Tuiplatynus Larochelle and Larivière, 2021

Larochelle & Larivière, Marie-Claude, 2021, Synopsis of the tribe Platynini in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Insecta Mundi 2021 (864), pp. 1-96 : 26-27

Genus Tuiplatynus Larochelle and Larivière , new genus

Fig. 53–54 , 96–97 , 165–166

Type species. Anchomenus sophronitis Broun, 1908 , by present designation.

Description. Body length 10.0– 12.3 mm. Color mostly dark. Metallic luster absent. Dorsal surface mostly glabrous. Forebody narrow in comparison to elytra. Head. Moderately wide. Mandibles moderately long. Labrum emarginate anteriorly. Eyes strongly convex, separated from buccal fissures; two setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Tempora not inflated. Neck constriction shallow dorsolaterally. Mentum tooth subtruncate or emarginate apically; two large circular foveae; ten to eighteen short setae in addition to two long setae. Submentum with eight long setae. Palpi with terminal segment truncate or obtuse apically. Ligula with two setae. Paraglossae glabrous. Thorax. Pronotum cordate; two setiferous punctures (anterior and posterior) on each side. Prosternum glabrous apically, not compressed into a vertical ridge. Legs. Moderately long. Metacoxae with two posteroventral setae. Metafemora with two posteroventral setae. Protibiae with dorsal longitudinal groove; cleaning organ with two clip setae. Meso- and metatarsomeres 1–4 well developed, tricarinate dorsally, deeply bisulcate laterally. Metatarsomeres 4 moderately bilobed and symmetrical apically. Metatarsomeres 5 glabrous ventrally. Elytra. Oblong-subovate. Fused along suture (hindwings vestigial). Basal margin complete, reaching about scutellum. Shoulders narrow, rounded. Sides widest about middle. Scutellar setiferous pore visible. Scutellar striole moderately long. Striae complete, consisting of impressed lines. Interval 3 with three setiferous punctures. Umbilicate series with 16–19 setiferous punctures. Apices obtuse. Abdomen. Sterna IV–VI: both sexes with two long apical ambulatory setae. Sternum VII (last visible sternum): male with four long apical ambulatory setae; female with eight long apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view: moderately or strongly arcuate; basal lobe of basal bulb present; internal sac without scale-like sclerites. Dorsal view: moderately wide, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to the left); basal bulb moderately distant from membranous area.

Remarks. The generic name is derived from Tui (a New Zealand honey-eating bird) and Platynus (the type genus of the tribe Platynini ), genus masculine. This new genus is erected to accommodate two species previously placed in Ctenognathus ( C. sophronitis and C. libitus ). Tuiplatynus appears to be a genetically highly distinctive taxon with its mentum bearing numerous short setae (ten to eighteen) in addition to two long setae as well as two large circular foveae, and its geographic isolation in southernmost areas of the South Island and on Stewart Island.

Figures

Figures 53–56. Dorsal habitus. 53) Tuiplatynus sophronitis, teneral. 54) T. libitus, teneral. 55) Ctenognathus novaezelandiae. 56) C. elevatus. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 94–100. Aedeagus, lateral. 94) Kupeplatynus crenatus. 95) K. lucifugus. 96) Tuiplatynus sophronitis. 97) T. libitus. 98) Ctenognathus novaezelandiae. 99) C. elevatus. 100) C. garnerae new species.

Figures 165–166. Species distribution maps. 165) Tuiplatynus libitus. 166) T. sophronitis.