larochelle and Larivière 2001: 85 (catalogue; biology, dispersal power, ecology, geographic distribution, references).

Remarks. The authors have made abundant collections of Bembidion species in Teal Valley (NN) and neighbouring areas but could not secure new specimens of B. townsendi which is only known from the female holotype. In Teal Valley, Bembidion (Zemetallina) parviceps and B. (Zeplataphus) tairuense – a rather small species morphologically close to and belonging to the same subgenus as B. townsendi – were both abundant in the field. Two aberrant specimens of B. (Zemetallina) parviceps were found; they were small in size like B. townsendi and possessed the Zeplataphus character of the elytral interval 5 with two setiferous punctures. The authors suspect that the female holotype of B. townsendi may represent an aberrant form of B. parviceps or a hybrid specimen between B. parviceps and B. tairuense .

Figures

Figures 13–16. Dorsal habitus. 13) Bembidion granuliferum. 14) B. townsendi. 15) B. maorinum maorinum. 16) B. m. levatum. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 101–106. Species distribution maps. 101) Bembidion tillyardi. 102) B. townsendi. 103) B. urewerense. 104) B. waiho new species. 105) B. waimarama new species. 106) B. wanakense.