Fauna of New Zealand 69 - Landcare Research

Fauna of New Zealand 69 77
Sides almost straight. Scutellar setiferous pore inserted at
junction of striae 1+2. Scutellar striole absent or present
(uni- or bipunctate). Striae mostly complete (stria 7 obsolete
basally), moderately deep, with moderately coarse
punctation; stria 3 without setiferous punctures. Intervals
depressed in basal half, slightly convex in apical half.
Sutural apices angular. Abdomen. Sterna impunctate,
wrinkled laterally. Last visible sternum (sternum VII):
male with four apical ambulatory setae; female with four
apical and two medial ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral
view (Fig. 89): moderately arcuate; apex narrow, strongly
projecting dorsally. Dorsal view: asymmetrical (ostium
deflected to the right); apex straight. Parameres. Setulose
(with a few short setae at apex).
Material examined. Nine specimens (JNNZ, NZAC).
Geographic distribution (Map p. 182). South Island:
WN–Keith George Scenic Reserve. Kaitoke. Wellington
(Tinakori Hill, Wilton’s Bush).
Ecology. Lowland (hills). Forests (broadleaf, tree-fern,
pine). Shaded ground. Nocturnal; hides during the day under
deeply embedded stones; also found under a log, with
Mesoponera castanea ants (J. Nunn, personal communication).
The body shape (poorly-developed eyes, inflated
tempora, depressed elytra) and pale colour suggest that the
species is endogean (living in soil crevices or fissures, in
deep humus of leaf litter, under well-embedded stones).
Biology. Seasonality: September to January, July–August.
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 our friend the
coleopterist John Nunn (Dunedin) who discovered this
species.
Trichopsida nunni is morphologically close to T.
goethei. In addition to diagnostic characters of the male
genitalia T. nunni has the following distinguishing features:
microsculpture absent on head, pronotum, and
elytra; tempora very long (about as long as eyes); pronotum
slightly transverse, subrectangular, barely punctate,
unwrinkled, with sides slightly rounded anteriorly, not
sinuate posteriorly, without laterobasal foveae, and with
posterior bead interrupted medially; elytra elongate and
subparallel, with striae distinctly punctate.
Trichopsida debilis (Sharp, 1886) E new combination
Figures 90, 138, 233; Map p. 181
Tarastethus debilis Sharp, 1886: 373. Holotype: male (BMNH)
labelled “Tarastethus debilis. Type D.S. Bealey. N.Z.
Helms. (hand-written on card mount) / Type H.T. (circular
red-bordered label; typed) / Bealey, New Zealand. Helms.
(typed ) / Sharp Coll. 1905-313. (typed)” Condition: Excellent.
Tarastethus longulus Broun, 1917: 368. Holotype: male
(BMNH) labelled “Type (circular red-bordered label;
typed) / 3813- (hand-written) / New Zealand. Broun Coll.
Brit. Mus. 1922-482. (white label with red horizontal line;
typed) / Clippings. 28-1-1914. (hand-written) / Tarastethus
longulus (hand-written).” Condition: Excellent. New synonym.
Molopsida debilis: Britton, 1940: 477.
Molopsida longula: Britton, 1940: 477.
Description. Body: length 4.2–5.5 mm. Head, pronotum,
and elytra dark reddish; base of pronotum and base, suture,
margins, and apex of elytra pale yellowish red; abdomen
dark testaceous; antennae, palpi, and femora pale red;
tibiae and tarsi infuscate. Microsculpture moderately transverse,
feeble on head and pronotum, strong on elytra. Iridescence
absent. Very shiny. Head. Coarsely and entirely
punctate, wrinkled dorsally in apical half (unwrinkled in
other species), slightly narrower across eyes than pronotal
apex. Mandibles moderately long. Labrum moderately
transverse and 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, rather deep. Eyes reduced,
moderately 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
sparsely setulose. Thorax. Pronotum (Fig. 138) moderately
convex, strongly punctate and wrinkled throughout,
very transverse, moderately cordate; apex straight; anterolateral
angles poorly developed, obtuse; sides strongly
rounded anteriorly, slightly sinuate posteriorly; lateral
beads narrow; 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 obtuse, denticulate;
laterobasal foveae absent; posterior bead interrupted
medially; base emarginate medially, moderately oblique
laterally, slightly narrower than apex, much narrower than
elytral base. Prosternum punctate, wrinkled. Proepisterna
punctate, wrinkled. Metepisterna impunctate. Elytra.
Depressed dorsally, slightly convex laterally, subovate,
widest about middle. Basal margin complete. Shoulders
obtuse, denticulate. Sides moderately rounded. Scutellar
setiferous pore inserted at junction of striae 1+2. Scutellar
striole impunctate. Striae complete, moderately deep
(stria 7 shallower basally), finely punctate; stria 3 without
setiferous punctures. Intervals depressed. Sutural apices
angular. Abdomen. Sterna coarsely punctate, wrinkled.
Last visible sternum (sternum VII): male with two apical
ambulatory setae; female with four apical and two medial
ambulatory setae. Aedeagus. Lateral view (Fig. 90):
slightly arcuate; apex rather moderately wide, subtruncate,