Caledonica mniszechii ( Thomson, 1856 )

Kudrna, Arnošt, 2016, Revision of the genusCaledonica (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (2), pp. 567-628 : 619-622

Caledonica mniszechii ( Thomson, 1856)

( Figs 66–70 , 83–85 )

Distipsidera Mniszechii Thomson, 1856: 112 (original description). FAUVEL (1862): 129 (redescription); LUCAS (1863): 112 (noted).

Caledonica Mniszechii: CHAUDOIR (1860) : 312 (transfer); CHAUDOIR (1865): 15 (catalogue); WIESNER (1992): 76 (catalogue).

Caledonica Mniszechi : GEMMINGER & HAROLD (1868): 32 (catalogue); FAUVEL (1882): 223 (key), 224 (redescription); FLEUTIAUX (1892):31 (catalogue); FAUVEL (1903): 212 (key), 213 (noted); HEYNE & TASCHENBERG (1908): 8 (noted); HORN (1910): 180 (noted), 181 (catalogue); FLEUTIAUX (1911): 162 (catalogue); HORN (1926): 104 (catalogue); HORN (1936): 5 (as a synonym of C. tuberculata ), 6 (catalogue); DEUVE (1981): 182 (key), 188 (redescription); DEUVE (2015): 83 (noted).

Type locality. Original type locality ‘Nouvelle Calédonie’, replaced here by the act of the neotype designation as ‘ New Caledonia, Province Nord, 15 km NW Koumac, 25 m., foret et riviere de Nehoue, S 20°25´, E 164°13´’.

Type material examined. NEOTYPE (present designation): J, ‘ New Caledonia, Province Nord, 6.1.2012, 15 km NW Koumac, 25 m., foret et riviere de Nehoue, S 20°25´, E 164°13´, A. Kudrna jr. Lgt.’ [white, printed]; ‘ Neotype Distipsidera,Mniszechii Thomson, 1856 , design.A.Kudrna 2016’ [red, printed]; ‘ Caledonica mniszechii, ( Thomson, 1856) , design. A. Kudrna 2016’ [white, printed] ( MNHN).

Additional material examined (94 specimens). NEW CALEDONIA: PROVINCE NORD: Antenna Forest , 2 km S of Touho, 450 m, 20°47′S, 165°14′E, 7.–10.ii.2012, 7 JJ, 1 ♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; 15 km NW Koumac, 25 m, foret et riviere de Nehoue , 20°25′S, 164°13′E, 6.i.2012, 6 JJ, 3 ♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; Mt. Colnett , 0–350 m, 17.–23.i.2012, 20°30′S, 164°45′E, 5 JJ, 5 ♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; 3–10 km S of Canala , 20–150 m, 21°33′S, 165°59′E, 11.–15.ii.2012, 3 JJ, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; Poindimié , 24.i.1993, 2 ♀♀, M. Boulard lgt. ( MNHN) . PROVINCE SUD: near Bouirou , cca 20 km N Bourail, 27.xii.2004 – 02.i.2005, 4JJ, 3♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; forest of Plato de Dogny, near Sarramea , 24.–27.xii.2004, 8 JJ, 5♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; Col de la Pirogue, Mt. Mou , 22°04′S, 166°20′E, 7.iii.2012, 1 J, 2 ♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; environs of Sarramea , 05.– 08.ii. and 16.–18.ii. 2009, 1 J, 2 ♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; 3 km NW of Sarramea , 21°37′S, 165°50′E, 23.–30.xii.2011, 250– 550 m, 7 JJ, 5 ♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; 15 km NE of Noumea, forest of Mts. Koghis , 5.–6.iii. 2009, 500 m, 4 JJ, 4 ♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; environs of Port Boise , 22°21′S, 166°58′E, 20.–28. ii.2012, 0–100 m, 6 JJ, 2 ♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; ca. 10 km NW of Paita , 7.–12.i.2005, 3 JJ, 3 ♀♀, A. Kudrna jr. lgt. ( AKCB) ; Prony , 2 JJ ( MNHN) .

Neotype designation. The original type material was not located and is considered lost ( DEUVE 1981). A neotype is designated to conserve status of this taxon and ensure its recognition. Also, the original type locality was stated only as ‘Nouvelle Calédonie’ and more precise distribution was unknown. The neotype is based on a well preserved specimen corresponding with the primary description and accompanying figure ( THOMSON 1856).

