Maurodus nunni, Leschen & Reid & Nadein, 2020

Leschen, Richard A. B., Reid, Chris A. M. & Nadein, Konstantin S., 2020, Generic Review of New Zealand Chrysomelinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Zootaxa 4740 (1), pp. 1-66 : 40-42

Maurodus nunni , sp. nov.

( Figs 6 A–C, 12G,H; map Fig. 20A )

Diagnosis. Body oval and tricoloured; pronotum bicoloured. Antennal groove delimited by an inner ridge; internal surface glabrous. Prosternal lines in front of procoxae parallel. Elytra with midbasal puncture present; colour uniform lacking maculae; microsculpture weakly impressed to absent. Ventrites dark-coloured, with hypomera darker posteriorly and epipleura uniformly pale-coloured; male ventrite 5 not vaulted at middle. Legs mostly black-coloured; tarsomere 1 of male not greatly enlarged.

Description. Length 2.7– 4.1 mm (greatest depth 1.50–1.70 mm). Body oval and tricoloured with head posterior and middle portions of the pronotum, most of the ventral surfaces and most of the legs black; margins and anterior portions of the pronotum, elytra, mouthparts, antennae, hypomera, epipleura, and yellow to orange-coloured; elytra maculae absent. Microsculpture distinct on head, weakly developed on pronotum, and absent from elytra. Clypeus more or less apunctate, trapezoidal, anterior margin straight; frontoclypeal suture present but not meeting at midline with lateral postclypeal lines present and well developed and medial line absent; vertex very weakly or apunctate. Ratio of antennomere lengths: 1.2/1.0/1.2/.9/.8/.7/.7/1.0/1.0/1.0/1.5. Antennal groove well-delimited by an inner ridge and deep; internal surface glabrous. Pronotum transverse (2.57–2.62 x wider than long), lateral margins at base not subparallel-sided and converging anteriorly; punctures non-uniform, coarse at base and may or may not be dense, and progressively diffuse anteriorly, those at base stronger than elsewhere on the body, apart from some contained in the apicalmost portions of the elytral striae. Prosternal lines or carinae in front of procoxae parallel; intercarinal space weakly convex. Elytra widest at basal 1/3 and broad (1.07–1.08 x the greatest elytral width), 2.80–3.00x longer than pronotal length; punctation very weakly striate, not impressed towards midline, well developed posterolaterially; midbasal puncture present. Male ventrite 5 not vaulted at middle. Median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view narrow with an acute apex; in dorsal view narrow and parallel-sided with a subacute apex; flagellum present. Tarsomere 1 of male not greatly enlarged.

Comments. Maurodus nunni is known from only two specimens, including one male from Dun Mt. we dissected. The species is distinguished from all other species by having unicoloured orange or yellowish elytra.

Distribution. South Island: NN.

Etymology. This epithet honours collector John Nunn for his valued and ongoing contributions to the study of New Zealand Coleoptera .

Type examined. Holotype ( NZAC): not sexed, “ New Zealand NN Flora saddle car park 26-Nov-05 // in wet ground moss” [41.189863S, 172.746362E, J. Nunn] . Paratype ( NZAC): Dunn [sic] Mt, 2000’ [41.342298S, 173.376741E 25.02.1949] E.S. Gourlay .

Figures

FIGURES 6A–F. Habitus and structures of Maurodus spp.; A, Maurodus nunni, dorsal; B, Maurodus nunni, dorsal; C, Maurodus nunni, lateral; D, Maurodus ornatus, anterior view of head; E, Maurodus occiduus, dorsal; F, Maurodus occiduus, lateral.

FIGURES 20A–B. South Island with subantarctic Snares Island (insert).