Caledonica lunigera Chaudoir, 1860

Kudrna, Arnošt, 2016, Revision of the genusCaledonica (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (2), pp. 567-628 : 609-611

Caledonica lunigera Chaudoir, 1860

( Figs 76–80, 82 )

Caledonica lunigera Chaudoir, 1860: 314 (original description). CHAUDOIR (1865): 15 (catalogue); GEMMINGER & HAROLD (1868): 32 (catalogue); FAUVEL (1882): 223 (key), 225 (redescription); FLEUTIAUX (1892): 31 (catalogue); FAUVEL (1903): 212 (key), 213 (noted); HEYNE & TASCHENBERG (1908): 8 (noted); HORN (1910): 180 (noted), 181 (catalogue); HORN (1926): 105 (catalogue); HORN (1936): 6 (catalogue); DEUVE (1981):182 (key), 185 (redescription); WIESNER (1992): 76 (catalogue); DEUVE (2015): 83 (noted).

Distipsidera lunigera: LUCAS (1863) : 112 (noted).

Distipsidera deplanchei Fauvel, 1862: 129 (original description).

Caledonica deplanchei: GEMMINGER & HAROLD (1868) : 32 (catalogue, synonym of C. mniszechii ), FAUVEL (1882): 225 (synonymy).

Type localities. Caledonica lunigera : ‘Nouvelles-Hébrides’ [in fact New Caledonia]; Distipsidera deplanchei : ‘ Nelle Calédonie’.

Type material examined. Caledonica lunigera : HOLOTYPE (by monotypy): J, ‘Museum Paris, Nelles Hébrides, Coll. Chaudoir 1874’ [pink, printed/handwritten]; ‘ lunigera Chaud., Nlle Caledonie, J. Stevens’ [handwritten]; ‘208/4’ [small circular label, handwritten]; ‘Type’ [red, printed] ( MNHN). Distipsidera deplanchei : HOLOTYPE (by monotypy): ♀, ‘Museum Paris, Nelle Calédonie, coll. Chaudoir 1874’ [pink, printed/handwritten]; ‘Type’ [red, printed]; ‘ Deplanchei Fvl. type’ [handwritten] ( MNHN).

Additional material examined (27 specimens). NEW CALEDONIA: PROVINCE NORD: 3–10 km S of Canala , 20–150 m, 21°33′S, 165°59′E, 11.–15.ii.2012, 3 JJ, 2 ♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) . PROVINCE SUD: Noumea, near Tjibao Centre , 17.ii.2005, 3 JJ, 1 ♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; Parc Provincial de la Riviere Bleue , near gate, 13.–14.ii.2005, 2 JJ, 2 ♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; Paita-Mt. Mou, near Noumea , 5 JJ, 1 ♀, 25.iii.–14. iv.2009, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; environs of Boulouparis , 9.–16.ii.2009, 4 JJ, 4 ♀♀, A. Kudrna jr.lgt. ( AKCB) .

Redescription. Body medium sized, length 10.60–12.40 (holotype: 11.00) mm, width 3.30–4.00 (holotype: 3.55) mm in male ( Fig. 76 ); in female length 10.40–12.80 mm, width 3.25–4.25 mm ( Fig. 78 ).

Head with large eyes, slightly narrower than elytra, dorsally olivaceous-green to cupreous with metallic reflections; frons, clypeus and supraantennal plates in male (much less distinctly in female) usually shiny green, often with strong cupreous and reddish reflections; frons rather distinctly convex, separated from clypeus by obvious suture; vertex variably shaped, moderately convex with distinct posterior impression; surface of frons and vertex longitudinally rugulose, rugae often becoming irregular on central area; orbital plates longitudinally parallel-striate with two setae on each side; occipital area irregularly vermicular to wavy rugulose; genae glabrous, dark testaceous to green with strong green reflections, finely to more coarsely striate; clypeus coriaceous, occasionally with dark testaceous areas, otherwise shiny green, often with cupreous and red reflections.

Labrum with four setae and acute anterolateral teeth in both sexes, testaceous except for often darkened apices of teeth (more markedly in female), male labrum ( Fig. 77 ) shorter than wide, length 1.00– 1.15 mm, width 1.40–1.65 mm, median lobe short, truncate between entirely effaced or moderately developed anterior teeth; female labrum ( Fig. 79 ) longer, approximately as long as wide, length 1.40–1.70 mm, width 1.45–1.70 mm, with prominent, sharply tridentate median lobe of acute teeth which are bent downwards, so their acute shape is not obvious in dorsal view.

Mandibles subsymmetrical, dark testaceous to black except for paler basolateral area; each mandible with three teeth and basal molar; third tooth in both mandibles smaller than second, third tooth in right mandible smaller than the one in left.

Labial and maxillary palpi in both sexes testaceous except for darkened apices of terminal palpomeres, in female terminal palpomere often entirely black.

Antennae markedly longer in male, reaching half to two thirds of elytral length, in female only one third, testaceous, progressively darkened with last two or three, rarely four antennomeres black.

