Maungazolus pygmeatus ( Broun, 1907 ) Larochelle & Larivière & Larochelle & Larivière, 2017

Larochelle, Larivière, Marie-Claude, Larochelle & Larivière, 2017, Synopsis of the tribe Zolini in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Insecta Mundi 2017 (594), pp. 1-110 : 62-63

Maungazolus pygmeatus ( Broun, 1907) , new combination

Fig. 58 , 104 , 116

Oöpterus pygmeatus Broun, 1907: 57 . Holotype: male (BMNH) labeled: “Type (circular red–bordered label; typed) / 2618. [male symbol] (hand-written) / New Zeal. Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line; typed) / [CO] Obelisk Pk. [= Peak] Carrick Range (hand-written) / Oöpterus pygmeatus . (hand-written).”

Oöpterus basalis Broun, 1915: 274 . Holotype: male (BMNH) labeled: “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed) / 3684. (hand-written) / [OL] Lomond [= Ben Lomond]. Dec. 1912. (hand-written) / New Zealand. Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line; typed) / Oöpterus basalis . [male symbol] (hand-written).” New synonym

Oöpterus minor Broun, 1917: 364 . Holotype: male (BMNH) labeled: “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed) / 3805. [male symbol]. (hand-written) / New Zealand. Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line; typed) / [OL] Mount Dick. 10.3.1914 (hand-written) / Oöpterus minor . [male symbol] (hand-written).” New synonym

Pseudoopterus pygmeatus: Csiki 1928: 225 .

Pseudoopterus basalis: Csiki 1928: 225 .

Pseudoopterus minor: Csiki 1928: 225 .

Oopterus pygmeatus: Hudson 1934: 38 , 177.

Oopterus basalis: Hudson 1934: 177 .

Oopterus minor: Hudson 1934: 177 .

Description. Body length 3.0– 4.2 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly piceous black; extreme apex of elytra reddish; abdomen reddish laterally and apically; antennae, palpi, and legs reddish; antennal segments 1+2 and femora pale yellow, femora slightly contrasting with tibiae. Microsculpture obsolete on head, absent on pronotum and elytra. Iridescence absent. Very shiny, without metallic luster. Head. Labrum strongly transverse, slightly emarginate anteriorly. Antennae submoniliform, short: segment 1 (scape) short, stout, about 1.5x 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 half as long as eyes). Mentum: medial tooth entire, acute apically, moderately shorter than lateral lobes. Paraglossae membranous, prominent, slightly longer than ligula. Thorax. Pronotum moderately or strongly convex, usually coarsely punctate (rarely finely punctate) across base, wrinkled discally, moderately transverse and cordate, widest before middle; apex subtruncate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, rounded; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides strongly rounded, not sinuate posteriorly; lateral grooves absent; two setiferous punctures on each side; posterolateral angles subrectangular; posterolateral carinae absent; laterobasal foveae well defined, usually coarsely punctate (rarely finely punctate or impunctate), very deep, moderately wide, rounded or oblong, not prolonged forward, simple; posterior bead absent; sub-basal transverse impression deep, coarsely punctate (with 8 to 10 punctures); basal transverse impression deep, coarsely punctate (with 8 to 10 punctures); base emarginate, much narrower than pronotal apex, about as wide as elytral base. Legs. Short. Elytra. Strongly convex, subovate, widest about middle. Basal margin complete, reaching about scutellum. Shoulders rounded or obtuse. Sides strongly rounded. Scutellar striole obsolete. Stria 1 complete; striae 2–7 incomplete; striae 1–4 shallow, finely punctate; striae 5–7 obsolete; stria 3 with four setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, sharp, directed apically toward stria 5. Subapical seta absent (present in other Maungazolus species ). Intervals depressed. Sutural apices obtuse. Abdomen. Last visible sternum (sternum VII): male with two apical ambulatory setae; female with four apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 104 ): moderately arcuate, very strongly widened in apical half; base strongly biconvex dorsally; middle moderately concave dorsally, strongly convex ventrally, with dorsal membranous area very wide and long; apex subtriangular, unusually short, moderately convex dorsally, very concave ventrally, with extreme tip wide, unusually short and turned downward. Dorsal view: very narrow, almost thin, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to right); apex straight; basal orifice narrow, very close to membranous area. Parameres with three or four apical setae.

Material examined. 141 specimens ( AMNZ, BMNH, JNNZ, LUNZ, MONZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 116 ). South Island: BR, CO, FD, MC, MK, OL, SL, WD.

Ecology. Subalpine, alpine. Epigean. Mostly alpine fellfields and herbfields; also subalpine shrublands. Open or shaded ground. Nocturnal; active at night on moss; hides during the day under stones, in leaf litter and moss. Gregarious.

Biology. Seasonality: October–November, January–March, May. Tenerals: October (SL), January (FD, WD). Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology). Occasionally infested with fungi (Laboulbeniales).

Dispersal power. Subapterous (incapable of flight). Slow runner. Occasional climber on moss.

Collecting techniques. Lifting stones; sifting leaf litter and moss.

References. Larochelle and Larivière 2001: 73, 75–77 (as Oopterus pygmeatus , O. basalis , O. minor ; catalogue; biology, dispersal power, ecology, geographic distribution, references), 2016: 20–21 (as Oopterus pygmeatus , O. basalis , O. minor ; list).

Remarks. Examination of the types of Oopterus basalis and O. minor revealed them to be conspecific with M. pygmeatus . This is the most widespread and most variable of all Maungazolus species (color; microsculpture of head; convexity; posterolateral angles and laterobasal foveae of pronotum; basal margin and shoulders of elytra). In addition, M. pygmeatus is the only Maungazolus species lacking the elytral subapical seta.

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 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.