Fauna of New Zealand 69 - Landcare Research

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Ecology. Lowland (hills). Wet forest (beech) area. Probably
living in shaded ground and hiding during the day
under cover. This species is probably epigean (living on
the surface of the ground).
Biology. Seasonality: September, May. Predacious (based
on mouthpart morphology).
Dispersal power. Elytra fused basally along suture.
Subapterous. Moderate runner. Vagility limited by flight
incapacity.
Remarks. This species is named after its type locality,
Maud Island (SD), and the Latin suffix -ensis, denoting a
place, locality, or country (Brown, 1985).
Trichopsida maudensis is morphologically close to
T. robusta from which it can only be reliably diagnosed
using the male genitalia, especially the posteroventral
tooth-like projection of the aedeagus. In addition,
T. maudensis has the following characteristic features:
tempora oblique, moderately long (about half as long
as eyes); pronotum with lateral setiferous puncture not
touching lateral bead and laterobasal foveae well defined,
deep.
Trichopsida diversa (Broun, 1917) E new combination
Figures 81, 127, 222; Map p. 181
Tarastethus diversus Broun, 1917: 366. Holotype: female
(BMNH) labelled “Type (circular red-bordered label;
typed) / 3810. (hand-written) / New Zealand. Broun Coll.
Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line;
typed) / Moa Basin. 20.10.1913. (hand-written) / Tarastethus
diversus (hand-written).” Condition: Excellent.
Tarastethus halli Broun, 1917: 367. Holotype: male (BMNH)
labelled “Type (circular red-bordered label; typed) / 3811-
[male symbol] (hand-written) / New Zeal. Broun Coll.
Brit. Mus. 1922–482. (white label with red horizontal line;
typed) / Mount Kiwi. 20-10-1913. (hand-written) / Tarastethus
halli –[male symbol]. (hand-written).” Condition: Excellent.
New synonym.
Molopsida diversa: Britton, 1940: 477.
Molopsida halli: Britton, 1940: 477.
Description. Body: length 5.4–6.3 mm. Head, pronotum,
elytra, and abdomen dark chestnut-red (forebody darker);
base, lateral margins, and apex of elytra pale red; antennae,
palpi, and legs entirely pale red. Microsculpture absent on
head, feeble and very transverse on pronotum, strong and
very transverse on elytra. Iridescence absent. Very shiny
on head, moderately shiny on pronotum and elytra. Head.
Coarsely punctate in interocular area, unwrinkled dorsally,
much narrower across eyes than pronotal apex. Mandibles
short. Labrum strongly transverse, moderately emarginate
anteriorly. Antennae: segment 1 (scape) moderately long,
about 1.5× longer than its maximum width; segments 1–3
glabrous (excluding apical setae). Frontal furrows wide,
Larochelle & Larivière (2013): Carabidae (Insecta: Coleoptera)
deep. Eyes reduced, very small, slightly convex. Tempora
convex, very long (about as long as eyes). Mentum:
medial tooth acute apically, slightly shorter than lateral
lobes. Ligula narrow apically. Paraglossae membranous,
prominent, much longer than ligula. Palpi: terminal segment
fusiform, not elliptical, sparsely setulose; penultimate
maxillary segment setulose (with a few sparse vestigial
setae and a few short apical setae). Thorax. Pronotum
(Fig. 127) moderately convex, coarsely punctate across
base, finely punctate along lateral beads, feebly wrinkled
along median longitudinal impression, strongly transverse,
moderately cordate; apex strongly arcuate; anterolateral
angles well developed, obtuse; sides strongly rounded
anteriorly, moderately sinuate posteriorly; lateral beads
strongly widening from apex to base; lateral depressions
present, strongly widening posteriorly; a single setiferous
puncture on each side (anteriorly), about middle and
touching lateral bead; posterolateral angles rectangular,
not denticulate; laterobasal foveae well defined, coarsely
punctate, deep, unusually wide (reaching lateral margins
and median longitudinal impression), rounded; posterior
bead complete; base unusually depressed, emarginate
medially, slightly oblique laterally, about as wide as apex,
moderately narrower than elytral base. Prosternum punctate,
unwrinkled. Proepisterna impunctate, unwrinkled.
Metepisterna impunctate. Elytra. Moderately convex,
subovate, widest about middle. Basal margin complete.
Shoulders obtuse, not denticulate. Sides moderately
rounded. Scutellar setiferous pore inserted at junction of
striae 1+2. Scutellar striole impunctate. Striae complete,
moderately deep, impunctate; stria 3 with two setiferous
punctures. Intervals slightly convex. Sutural apices angular.
Abdomen. Sterna impunctate, 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. 81): strongly arcuate
(more so than in other species); apex very narrow,
exceptionally slender (more so than in other species),
not projecting dorsoventrally. Dorsal view: asymmetrical
(ostium deflected to the left); apex deflected to the left.
Parameres. Glabrous.
Material examined. 27 specimens (BMNH, CMNZ,
JNNZ, LUNZ, NZAC).
Geographic distribution (Map p. 181). South Island:
BR, WD, NC, MC.
Ecology. Lowland, montane, subalpine, alpine. Forests
(beech, podocarp, broadleaf), shrublands, scrublands, and
moraines. Shaded (mostly) or open ground. Nocturnal;
hides during the day in leaf litter, moss, under embedded
fallen branches and stones, and under logs. The body shape
(poorly-developed eyes, inflated tempora) suggests that the