Oopterus trechoides, 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 : 42-43

Oopterus trechoides new species

Fig. 44 , 90 , 148

Holotype: male ( NZAC) labeled: “[ NEW ZEALAND FD] Summit Mt. [= Mount] Barber 1342m (handwritten) / Manapouri Exp. Jan 70 (typed) / Under stones (typed) / [male symbol] / HOLOTYPE [male symbol] Oopterus trechoides Larochelle & Larivière, 2017 (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 5.9–7.3 mm. Head rufous; pronotum and elytra mostly rufopiceous; pronotum reddish basally; abdomen reddish piceous, yellow laterally and apically; antennae, palpi, and legs yellow. Microsculpture strong and isodiametric on head, obsolete on pronotum, strong and very transverse (with microlines) on elytra. Iridescence absent on head and pronotum, very strong on elytra. Very shiny, without metallic luster. Forebody narrow in comparison to elytra (as in O. arthurensis ). Head. Labrum strongly transverse, slightly emarginate anteriorly. Antennae subfiliform (as in O. arthurensis , O. ocularius , and Zolus species ), very long: segment 1 (scape) very long, about 2.5x longer than its maximum width. Frontal furrows wide, deep, convergent. Eyes slightly convex; two setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Tempora strongly inflated (about as long as eyes). Mentum: medial tooth entire, acute apically, moderately shorter than lateral lobes. Paraglossae membranous, prominent, slightly longer than ligula. Thorax. Pronotum moderately convex, finely punctate across base, wrinkled in basal half, subquadrate, strongly cordate, widest before middle; apex subtruncate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, obtuse; anterior bead incomplete, obsolete medially; sides strongly rounded, strongly sinuate posteriorly; lateral grooves absent; two setiferous punctures on each side; posterolateral angles acute, projected laterally; posterolateral carinae absent; laterobasal foveae well defined, finely punctate, very deep and wide, oblong, not prolonged forward, simple; posterior bead absent; base emarginate, much narrower than pronotal apex and elytral base. Legs. Very long. Elytra. Moderately convex, subovate, widest about middle. Basal margin incomplete, reaching about stria 4. Shoulders oblique. Sides strongly rounded. Scutellar striole obsolete. Striae complete; striae 1–3 shallow, finely punctate; striae 4–7 obsolete; stria 3 with three setiferous punctures. Recurrent stria long, blunt, directed apically toward stria 6. Subapical seta present. Intervals subdepressed. Sutural apices obtusely rounded. Abdomen. Last visible sternum (sternum VII): male with two apical ambulatory setae; female with four apical ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 90 ): very strongly arcuate, strongly widened both in basal half and apical half; base straight dorsally; middle strongly concave dorsally, moderately convex ventrally, with dorsal membranous area very wide and long; apex subtriangular, moderately sinuate dorsally, moderately concave ventrally, with extreme tip narrow, long, and sinuate. Dorsal view: moderately wide, asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to right); apex straight; basal orifice narrow, closed anteriorly, moderately distant from membranous area. Parameres with two apical setae.

Material examined. 17 specimens ( AMNZ, LUNZ, MONZ, NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 148 ). South Island: FD –Fiordland National Park (Eglinton Valley, Mistake Creek; Mackinnon Pass; Mount Barber; Mount Grey [= Mount Gray]; Murchison Mountains, Plateau Creek). OL– Liverpool Stream. SL–Longwood Forest, Bald Hill.

Ecology. Subalpine, alpine. Epigean. Mostly alpine fellfields and grasslands; also wet subalpine forests (beech) and screes. Open or shaded ground. Nocturnal; hides during the day under stones. Gregarious.

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

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

Collecting technique. Lifting stones.

Remarks. The name of this species is derived from Trechus (type genus of the tribe Trechini ) and the suffix - oides (similar), referring to the trechine-like body shape of the beetle. Oopterus trechoides is morphologically close to O. sculpturatus and O. taieriensis . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, O. trechoides has the following distinguishing features: forebody narrow in comparison to elytra; antennae, palpi, and legs yellow; antennae subfiliform, very long; tempora strongly inflated (about as long as eyes); pronotum subquadrate, strongly cordate; elytra subovate. The three species are allopatric: O. trechoides occurs in the southwest of the South Island (FD, OL, SL), O. sculpturatus is restricted to the northwest of the South Island (NN), and O. taieriensis is found in the southeast of the South Island (DN).

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 148–153. Species distribution maps. 148) Oopterus trechoides new species. 149) Pseudoopterus fiordlandensis new species. 150) P. latipennis. 151) P. otiraensis new species. 152) P. plicaticollis. 153) Synteratus ovalis.