Fauna of New Zealand 69 - Landcare Research

50
Description. Body: length 5.0–6.0 mm. Head, pronotum,
elytra, and abdomen black; antennae, palpi, and legs
entirely pale red. Microsculpture absent. Iridescence
absent. Very shiny. Head. Impunctate and unwrinkled
dorsally, moderately convex, much narrower across eyes
than pronotal apex. Mandibles moderately long. Labrum
slightly transverse, slightly emarginate anteriorly. Antennae
submoniliform; segment 1 (scape) moderately long,
about 1.5× longer than its maximum width. Frontal furrows
narrow, deep. Eyes normally developed, moderately large
and convex (smaller than in M. polita); a single supraorbital
setiferous puncture on inner side of each eye posteriorly
(as in M. polita). Interocular fovea absent. Tempora
inflated, oblique, short (about one-third as long as eyes).
Mentum: medial tooth acute apically, moderately shorter
than lateral lobes. Paraglossae membranous, prominent,
much longer than ligula. Palpi: penultimate maxillary
segment glabrous. Thorax. Pronotum (Fig. 110) strongly
convex, coarsely punctate across base, unwrinkled, moderately
transverse and cordate; apex straight; anterior bead
complete; anterolateral angles poorly developed, rounded;
sides strongly rounded anteriorly, moderately sinuate
posteriorly; lateral beads of similar width from apex to
base; lateral depressions absent; setiferous punctures absent
on each side (present in other species); posterolateral
angles subrectangular, denticulate; laterobasal foveae well
defined, coarsely punctate, deep, narrow, more or less
elongate; base moderately convex, much wider than apex,
slightly narrower than elytral base. Prosternum impunctate,
unwrinkled. Proepisterna impunctate, unwrinkled. Metepisterna
punctate. Legs. Segment 5 of metatarsi with a
single pair of ventral setae. Elytra. Strongly convex, ovate,
widest about middle. Shoulders rounded, denticulate. Sides
strongly rounded. Scutellar striole bipunctate. Striae absent
(present in other species), replaced by incomplete rows
of coarse punctures; rows 6–7 vestigial basally; rows 1–4
moderately deep, 5–6 shallower. Intervals depressed. Sutural
apices angular. Abdomen. Sterna coarsely punctate,
unwrinkled. Last visible sternum (sternum VII): male with
four apical ambulatory setae; female with four apical and
two medial ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view
(Fig. 66): slightly arcuate; apex very wide and rounded,
angularly projecting ventrally. Dorsal view: asymmetrical
(ostium deflected to the right); apex deflected to the right.
Parameres. Left paramere glabrous; right paramere setulose
(with numerous short ventral setae in apical half).
Material examined. 422 specimens (AMNZ, BMNH,
CMNH, CMNZ, JNNZ, LUNZ, MONZ, NZAC, PHNZ).
Geographic distribution (Map p. 176). North Island:
BP, CL, GB, HB, RI, TK, TO, WI, WA, WN, WO. South
Island: BR, MB, NN, SD.
Larochelle & Larivière (2013): Carabidae (Insecta: Coleoptera)
Ecology. Lowland, montane, subalpine. Wet forests
(beech, broadleaf, podocarp). Shaded ground; wet soil.
Nocturnal; hides during the day in and under fallen rotten
branches as well as in and under rotten logs. The species
is xylophilous (associated with wood).
Biology. Seasonality: September to May, August. Tenerals:
September, January to April, July. Predacious (based on
mouthpart morphology). Occasionally infested with fungi
(Laboulbeniales) and mites.
Dispersal power. Elytra fused basally along the suture.
Subapterous. Swift runner. Occasional climber (on trees
and logs). Vagility limited by flight incapacity.
Reference. Larochelle & Larivière, 2001: 68 (catalogue;
biology, dispersal power, ecology, geographic distribution,
references).
Remarks. The holotype of Tropopterus seriatoporus
could not be located either in MNHN or in CMNZ where
Bates’ specimens can usually be found. However, there
is no ambiguity regarding the identity of this taxon, the
only Molopsida species lacking setiferous punctures on
each side of the pronotum and bearing rows of coarse
punctures instead of striae on the elytra. Examination of
the types of Tarastethus phyllocharis, T. fuscipes, and T.
insularis – previously treated as a synonym of Molopsida
antarctica – revealed these taxa to be conspecific with
Molopsida seriatoporus.
Molopsida polita White, 1846 E
Figures 67, 111, 206; Map p. 176
Molopsida polita White, 1846: 6. Holotype: female (BMNH)
labelled “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed) / N. Zeal
(hand-written; circular white label) / Waikouaiti [= Wellington,
see Remarks] (hand-written) / Molopsida polita White
Zool Erebus & Terror. (hand-written; long folded label).”
Condition: Good (left profemur and tarsus missing).
Tarastethus laevicollis Broun, 1903: 458. Holotype: male
(BMNH) labelled “Type (circular red-bordered label;
typed) / 2657. (hand-written) / New Zealand. Broun Coll.
Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line;
typed) / Te Aroha. J.J. Walker (hand-written) / Tarastethus
laevicollis. [female symbol]. (hand-written).” Condition:
Excellent. Synonymised by Britton, 1940: 277.
Tarastethus carbonarius Broun, 1908: 351. Holotype: female
(BMNH) labelled “Type (circular red-bordered label;
typed) / 2675. (hand-written) / New Zeal. Broun Coll.
Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line;
typed) / Manawatu. nr. Gorge. (hand-written) / Tarastethus
carbonarius. [female symbol]. (hand-written).” Condition:
Excellent. New synonym.
Molopsida carbonaria: Britton, 1940: 277.
Description. Body: length 6.5–6.9 mm. Head, pronotum,
and abdomen deep black, elytra lighter black; antennae,