Amaroxenus kahurangiensis Larochelle and Larivière, 2022

Larochelle & Larivière, Marie-Claude, 2022, Synopsis of the tribe Amarotypini in New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Insecta Mundi 2022 (942), pp. 1-30 : 13-14

Amaroxenus kahurangiensis Larochelle and Larivière , new species

Fig. 17 , 30 , 49

Amaroxenus kahurangiensis Larochelle and Larivière , new species. Holotype: male (NZAC) labeled “ NEW ZEALAND, FD [=NN] Kahurangi NP [= National Park ], Lookout Ra [= Range ], Head of Dart R. [= River] 1500m, 10–16 Jan 2008. I. Millar (typed) / Pit traps Granite sand flats 41.33S, 172.36E (typed) / HOLOTYPE ♂ Amaroxenus kahurangiensis Larochelle & Larivière, 2022 (red label; typed).” Paratypes: one male and two females (NZAC) from the same locality as the holotype, bearing blue paratype labels.

Description. Body length 5.3–6.6 mm. Head, pronotum, and elytra piceous black; abdomen dark brown; antennae, palpi, and legs rufopiceous. Microsculpture weak and isodiametric (almost granulate) on head, obsolete and isodiametric on pronotum, weak and moderately transverse on elytra. Iridescence present on elytra. Shiny on head, pronotum, and elytra. Head. Labrum strongly transverse. Eyes slightly convex. Thorax. Pronotum moderately convex, impunctate, obsoletely wrinkled medially and across base, cordate, widest before middle; apex strongly emarginate; anterolateral angles poorly developed, obtuse; anterior bead complete; sides strongly rounded, moderately sinuate posteriorly; lateral beads narrow throughout; lateral depressions absent; posterolateral angles acute, slightly projected laterally; laterobasal foveae rounded, moderately wide, very deep, separated from lateral depressions by a carina; posterior bead complete. Legs. Pro- and mesotarsomeres 1–4 of both sexes moderately dilated. Elytra. Moderately convex. Sides strongly rounded. Striae deep, coarsely punctate; stria 3 with two or three well developed, coarse setiferous punctures. Intervals slightly convex. Umbilicate series with 12 or 13 setiferous punctures. Apices angulate. Aedeagus. Lateral view ( Fig. 17 ): strongly arcuate, stout, strongly widened and multistriate in apical half; base slightly convex dorsally; middle strongly convex dorsally, moderately concave ventrally, without dorsal membranous area; apex moderately concave dorsally and ventrally, with extreme tip very wide, rounded. Dorsal view: asymmetrical (ostium of membranous area deflected to the right).

Material examined. 22 specimens ( NZAC).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 49 ). South Island: NN –Kahurangi National Park (Lookout Range, Head of Dart River).

Ecology. Alpine. Epigean. Granite sand flats. Open ground. Probably nocturnal.

Biology. Seasonality: January. Predacious (based on mouthpart morphology).

Dispersal power. Subapterous (incapable of flight).

Collecting technique. Pitfall trapping.

Remarks. This species is named after the Kahurangi National Park (NN), the geographic area of the type locality and the Latin suffix – ensis, denoting a place, locality, or country. Amaroxenus kahurangiensis is morphologically close to A. huttensis . In addition to diagnostic characters of the male genitalia, A. kahurangiensis has the following distinguishing features: antennae rufopiceous; pronotum moderately convex, sides moderately sinuate posteriorly, posterolateral angles acute and slightly projected laterally, laterobasal foveae very deep; elytra shiny, moderately convex, with deep and coarsely punctate striae. The two species are allopatric: A. kahurangiensis is known only from the northwest of the South Island (NN), while A. huttensis occurs in southeastern areas of the South Island (CO, MC, MK). Amaroxenus kahurangiensis was mentioned in Hoare et al. (2016) as Amarotypini gen. nov., sp. nov., with a photo of the type locality and a discussion of the granite sand plains ecosystem.

Figures

Figures 15–20. Aedeagus, lateral. 15) Amaroxenus glacialis new species. 16) Amaroxenus huttensis new species. 17) Amaroxenus kahurangiensis new species. 18) Amarophilus otagoensis new species. 19) Amarophilus lomondensis new species. 20) Amarophilus wanakensis new species.

Figures 29–32. Dorsal habitus. 29) Amaroxenus huttensis new species. 30) Amaroxenus kahurangiensis new species. 31) Amarophilus rotundicollis new species (holotype). 32) Amarophilus otagoensis new species. Scale line = 1 mm.

Figures 48–49. Species distribution maps. 48) Amaroxenus huttensis new species. 49) Amaroxenus kahurangiensis new species.