Ctenognathus takahe 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 : 44-45

Ctenognathus takahe Larochelle and Larivière , new species

Fig. 65 , 108 , 144

Ctenognathus takahe Larochelle and Larivière , new species. Holotype: male (NZAC) labeled “[ NEW ZEALAND FD] Takahe Val. Hd. Basin. FD. Nat. Park 11 Dec 72. A.C. Eyles. (hand-written) / under stone on scree. (hand-written) / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Ctenognathus takahe Larochelle & Larivière, 2021 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: one female (NZAC) from the same locality as the holotype and one female (LUNZ) from Mount Grey [= Mount Gray], Turret Range (FD) (typed), bearing blue paratype labels.

Description. Body length 8.5–11.4 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen black; antennal segments 1–4 black, 5–11 dark rufous; palpi, femora, and tibiae black; tarsi rufotestaceous. Microsculpture isodiametric on head, moderately transverse on pronotum, and isodiametric (almost granulate) on elytra. Iridescence absent. Very shiny. Forebody moderately wide in comparison to elytra. Head. Moderately wide. Mandibles moderately long and curved anteriorly. Labrum strongly transverse, deeply emarginate anteriorly. Eyes moderately convex; two setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Tempora not inflated. Neck constriction absent dorsolaterally. Mentum: medial tooth subtruncate apically; two setae. Submentum with four setae. Palpi with terminal segment obtuse apically. Thorax. Pronotum slightly convex, impunctate, obsoletely wrinkled on disc and across base, narrow, moderately cordate, widest before middle; apex slightly emarginate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, broadly rounded; anterior bead complete; sides strongly rounded, moderately 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 very deep, moderately wide, prolonged forward; posterior bead obsolete; base emarginate. 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. Subdepressed, sloping down toward apex, oblong, widest behind middle. Shoulders moderately rounded. Sides moderately rounded. Scutellar setiferous pore visible. Scutellar striole moderately long, impunctate. Striae shallow, finely punctate. Intervals subdepressed; interval 3 with three very deep, large (foveate) setiferous punctures. Umbilicate series with 16–18 setiferous punctures. Subapical sinuations strong. Apices obtusely rounded. 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 six long apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 108 ): moderately arcuate, stout; base slightly convex dorsally, with basal lobe moderately wide; middle angular basally, slightly convex dorsally, strongly concave ventrally, with dorsal membranous area strongly widened in apical half and moderately long; apex subtriangular, slightly convex dorsally, slightly concave ventrally, with extreme tip 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. 29 specimens ( AMNZ, JNNZ, LUNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 144 ). South Island: FD.

Ecology. Lowland, montane. Epigean. Wet forests (beech). Shaded ground; wet soil. Nocturnal; hides during the day under stones; active at night on Sphagnum moss.

Biology. Seasonality: December–February, May. Tenerals: December. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

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

Collecting techniques. Pitfall trapping; turning stones; examining Sphagnum moss at night.

Remarks. The species is named after the type locality Takahe Valley (FD), and is applied as a noun in apposition. Ctenognathus takahe is morphologically close to C. arnaudensis . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, C. takahe has the following distinguishing features: femora and tibiae black; pronotum moderately cordate, base emarginate; elytra subdepressed, microsculpture isodiametric, striae finely punctate. Both species are allopatric: C. takahe is restricted to southern FD (southwestern South Island), while C. arnaudensis occurs in northern areas of the South Island (BR, NN, MB, KA).

Figures

Figures 65–68. Dorsal habitus. 65) Ctenognathus takahe new species. 66) C. arnaudensis. 67) C. marieclaudiae new species. 68) C. edwardsii. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 108–114. Aedeagus, lateral. 108) Ctenognathus takahe new species. 109) C. arnaudensis. 110) C. marieclaudiae new species. 111) C. edwardsii. 112) C. kaikoura new species. 113) C. sandageri. 114) C. helmsi.

Figures 142–147. Species distribution maps. 142) Ctenognathus pictonensis. 143) C. sandageri. 144) C. takahe new species. 145) C. tawanui new species. 146) C. tepaki new species. 147) C. urewera new species.