Amarophilus otagoensis Larochelle and Larivière, 2022

Larochelle & Larivière, Marie-Claude, 2022, Synopsis of the tribe Amarotypini in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Insecta Mundi 2022 (942), pp. 1-30 : 16-17

Amarophilus otagoensis Larochelle and Larivière , new species

Fig. 18 , 32 , 37

Amarophilus otagoensis Larochelle and Larivière , new species. Holotype: male (NZAC) labeled “ NEW ZEALAND CO Old Man Rng [= Range ] Headwaters Obelisk Ck [= Creek] 1380m 13-Jan-07 (typed) / Donated by J. Nunn (typed) / HOLOTYPE ♂ Amarophilus otagoensis Larochelle & Larivière, 2022 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: one male and two females (NZAC) from Old Man Range (CO), bearing blue paratype labels.

Description. Body length 6.1–6.3 mm; ovate. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen rufopiceous; pronotal base reddish; antennae, palpi, and legs rufotestaceous. Microsculpture isodiametric, strong on head (almost granulate), weak on pronotum and elytra. Iridescence absent. Shiny on head, pronotum, and elytra. Head. Labrum strongly transverse. Eyes subdepressed; setiferous puncture inserted medially on inner side of each eye. Frontal furrows moderately deep, subparallel posteriorly. Thorax. Pronotum slightly convex, impunctate, unwrinkled, trapezoid, widest basally; apex strongly emarginate; anterolateral angles well developed, angulate; anterior bead complete; sides moderately rounded anteriorly, straight posteriorly; lateral beads narrow, slightly widened from apex to base; lateral depressions narrow anteriorly, widened posteriorly; posterolateral angles acute, slightly projected laterally; laterobasal foveae rounded, moderately wide, moderately deep, not separated from lateral depressions by a pronounced convexity; posterior bead complete; base as wide as elytral base. Legs. Pro- and mesotarsomeres 1–4 of both sexes strongly dilated. Elytra. Moderately convex. Shoulders slightly obtuse. Sides strongly rounded. Striae shallow, finely punctate; stria 3 without setiferous punctures. Intervals depressed. Umbilicate series with 14 or 15 setiferous punctures. Apices angulate. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 18 ): strongly arcuate, slender, moderately widened in apical half; base moderately convex dorsally; middle strongly convex dorsally, moderately concave ventrally, without dorsal membranous area; apex slightly concave dorsally and ventrally, with extreme tip very wide, rounded, curved downward. Dorsal view: asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to the right).

Material examined. 27 specimens ( AMNZ, LUNZ, MONZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 37 ). South Island: CO– Mount Pisa. Mount Salmond. Nevis Crossing. Rock and Pillar Range (McPhees Rock). Rock Peak (2 km E. Crown Range Saddle). Old Man Range (Headwaters of Obelisk Creek; near Summit; Symes Road). The Herrons Station. Umbrella Range (Gem Lake). OL–Ben Lomond.

Ecology. Alpine. Epigean. Fellfields and tussock grasslands. Open ground. Nocturnal; hides during the day under stones.

Biology. Seasonality: October–April. Tenerals: March. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

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

Collecting techniques. Turning stones; pitfall trapping.

Remarks. This species is named after Central Otago (CO), the geographic area where the type locality is situated and the Latin suffix – ensis, denoting a place, locality, or country. Amarophilus otagoensis is morphologically close to A. rotundicollis from which it can be distinguished as follows: body ovate, rufopiceous with reddish pronotal base; antennae rufotestaceous; pronotum trapezoid, widest basally, with lateral beads narrow and slightly widened from apex to base, posterolateral angles acute and slightly projected laterally; sides of elytra strongly rounded. Amarophilus otagoensis occurs on the South Island, throughout Central Otago (CO) and is also known from Ben Lomond (OL), while A. rotundicollis is known only from two localities in western Central Otago (CO).

Figures

Figures 15–20. Aedeagus, lateral. 15) Amaroxenus glacialis new species. 16) Amaroxenus huttensis new species. 17) Amaroxenus kahurangiensis new species. 18) Amarophilus otagoensis new species. 19) Amarophilus lomondensis new species. 20) Amarophilus wanakensis new species.

Figures 29–32. Dorsal habitus. 29) Amaroxenus huttensis new species. 30) Amaroxenus kahurangiensis new species. 31) Amarophilus rotundicollis new species (holotype). 32) Amarophilus otagoensis new species. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 36–41. Species distribution maps. 36) Amarophilus lomondensis new species. 37) Amarophilus otagoensis new species. 38) Amarophilus rotundicollis new species. 39) Amarophilus wanakensis new species. 40) Amarotypus edwardsii. 41) Amarotypus fiordlandensis new species.