Redescription. Body very large (more robust in female), length 16.30–19.50 (neotype: 18) mm, width 5.20–6.25 mm in male ( Fig. 66 ); in female ( Fig. 68 ) length 18.10–20.80 mm, width 6.60–7.60 mm.

Head with large eyes, slightly narrower than elytra, dorsally dark bronze to dark cupreous with metallic reflections (cupreous coloration more frequent in female), in male supraantennal plates and lateral areas of frons in with metallic cupreous, green or violet reflections, frons distinctly convex, notably in female, separated from clypeus by more or less distinct suture, median area mostly irregularly vermicular-rugulose, lateral areas more regularly longitudinally or oblique-longitudinally rugulose; vertex moderately to distinctly convex (more markedly so in female) with variably sized posterior impression, longitudinally or irregularly striate; orbital plates longitudinally parallel-striate with two setae on each side; occipital area irregularly wavy to vermicular-rugulose; genae glabrous, finely parallel-striate, shiny metallic green, occasionally with limited shiny cupreous areas; clypeus coriaceous, in male green to cupreous, in female dark cupreous to black, in both sexes with metallic reflections.

Labrum with two setae and acute anterolateral teeth in both sexes, testaceous, usually with darkened teeth and distinctly or rarely less distinctly black lateral margins; male labrum ( Fig. 67 ) rather long, slightly shorter than wide, 2.20–2.55 mm long, 2.35–2.60 mm wide, median lobe long, with distinct and acute anterior teeth and usually blunt median tooth; female labrum ( Fig. 69 ) slightly longer than wide, 2.95–3.40 mm long, 2.95–3.20 mm wide, 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, with paler basolateral area and often with black margins of teeth; each mandible with three teeth and basal molar; third tooth in right mandible indistinctly smaller than in left.

Labial and maxillary palpi in male testaceous, usually with darkened apices of terminal palpomeres; palpi in female testaceous to dark testaceous except for black terminal palpomeres and often darkened penultimate palpomere in maxillary palpi.

Antennae markedly longer in male, reaching or exceeding three quarters of elytral length, while in female only elytral half; scape in male testaceous, with darkened apical area, pedicel dark brown to black, antennomeres III–IV dorsally dark testaceous to black, rarely with paler apices, in lateral view mostly testaceous; antennomeres V–XI entirely testaceous or progressively darkened, terminal or three last antennomeres black; in female scape dorsally testaceous, usually with darkened apices and large black ventral area, pedicel and antennomeres III–IV dorsally dark brown to black, rarely with limited paler lateral areas, V–XI mostly dark brown to black, rarely testaceous with last antennomere darkened.

Thorax. All parts glabrous. Pronotum in male 2.85–3.40 mm long, 4.05–4.75 mm wide (on average 1.42 times wider than long); in female 3.20–3.70 mm long, 4.90–5.60 mm wide (on average 1.51 times wider than long), anterior and posterior sulci well pronounced, anterior lobe approximately as wide as posterior; disc with convex lateral margins and elevated notopleural sutures which are obvious in dorsal view either in form of flat, short and very indistinct lateral ribs or flat protuberances; pronotal surface dark bronze to dark cupreous with metallic reflections, irregularly wavy to vermicular-rugulose, rugae becoming more regularly transverse-wavy along rather distinctly developed median line and on lateral areas of disc; lateral sterna in male mostly shiny green, occasionally blue-green or cupreous, metepisterna often with shiny red central areas, in female predominantly metallic cupreous, black-cupreous or violet, occasionally dark green; in both sexes pro- and metepisterna very shallowly wrinkled, proepisterna in some females nearly smooth, mesepisterna in male finely to more coarsely rugulose, in female finely rugulose to smooth; female mesepisternal coupling sulci forming deep and large pit placed in the dorsal mesepisternal half, metepisterna with rather deep impression at posterior suture; pro-, meso-, and metasternum mostly dark testaceous, lustrously green or cupreous, metasternum with deep fovea-like impression placed at dorsolateral corner.

