Cerabilia (Cerabilia) willi Larochelle and Larivière, 2024

Larochelle, Andre & Larivière, Marie-Claude, 2024, Synopsis of the genus Cerabilia Laporte de Castelnau in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Abacetini), Insecta Mundi 2024 (36), pp. 1-31 : 10-11

Cerabilia (Cerabilia) willi Larochelle and Larivière , new species

Fig. 11 , 25 , 32 , 54

Cerabilia (Cerabilia) willi Larochelle and Larivière , new species. Holotype: male (NZAC) labeled “ NEW ZEALAND WN Tararua Ra [= Range] Kaitohe [= Kaitoke] Waterworks Rd [= Road] end 400m 25.X.1994 Larivière , Larochelle (typed) / Broadleaf-rimu forest: Under stones (typed) / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Cerabilia (Cerabilia) willi Larochelle & Larivière, 2024 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: two females (NZAC) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description. Body length 7.9–8.4 mm; slender. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen piceous black; antennae and palpi rufotestaceous; femora rufopiceous; tibiae and tarsi rufotestaceous. Microsculpture strong, isodiametric on head, moderately transverse on pronotum, and very transverse (with microlines) on elytra. Iridescence present on pronotum and elytra. Shiny on head, pronotum, and elytra. Head. Eyes small, slightly convex. Tempora moderately inflated (about two-thirds as long as eyes). Frons smooth (without oblique strioles). Mentum with median tooth subtriangular apically. Palpi with terminal segment truncate apically. Thorax. Pronotum moderately convex, unwrinkled, subquadrate, moderately wide compared to elytra, widest before middle; apex slightly emarginate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, obtuse; sides moderately rounded anteriorly, moderately sinuate posteriorly; lateral beads mostly narrow, strongly widened near posterolateral angles; two setiferous punctures on each side (anteriorly and posteriorly), each anterior setiferous puncture close to lateral bead, distant by about one puncture width; median line incomplete apically and basally; posterolateral angles rectangular; laterobasal foveae single, deep, parallel; posterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; base moderately emarginate, about as wide as apex. Tip of scutellum slightly projected behind elytral base. Prosternum wrinkled anteriorly. Elytra. Oblong, widest about middle, strongly convex. Basal margin strongly arcuate, complete, reaching scutellum. Shoulder tooth well developed, acute. Sides moderately rounded. Scutellar setiferous pore present, inserted at base of stria 2. Striae deep (deeper apically), complete basally. Intervals depressed, becoming convex apically; interval 3 without setiferous puncture. Umbilicate series with 14 setiferous punctures separated into two major groups (6+7), with 1 seta in between. Subapical sinuations feeble. Apices obtusely rounded. Abdomen. Sternum VII of male without dense coarse punctures medially. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 11 ): strongly arcuate, moderately wide; base rather straight dorsally, with basal bead; middle strongly convex dorsally, strongly concave ventrally; apex rather straight dorsally, slightly concave ventrally, with extreme tip narrow, very long, strongly curved downward. Dorsal view ( Fig. 25 ): apex very wide, hooked on both sides, not deflected to the left.

Material examined. 58 specimens ( NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 54). North Island: RI, WA, WN (mostly). South Island: MB, SD.

Ecology. Lowland, montane. Epigean, silvicolous, hygrophilous. Wet forests (mostly beech; broadleaf). Shaded ground. Nocturnal; active on mossy tree trunks at night; hides during the day under stones and logs.

Biology. Seasonality: September–March, May. Tenerals: September, February, April. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology). Occasionally infested with fungi (Laboulbeniales).

Dispersal power. Subapterous. Moderate runner. Occasional climber.

Collecting techniques. Turning stones and logs; pitfall trapping; examining mossy tree trunks at night.

Remarks. This species is named after Kipling W. Will (University of California, Berkeley) for his revision of the genus Cerabilia in Australia and New Caledonia. In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, C. willi has the following distinguishing features: elytra with a scutellar pore present at base of stria 2; tempora moderately inflated; pronotum with anterolateral angles poorly developed, laterobasal foveae deep. Cerabilia willi is found in southern areas of the North Island (RI, WA, WN) and northeastern areas of the South Island (MB, SD).

Figures

Figures 1–13. Illustrations of Cerabilia morphology. 1–4) Microsculpture. 1) Granulate. 2) Isodiametric. 3) Moderately transverse. 4) Very transverse. 5) Head: frons with oblique strioles (os). 6–7) Tip of scutellum. 6) Slightly projected behind elytral base.7) Strongly projected. 8–13) Aedeagus, lateral.8) Cerabilia takaka new species. 9) C. kaihoka new species. 10) C. maori. 11) C. willi new species. 12) C. major. 13) C. motunau new species (apical half).

Figures 14–27.Aedeagus, lateral. 14) Cerabilia rugosa new species. 15) C. laevis new species. 16) C. rufipes. 17) C. aphela. 18) C. striatula. 19) C. oblonga. Aedeagus, dorsal view of apex.20) C.kaihoka new species.21) C. laevisnew species. 22) C. takaka new species. 23) C. rufipes. 24) C. aphela. 25) C. willi new species. 26) C. maori. 27) C. cordata new species.

Figures 32–35. Dorsal habitus. 32) Cerabilia willi new species. 33) C. major. 34) C. motunau new species (holotype). 35) C. rugosa new species. Scale line = 1 mm.