Fauna of New Zealand 69 - Landcare Research

Fauna of New Zealand 69 53
Description. Body: length 5.3–6.0 mm. Head, pronotum,
elytra, and abdomen black; antennae, palpi, and legs
entirely pale red. Microsculpture absent on head and pronotum,
strong and very transverse (with microlines) on
elytra. Iridescence absent on head and pronotum, strong on
elytra (as in M. polita). Very shiny on head and pronotum,
moderately shiny on elytra. Head. Coarsely punctate in
and between frontal furrows, unwrinkled dorsally, much
narrower across eyes than pronotal apex. Mandibles
moderately long. Labrum quadrate, subtruncate anteriorly.
Antennae subfiliform; segment 1 (scape) moderately long,
about 1.5× longer than its maximum width. Frontal furrows
wide, deep. Eyes normally developed, moderately large,
moderately convex; two supraorbital setiferous punctures
on inner side of each eye. Interocular fovea present,
deep, rounded. 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. 113) strongly convex, coarsely punctate across
base, unwrinkled, moderately transverse, subrectangular;
apex straight; anterior bead narrowly interrupted medially;
anterolateral angles poorly developed, obtusely rounded;
sides moderately rounded anteriorly, very slightly sinuate
posteriorly; lateral beads slightly widening from apex to
base; lateral depressions absent; two setiferous punctures
on each side; each anterolateral setiferous puncture situated
well in front of middle and touching lateral bead;
posterolateral angles subrectangular, not denticulate;
laterobasal foveae ill-defined, coarsely punctate, shallow,
narrow, vaguely elongate; base rather straight, much wider
than apex, slightly narrower than elytral base. Prosternum
punctate, unwrinkled. Proepisterna punctate, unwrinkled.
Metepisterna punctate. Legs. Segment 5 of metatarsi with a
single pair of ventral setae. Elytra. Strongly convex, ovate,
widest in front of middle. Shoulders obtuse, denticulate.
Sides moderately rounded. Scutellar striole usually absent,
when present bipunctate. Striae mostly complete (stria 7
obsolete basally), moderately deep, with moderately coarse
punctures. Intervals depressed, becoming slightly convex
apically. Sutural apices angular. Abdomen. Sterna coarsely
punctate, unwrinkled. Last visible sternum (sternum VII):
male with two apical ambulatory setae; female with four
apical and two medial ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral
view (Fig. 68): moderately arcuate; apex moderately wide,
strongly rounded, moderately projecting ventrally, notched
dorsally. Dorsal view: asymmetrical (ostium deflected to
the right); apex rather straight. Parameres. Setulose (with
a few short setae at apex).
Material examined. 85 specimens (AMNZ, BMNH,
CMNZ, JNNZ, LUNZ, MONZ, NZAC).
Geographic distribution (Map p. 176). North Island: BP,
GB, HB, RI, TK, TO, WA, WI, WN, WO. South Island:
KA, SD
Ecology. Lowland, montane, subalpine. Wet forests
(beech, broadleaf, podocarp) and shrublands. 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 August. Tenerals:
October, December to March. Predacious (based on
mouthpart morphology). Occasionally infested with fungi
(Laboulbeniales).
Dispersal power. Elytra fused basally along suture.
Subapterous. Moderate runner. Vagility limited by flight
incapacity.
Reference. Larochelle & Larivière, 2001: 68–69 (catalogue;
biology, dispersal power, ecology, geographic
distribution, references).
Remarks. Examination of the type of Tarastethus dubius
revealed it to be conspecific with Molopsida strenua. As
in the case of M. polita, M. strenua is a highly distinctive
species characterised by strongly iridescent elytra.
Molopsida cordipennis (Broun, 1912) E
Figures 69, 114, 209; Map p. 176
Tarastethus cordipennis Broun, 1912: 388. Holotype: female
(BMNH) labelled “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed)
/ 3173. (hand-written) / New Zeal. Broun Coll. Brit. Mus.
1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line; typed) /
Mt. Quoin. Tararua. (hand-written) / Tarastethus cordipennis
(hand-written).” Condition: Excellent.
Molopsida cordipennis: Britton, 1940: 277.
Description. Body: length 5.0–6.0 mm. Head, pronotum,
and elytra testaceous; antennae, palpi, and legs yellowish
red. Microsculpture absent. Iridescence absent. Very shiny.
Head. Coarsely punctate in and between frontal furrows,
unwrinkled dorsally, slightly narrower across eyes than
pronotal apex. Mandibles very long. Labrum slightly
transverse, truncate anteriorly. Antennae submoniliform;
segment 1 (scape) moderately long, about 1.5× longer
than its maximum width. Frontal furrows wide, deep. Eyes
reduced, very small, slightly convex; two supraorbital
setiferous punctures on inner side of each eye. Interocular
fovea absent. Tempora inflated, oblique, very long (about
as long as eyes). Mentum: medial tooth acute apically,
slightly shorter than lateral lobes. Paraglossae membranous,
prominent, much longer than ligula. Palpi: penultimate
maxillary segment barely setulose (with a single short
apical seta). Thorax. Pronotum (Fig. 114) strongly convex,
coarsely punctate across base, finely punctate along lateral
beads, wrinkled, elongate, moderately cordate; apex