Elytra elongate, length 10.50–12.50 mm in male, 12.50–15.20 mm in female, only slightly narrowed towards rounded anteapical angles, apices rounded or only indistinctly emarginate in male, slightly more distinctly in female, sutural spine short; juxtahumeral impressions and basodiscal convexity moderate, apical impressions indistinct; each elytron between basodiscal convexity and apical impression with two longitudinal (discal and sublateral) costae which are often mutually connected by additional, short transverse costa in basal area of each costa; area between costae and suture impressed; elytral surface anteriorly densely and deeply punctate (juxtahumeral impression punctate only sporadically); punctures in area of basodiscal convexity often with wide interspaces forming elevated irregular chains; punctures towards apex becoming smaller and shallower and are very indistinct on apical area, punctures on flat interspaces between the costae and also between suture are very indistinct to nearly effaced; setigerous punctures with rather long white hairlike setae are sparsely distributed on anterior area; elytral coloration dark bronze to dark cupreous with metallic lustre; interspaces between costae and area along the suture notably iridescent silvery-bronze to silvery-bluish, iridescence changing to dull depending on angle of illumination; elytral maculation ochre-white, in both sexes consisting of three maculae: elongate and curved humeral macula, well visible in dorsal view, rather short transverse median macula, usually directed obliquely backwards and reaching or overlapping sublateral costa, and anteapical macula of irregularly circular shape.

Abdomen. Ventrites glabrous, dark testaceous with shiny-green, cupreous or occasionally bluish, metallic reflections.

Legs generally somewhat darker in female; coxae and trochanters testaceous; femora testaceous, usually with black stripes of variable extend and darkened apices (very rarely with femora in male entirely testaceous); tibiae in male testaceous except for apices, interior and in protibiae also lateral areas usually black; tibiae in female with more extended black areas; tarsi in male testaceous with darkened apices, rarely last tarsomere of meso- and metatarsi and the three dilated protarsomeres entirely black, tarsi in female dark testaceous with black apices to entirely black; claws testaceous.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 70 ) 6.30–7.00 mm long, 1.25–1.50 mm wide; markedly voluminous, basal part notably narrow, apical part narrowed into short and blunt apex which is dorsally slightly emarginated and thus indistinctly pointing dorsally.

Differential diagnosis. Resembling C. tuberculata in its large body, but distinguished by labrum with generally only two setae, lateral margins of pronotum usually with short and indistinct flat lateral ribs or rarely flat protuberances, elytral punctures becoming smaller towards apex and nearly effaced on apical area, and longer antennae reaching or exceeding three quarters of elytral length in male, elytral half in female. The ventral portions of the body usually have shiny green metallic reflections.

Biology and distribution. Caledonica mniszechii is together with C. bavayi the most common species of the genus, recorded from many localities all over the island. Moreover these two species usually have syntopic occurrence. Adults were observed along the trails inside forests, as well as at forest edges or even on solitary trees, sitting on tree trunks of various size, sometimes even on very thin trunks. On several occasions females were observed laying eggs into laterite soil of forest trails in humid conditions.

Remarks. THOMSON (1856) described this species from a single specimen but the type was not found recently and is assumed to be lost ( DEUVE 1981).

Figures

Figs 66–75. 66–70 – Caledonica mniszechii (Thomson, 1856): 66 – habitus, J, neotype, 18 mm (MNHN); 67 – frontal view, ibid.; 68 – habitus, ♀, Sarramea, 20.8 mm (AKCB); 69 – frontal view, ibid.; 70 – aedeagus, Bouirou (AKCB). 71–75 – C. tuberculata Fauvel, 1882: 71 – habitus, J,syntype, Yahoué, 17.4 mm (IRSNB); 72 – frontal view, ibid.; 73 – habitus, ♀, syntype, Ile des Pins, 20.5 mm (IRSNB); 74 – frontal view, ibid.; 75 – aedeagus, no locality data (MNHN). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs 83–86. Habitats and adults. 83 – Province Sud, Sarramea, Plato de Dogny, a path through forest with saplings of Coffea arabica, a biotope of Caledonica mniszechii (Thomson, 1856) and C. bavayi Fauvel, 1882; 84 – Province Sud, Mt. Koghis, a biotope of C. mniszechii, C. acentra Chaudoir, 1869, C. rivalieri Deuve, 1981 and C. bavayi; 85 – a mating pair of C. mniszechii, Plato de Dogny; 86 – C. luiggiorum sp. nov. on the trunk of young Acacia spirorbis tree in a garden, Province Nord.