Mecyclothorax sabulicola Britton, 1948: 113

Liebherr, James K., 2013, The Mecyclothorax beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) of Tahiti, Society Islands, ZooKeys 322, pp. 1-170 : 94-95

76. Mecyclothorax sabulicola Britton, 1948: 113

Thriscothorax minutus Britton, 1938: 106 (junior homonym; Britton 1948).

Identification.

Of the three Tahitian species in the Mecyclothorax globosus group with only the posterior supraorbital seta and no dorsal elytral setae - setal formula 1101 (Figs 37D, 39A, B) - individuals of this species exhibit the most well-developed microsculpture. The head is covered with a distinct isodiametric mesh, the sculpticells elongate when associated with transverse wrinkles on the frons. The pronotal disc has a well-developed transverse mesh over the entire surface, the sculpticells visible in areas of reflected light, and the discal elytral intervals are lined with transverse microsculpture, a mixture of transverse mesh and transverse lines. The pronotal base is broad (Fig. 39B) and the pronotal laterobasal depressions shallow with a median tubercle. The elytra are broad basally, the lateral margins extended laterally beyond obtusely subangulate humeri. The eyes are moderately convex, ocular ratio 1.42, with a horizontal diameter crossing a maximum of 14 ommatidia. The male aedeagal median lobe is gracile, the shaft of the same diameter from basal bulb to ostium (Fig. 40G). The lobe apex is expanded downward, resulting in an asymmetrical apical expansion and an oblique apical face. In this regard the aedeagus looks like a less exaggerated version of the aedeagus of Mecyclothorax arboricola (Fig. 40F). Standardized body length 3.5-3.6 mm.

Distribution and habitat.

This species is the geographically most widespread Tahitian Mecyclothorax , recorded from Monts Marau, Aorai, and the lower reaches of the Piti Hiti massif. Elwood Zimmerman collected the type series along the sandy shore of a small pond at 1200 m elevation on Aorai. I have examined three specimens in the Perrault collection from Aorai, 1000-1900 m elevation, and five specimens from Marau, 900-1400 m elevation. Perrault’s Pito Hiti massif localities for this species lie along the ridge from Supermahina upwards to Pihaaiateta; two specimens are labeled 1000 m elevation, and two labeled 900-1200 m.