Ctenognathus earlyi 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 : 56

Ctenognathus earlyi Larochelle and Larivière , new species

Fig. 76 , 119 , 129

Ctenognathus earlyi Larochelle and Larivière , new species. Holotype: male (NZAC) labeled “[ NEW ZEALAND Stewart Island ] Big S. Cape I. SW Stewart I. (typed) / Nov 68 J. McBurney (typed) / Phormium (typed) / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Ctenognathus earlyi Larochelle & Larivière, 2021 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: one female (NZAC) and one male (MONZ) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description. Body length 10.2–11.5 mm. Head, pronotum, and elytra piceous black; abdomen rufopiceous; antennae and palpi rufotestaceous; femora and tibiae pale yellow; tarsi reddish. Microsculpture isodiametric on head, pronotum, and elytra (elytra almost granulate). Iridescence absent. Head and pronotum very shiny, elytra dull. Forebody moderately wide in comparison to elytra. Head. Moderately wide. Mandibles moderately long and curved anteriorly. Labrum strongly transverse, slightly emarginate anteriorly. Eyes moderately convex; two setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Tempora not inflated. Neck constriction absent dorsolaterally. Mentum: medial tooth slightly emarginate apically; two setae. Submentum with six setae. Palpi with terminal segment truncate apically. Thorax. Pronotum slightly convex, impunctate, obsoletely wrinkled on disc, wide, subquadrate, widest before middle; apex slightly emarginate; anterolateral angles well developed, broadly rounded; anterior bead complete; sides moderately rounded, slightly sinuate posteriorly; lateral beads complete; lateral depressions narrow anteriorly, widened posteriorly; two setiferous punctures (anterior and posterior) on each side; posterolateral angles rectangular; laterobasal foveae shallow, moderately wide, prolonged forward; posterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; base truncate. Legs. Moderately long. Metafemora with two posteroventral setae. Meso- and metatarsomeres 1–4 well developed, tricarinate dorsally, deeply bisulcate laterally. Metatarsomeres 4 moderately bilobed, symmetrical apically. Metatarsomeres 5 glabrous ventrally. Elytra. Moderately convex, sloping down toward apex, oblong, widest about middle. Shoulders moderately rounded. Sides moderately rounded. Scutellar setiferous pore visible. Scutellar striole moderately long, impunctate. Striae shallow, impunctate. Intervals depressed; interval 3 with three shallow, minute setiferous punctures. Umbilicate series with 15–18 setiferous punctures. Subapical sinuations strong. 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 ( Fig. 119 ): strongly arcuate; base slightly convex dorsally, with basal lobe narrow; middle angulate dorsally, moderately concave ventrally, with dorsal membranous area strongly widened in apical half and moderately long; apex subtriangular, slightly convex dorsally, moderately concave ventrally, with extreme tip rather narrow and moderately long. Dorsal view: moderately wide, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to the left); basal bulb moderately distant from membranous area.

Material examined. 9 specimens ( MONZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 129 ). Stewart Island: Big South Cape Island.

Ecology. Lowland. Wet forest, in leaf litter.

Biology. Seasonality: November, February. Tenerals: November. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

Dispersal power. Subapterous (incapable of flight). Moderate runner.

Collecting technique. Sifting leaf litter.

Remarks. The species is named after our friend and colleague John W. Early (Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland) for his special help and encouragement in our entomological studies. Ctenognathus earlyi is morphologically close to C. otagoensis . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, C. earlyi has the following distinguishing features: pronotum subquadrate; elytra moderately convex, striae impunctate; eyes moderately rounded; terminal segment of palpi truncate apically. The two species are allopatric: C. earlyi is restricted to Stewart Island, while C. otagoensis occurs in southern areas of the South Island (OL–DN to FD–SL).

Figures

Figures 73–76. Dorsal habitus. 73) Ctenognathus intermedius. 74) C. otagoensis. 75) C. colensonis. 76) C. earlyi new species. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 115–122. Aedeagus, lateral. 115) Ctenognathus xanthomelus. 116) C. intermedius. 117) C. colensonis. 118) C. otagoensis. 119) C. earlyi new species.120) C. davidsoni new species.121) C. oreobius. 122) C. hoarei new species.

Figures 124–129. Species distribution maps. 124) Ctenognathus adamsi. 125) C. arnaudensis. 126) C. cardiophorus. 127) C. colensonis. 128) C. davidsoni new species. 129) C. earlyi new species.