Maurodus supernus, 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 : 46-47

Maurodus supernus , sp. nov.

( Fig. 9 , 12I,J , 13F; map Fig. 19B )

Diagnosis. Body broadly oval and bicoloured; pronotum unicoloured.Antennal groove not well demarked by ridges. Prosternal lines in front of procoxae convergent. Elytra with midbasal stria or puncture present; maculae broad with outer edges sinuate and contacting broadly at midline and extending to tip of elytra; microsculpture absent. Ventrites dark-coloured and infuscate, with hypomera and epipleura uniformly pale-coloured; male ventrite 5 not vaulted at middle. Legs unicoloured yellow to weakly infuscate and bicoloured; tarsomere 1 of male not greatly enlarged.

Description. Length 3.5–4.4 mm (greatest depth 1.80–1.90 mm). Body broadly oval and bicoloured with head, elytral macula, and middle portions of the ventral surfaces black or dark-coloured; elsewhere orange, yellow to palecoloured; elytral maculae sinuate along lateral edge and extending to tip of elytra; femora and tibiae unicoloured yellow to weakly infuscate. Microsculpture present on head, weakly to well-developed on prontum and absent on elytra. Clypeus weakly or apunctate, nearly trapezoidal, anterior margin straight; frontoclypeal suture present sometimes weakly-impressed, lateral postclypeal lines present and well-developed and medial line absent; vertex weakly or apunctate. Ratio of antennomere lengths: 1.0/.9/.8/.7/.7/.5/.7/.7/.7/.6/1.1. Antennal groove not well demarked by ridges. Pronotum transverse (2.30–2.33x wider than long), lateral margins at base not parallel-sided and sides weakly converging anteriorly, not strongly convex; punctures non-uniform, moderately or very coarse at base and progressively diffuse anteriorly, those at base usually more strongly impressed than elsewhere on the body, apart from the posterolateral margins of the elytra in some specimens. Prosternal lines or carinae in front of procoxae anteriorly convergent with the anterior width about 0.5x narrower than procoxal width; intercarinal space weakly convex. Elytra widest at middle with a weakly convex outline (1.03–1.04x the greatest elytral width), 2.50–2.67 x longer than pronotal length and broad; punctation generally very weakly striate, not impressed towards midline, sometimes more strongly impressed at posterolateral disc; midbasal stria present. Tarsomere 1 of male not greatly enlarged. Male ventrite 5 not vaulted at middle. Median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view with somewhat subparallel sides with apex subacute; in dorsal view, weakly parallel-sided, broader at base and rounded at apex; flagellum present.

Comments. Maurodus supernus can be distinguished from most species of the genus by the unicoloured pronotum, glabrous dorsal surfaces, and lack of a well-developed antennal groove. It is most like M. plagiatus , but the elytral maculae do not extend posteriorly to near the tip of the elytra. Most specimens were collected early last century by C. E. Clarke ( Fig. 9F ), and we obtained one recently collected specimen from Takahe Valley we designated as the holotype.

Distribution. South Island: WD, FD.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word supernus meaning on the top, referring to some specimens that were collected in the Southern Alps.

Type examined. Holotype (NZAC): “ Takahe Valley , Chionochloa teretifolia , 30 Nov–8 Mar 2016, pitfall trap #, 45.2735475, 167.672021E, 1220 m, K. Paler. “ Paratypes (17): South Island : WD: S Westland, Waiho R, 43.422503S, 170.170088E, 16.01.1925, C.E. Clarke Collection (1, AMNZ) . FD: Upper Routeburn , 44.725249S, 168.215426E, 25.01.1926, C.E. Clarke Collection (1, AMNZ) ; same except 26.01.1926 (1, AMNZ; 2, BMNH); same except no date (1, BMNH); Routeburn R, 44.711028S, 168.258576E, 14.01.1926, C.E. Clarke, C.E. Clarke Collection (2, AMNZ) ; Routeburn R, 44.711028S, 168.258576E, 15.01.1926, C.E. Clarke Collection (2, AMNZ) ; FIGURES 13A–G. Spermathecae of New Zealand Chrysomelinae ; A, Aphilon sp.; B, Caccomolpus sp.; C, Maurodus impressus ; D, Maurodus cinctiger ; E, Maurodus ornatus ; F, Maurodus supernus , aedeagus, lateral view; G, Zeaphilon mirandum . same except 16.01.1926 (2, BMNH; 3 AMNZ) ; same except C.E. Clarke (1, AMNZ); 24.01.1926 C.E. Clarke (1, AMNZ); Upper Takahe Valley , 12 Mar 2013, sifting Clemisia, tussocks, etc. litter, 45 16.356S, 167 37.250E, 1181.8m, R. Leschen RL1692 (1, NZAC) ; Fiordland NP, Murchison Mts, E. McKenzie Burn, 1140m, 7.xii. 1980, R.M. Emberson, C.A. Muir, Litter under Hebe scrub and ferns (1, LUNZ)

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Figures

FIGURES 9A–D. Habitus of Maurodus supernus; A, dorsal; B, ventral; C, lateral; D, ventral.

FIGURES 12A–N. Habitus and genitalia; A, Nanomela sp., dorsal, scale = 1 mm; B, Nanomela tiniheke, dorsal, scale = 1 mm; C, Maurodus maculatus, aedeagus, dorsal view; D, Maurodus maculatus, aedeagus, lateral view; E, Maurodus occiduus, aedeagus, dorsal view; F, Maurodus occiduus, aedeagus, lateral view; G, Maurodus nunni, aedeagus, dorsal view; H, Maurodus nunni, aedeagus, lateral view; I, Maurodus supernus, aedeagus, dorsal view; J, Maurodus supernus, aedeagus, lateral view; K, Zeaphilon marskeae, aedeagus, dorsal view; L, Zeaphilon marskeae, aedeagus, lateral view; M, Zeaphilon mirandum, aedeagus, dorsal view; N, Zeaphilon mirandum, aedeagus, lateral view.

FIGURES 19A–B. A and B, South Island.