Oopterus taieriensis, 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 : 44-45

Oopterus taieriensis new species

Fig. 46 , 92 , 147

Holotype: male ( NZAC) labeled: “ NEW ZEALAND DN Taieri Mouth 30 May 2010 (typed) / In flood debris from Taieri River (typed) / J T NUNN (typed) / [male symbol] / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Oopterus taieriensis Larochelle & Larivière, 2017 (red label; typed).” Paratype: one female (NZAC) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing a blue paratype label.

Description. Body length 4.6–5.7 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and abdomen mostly piceous black; apex and base of head reddish; base of pronotum reddish; lateral margins and suture of elytra reddish; abdomen yellow laterally and apically; antennae, palpi, and legs reddish. Microsculpture strong, isodiametric on head, moderately transverse on pronotum, very transverse (with microlines) on elytra. Iridescence absent on head, moderately strong on pronotum, very strong on elytra. Very shiny, without metallic luster. Head. Labrum strongly transverse, slightly emarginate anteriorly. Antennae submoniliform, moderately long: segment 1 (scape) moderately long, about 2x longer than its maximum width. Frontal furrows wide, deep, convergent. Eyes moderately convex; two setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Tempora not inflated. Mentum: medial tooth entire, acute apically, moderately shorter than lateral lobes. Paraglossae membranous, prominent, much shorter than ligula. Thorax. Pronotum moderately convex, impunctate, unwrinkled, strongly transverse, widest before middle; apex subtruncate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, rounded; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides strongly rounded, slightly sinuate posteriorly; lateral grooves absent; two setiferous punctures on each side; posterolateral angles acute, projected laterally; posterolateral carinae absent; laterobasal foveae well defined, impunctate, moderately deep, very wide, oblong, prolonged forward, double; posterior bead absent; base emarginate, slightly wider than pronotal apex, slightly narrower than elytral base. Legs. Moderately long. Elytra. Moderately convex, ovate, widest about middle. Basal margin incomplete, reaching about stria 4. Shoulders obtuse. Sides strongly rounded. Scutellar striole present. Striae shallow, finely punctate; striae 1–4 complete; striae 5–7 incomplete, obsolete; stria 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, sharp, directed apically toward stria 5. Subapical seta present. 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. 92 ): moderately arcuate, narrowed in apical half; base slightly convex dorsally; middle angulate anteriorly and moderately convex dorsally, moderately convex ventrally, with dorsal membranous area moderately wide and very long; apex unusually slender, slightly concave dorsally, strongly concave ventrally, with extreme tip unusually slender and curved downward. Dorsal view: narrow, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to right); apex straight; basal orifice narrow, closed anteriorly, moderately distant from membranous area. Parameres with three or four apical setae.

Material examined. 26 specimens ( JNNZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 147 ). South Island: DN –Allison Scenic Reserve. Flagstaff Hill. Leith Stream (Dunedin, town belt). Otago Peninsula, Boulder Beach. Taieri River, Taieri Mouth.

Ecology. Lowland. Epigean. Forests (broadleaf), along streams. Shaded ground. Nocturnal; hides during the day in flood debris and under logs.

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

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

Collecting techniques. Inspecting flood debris; lifting logs.

Remarks. This species is named after the type locality Taieri Mouth (DN) and the Latin suffix - ensis, denoting a place, locality, or country. Oopterus taieriensis is morphologically close to O. sculpturatus . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, O. taieriensis has the following distinguishing features: pronotum widest before middle, base impunctate, posterolateral carinae absent, laterobasal foveae oblong; elytra moderately convex. The two species are allopatric: O. taieriensis is restricted to the southeastern South Island (DN), while O. sculpturatus occurs in the northwest of the South Island (NN).

Figures

Figures 43–46. Dorsal habitus. 43) Oopterus punctatus new species. 44) O. trechoides new species. 45) O. sculpturatus. 46) O. taieriensis new species. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 90–97. Aedeagi, lateral. 90) Oopterus trechoides new species. 91) O. sculpturatus. 92) O. taieriensis new species. 93) O. ocularius. 94) O. marrineri. 95) O. anglemensis new species. 96) O. nanus new species. 97) O. garnerae new species.

Figures 142–147. Species distribution maps. 142) Oopterus quadripunctatus new species. 143) O. sculpturatus. 144) O. sobrinus. 145) O. strenuus. 146) O. suavis. 147) O. taieriensis new species.