Fauna of New Zealand 69 - Landcare Research

Fauna of New Zealand 69 31
helmsi, synonymised with N. novaseelandica by Cassola &
Moravec, 2010: 13.
Description. Body length: 9.2–11.4 mm. Head and pronotum
aeneous or bronze, with greenish tinge; dark areas of
elytra purplish-brown, with greenish tinge. Pale markings
of elytra cream-coloured, moderately wide; apical lunule
maculate; humeral lunule complete, usually narrowly
separated from marginal line; middle band complete,
angular, not extending beyond base of apical lunule; marginal
line usually fused with apical lunule. Antennae and
legs entirely dark. Elytral sculpture: dark areas granulate,
densely covered with minute blue punctures ringed with
golden-green, with sparse large bluish foveae with golden
centre (foveae deep giving uneven elytral surface). Dark
areas of elytra dull, with slight greenish, aeneous or bronze
metallic lustre. Head. Labrum quadrisetose anteriorly.
Antennal segment 1 (scape) with 12–16 setiferous pores.
Thorax. Pronotum (Fig. 150) subcordate; sides moderately
rounded; lateral margins double. Proepisterna and metepisterna
setose. Legs. Tarsal claws much shorter than tarsal
segment 5 (about half its length). Elytra. Sides strongly
widening behind middle. Apices not serrulate. Abdomen.
Sterna setose. Aedeagus. As in nominal subspecies.
References. Larochelle & Larivière, 2001: 37 (as Cicindela
(Neocicindela) helmsi; catalogue; biology, dispersal
power, ecology, geographic distribution, references);
Cassola & Moravec, 2010: 13–16 (as a junior synonym
of Neocicindela novaseelandica; ecology, geographic
distribution, taxonomy).
Remarks. Zecicindela helmsi halli is morphologically
close to Z. helmsi novaseelandica, from which it can be
distinguished by a combination of morphological and ecogeographic
characters: elytra with humeral lunule usually
narrowly separated from marginal line and apical lunule
usually fused with marginal line; occurring on riverbanks
of the South Island west coast (WD, OL).
Cassola & Moravec (2010) provided a photo of the
left elytron of a syntype specimen. These authors who
had only seen North Island specimens of Z. helmsi novaseelandica
questioned the validity of “Hollyford” as type
locality of Cicindela halli which they considered a junior
synonym. They considered Hollyford to be an unlikely
extralimital distribution record for their North Island species
and suggested the type specimen might have been
mislabelled. These authors, however, overlooked large
holdings of Z. helmsi specimens from the South Island
west coast contained in New Zealand collections. Our
study of this extensive material confirms the presence of
C. halli, albeit as a subspecies of Z. helmsi, on the South
Island and the likelihood of Hollyford as the type locality
for this taxon.
See also Remarks under Zecicindela helmsi helmsi.
Zecicindela helmsi circumpictoides (Horn, 1900) E
new combination and status
Figure 151; Map p. 184
Common name. Banded Tiger Beetle.
Cicindela circumpictoides: as a junior synonym of Cicindela
(Neocicindela) helmsi (Larochelle & Larivière, 2001: 37).
Description. Body length: 9.6–11.7 mm. Head and
pronotum aeneous or bronze, with greenish tinge; dark
areas of elytra purplish-brown, with greenish tinge. Pale
markings cream-coloured, moderately wide; apical lunule
maculate; humeral lunule complete, fused with marginal
line; middle band complete, oblique, not extending beyond
base of apical lunule; marginal line fused with apical lunule.
Antennae and legs entirely dark. Elytral sculpture:
dark areas granulate, densely covered with minute blue
punctures ringed with golden-green, with sparse very
small bluish foveae with golden centre (foveae shallow
giving even elytral surface). Dark areas of elytra dull,
with slight greenish, aeneous or bronze metallic lustre.
Head. Labrum quadrisetose anteriorly. Antennal segment
1 (scape) with 10–17 setiferous pores. Thorax. Pronotum
(Fig. 151) subcordate; sides moderately rounded; lateral
margins double. Proepisterna and metepisterna setose.
Legs. Tarsal claws much shorter than tarsal segment 5
(about half its length). Elytra. Sides subparallel. Apices
not serrulate. Abdomen. Sterna setose. Aedeagus. As in
nominal subspecies.
References. Larochelle & Larivière, 2001: 37 (as Cicindela
(Neocicindela) helmsi; catalogue; biology, dispersal
power, ecology, geographic distribution, references);
Cassola & Moravec, 2010: 12–13 (as a junior synonym
of Neocicindela helmsi; ecology, geographic distribution,
taxonomy).
Remarks. Zecicindela helmsi circumpictoides is morphologically
close to Z. helmsi helmsi, from which it can be
distinguished by the following morphological characters:
elytra with humeral lunule and apical lunule fused with
marginal line, and dark areas with sparse very small
shallow foveae. Cassola & Moravec (2010) provided
a photo of the left elytron of the holotype of Cicindela
circumpictoides.
Zecicindela helmsi circumpictoides occurs on riverbanks
of the northeastern South Island (MB, KA, NC).
See also Remarks under Z. helmsi helmsi.
Zecicindela helmsi helmsi (Sharp, 1886) E new
combination and status
Figures 52, 152; Map p. 184
Common name. Helms’s Tiger Beetle.
Cicindela (Neocicindela) helmsi: Larochelle & Larivière, 2001:
37 and 2007a: 110.