Thorax. All parts glabrous. Pronotum wide, in male 1.65–1.95 mm long, 2.35–2.95 mm wide (on average 1.49 times wider than long), in female 1.55–2.00 mm long, 2.35–3.00 mm wide (on average 1.45 times wider than long), anterior and posterior sulci well pronounced, anterior lobe of the same width or only slightly wider than posterior lobe; disc rather variable, with either markedly or less distinctly convex lateral margins and elevated notopleural sutures obvious in dorsal view in form of flat lateral ribs which can be faint to nearly absent, or short but distinctly wide, gradually effaced towards anterior and posterior sulci; pronotal surface olivaceous green to cupreous with metallic reflections, coarsely and irregularly wavy to vermicular-rugulose, rugae becoming more regularly transverse along rather distinct median line and on lateral areas of disc; pro-, mes-, and metepisterna finely to very finely wrinkled, rarely nearly smooth, predominately shiny metallic-green, red or cupreous, often with dark testaceous areas; female mesepisternal coupling sulci with moderately deep to nearly effaced pit placed in dorsal mesepisternal third or half; metepisterna usually with small impression at posterior suture; pro-, meso-, and metasternum dark testaceous to green with metallic lustre, metasternum with fovea-like impression placed at dorsolateral corner.

Elytra elongate and narrow, length 7.00– 8.40 mm in male, 6.85–8.50 mm in female, moderately narrowed towards rounded anteapical angles, apices rounded with indistinct to effaced emargination towards short sutural spines; juxtahumeral impressions distinct, basodiscal convexity moderate, apical impressions indistinct; each elytron between basodiscal convexity and apical impression with two elevated longitudinal costae: distinct discal and somewhat less distinct sublateral costa, rarely both costae mutually connected by additional, short transverse costa in area adjacent to median macula or more often in basal area, the area between costae and suture impressed; elytral surface on anterior area densely and deeply punctate (except for only sporadically punctate juxtahumeral impressions), punctures on lateral areas of basodiscal convexity often with wide interspaces forming elevated irregular chains, punctures towards apex become gradually smaller and shallower and are nearly effaced on apical area; punctures on flat interspaces between costae and suture and along exterior edge of sublateral costae very faint and with only several larger punctures placed anteriorly; sparse setigerous punctures with rather long, white hairlike setae distributed on anterior area; elytral coloration olivaceous-green to cupreous with metallic reflections; interspaces between costae and also along the suture notably iridescent green, more rarely silvery or bronze, iridescence changing to dull depending on angle of illumination; elytral maculation ivory, quite characteristic, in both sexes consisting of three maculae: elongate humeral lunule markedly curved and clearly visible in dorsal view, oblong median macula directed obliquely backwards and variably overlapping sublateral costa, and anteapical macula of irregularly circular shape.

Abdomen. Ventrites glabrous, dark testaceous to shiny metallic green.

Legs. Coxae and trochanters testaceous; meso- and metafemora testaceous with darkened apical area, profemora with less distinctly darkened apices, but occasionally with darkened posterior portions, female femora generally with more extended dark coloration; tibiae testaceous with black apical area that is often expanding upwards (especially in female protibiae); protarsi and metatarsi in both sexes testaceous to black, mesotarsi in female black, rarely tarsomeres with dark testaceous areas, in male testaceous with darkened apices and terminal tarsomere entirely black; claws testaceous, often with black basal area.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 80 ) 3.75–4.00 mm long and 0.65–1.75 mm wide; with narrow and arcuately curved basal portion, dilated in middle, apical portion conically attenuated towards narrow, blunt tip.

Differential diagnosis. Resembling C. acentra and C. bavayi , but distinguished from these two species by markedly smaller body (13.10–15.70 mm in C. acentra , 10.80–15.20 mm in C. bavayi , 10.40–12.80 mm in C. lunigera ), always entirely testaceous labrum (except for often darkened apices of teeth), and the aedeagus with shorter and only indistinctly dorsally hooked tip.

Biology and distribution. According to FAUVEL (1882), C. lunigera was ‘a most common species, probably occurring in the whole colony and even more widespread in the north’. Nevertheless, I found this species only rarely and in a few localities in the Southern Province only. Moreover all these localities were biotopes of secondary forests or just solitary trees in build-up areas. In February 2005 hundreds of adults were active on large tree trunks in a monocultural plantation of Agathis lanceolata Lindley ex Warb. (Araucariaceae) in the Parc Rivière Bleue. In February 2012 C. lunigera was found together with C. bavayi at the margins of woods in otherwise open land south of Kanala. On a few occasions in Paita and its vicinity adults were observed on solitary trees in gardens and also on planted trees along tarmac road directly in the centre of the town. Surprisingly, some adults were found dead and glued onto tree trunks by the natural resin of injured trees in a small park close to Tjibao centre on the outskirts of Noumea. Remarks. FAUVEL (1862) described D. deplanchei based on a single female specimen, now deposited in MNHN and closely corresponding with C. lunigera . Although the type locality was not mentioned in the original description ( FAUVEL 1862), it is apparent from the context of the paper that it is a place in New Caledonia.

Figures

Figs 76–82. 76–80 – Caledonica lunigera Chaudoir, 1860: 76 – habitus,J, Mt. Mou, 11.2 mm (AKCB); 77 – frontal view, ibid.; 78 – habitus, ♀, Parc Prov. Riviere Bleue, 10.3 mm (AKCB); 79 – frontal view, ibid.; 80 – aedeagus, S Kanala (AKCB). 81–82 – habitats and adults: 81 – larval holes probably of Caledonica mniszechii (Thomson, 1856) in small forest remnants, Province Sud, Port Boise; 82 – Parc Prov. Riviere Bleue, adult of Caledonica lunigera Chaudoir, 1870 on a tree trunk. Scale bars = 1 mm.