Transrenus thulater, Grzymala & Leschen, 2020

Grzymala, Traci L. & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2020, Sexual Dimorphism of New Zealand Puppet Beetles (Aderidae, Coleoptera, Tenebrionoidea): Systematic Revision, Description of Three New Genera, and Phylogeny for Zenascus, gen. n., Zootaxa 4889 (1), pp. 1-59 : 20

Transrenus thulater sp. n.

Figs 2C , 6 A–6G, 7A–7G, 10B, 26C

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the overall dark coloration of this species and its geographic restriction to the northern region of the North Island of New Zealand. The name is formed from the Latin Thule (farthest north), a far-northern island location in classical European literature, and the Latin ater (black).

Description. Length 1.35–1.43 mm. Dorsal surface piceous to brunneous; vestiture biseriate, clothed with fine, decumbent pubescence arising anterad of each puncture, about 3.5× length of puncture, with 1–2 additional thin, slightly shorter, decumbent setae between each puncture pair. Ventral vestiture similar type of biseriate pubescence to dorsum. Head, HW 0.35–0.39 mm, HL 0.15–0.17 mm. Antenna ( Fig. 6B ) with scape slightly longer than broad; pedicel globular; antennomere 3 longer than pedicel, with base subequal in width to apex of pedicel, slightly longer than antennomere 4; antennomeres 4 and 6 subequal in length and width; antennomere 7 subequal in width and slightly greater in length than antennomere 6; antennomeres 8–10 slightly wider and shorter than anntenomere 7; antennomere 11 elongate. Pronotum, PW 0.38–0.42 mm, PL 0.30–0.32 mm. Elytral length 1.6–1.8× elytral width and 3.5–3.7× pronotal length. Protarsomeres 1–3 subequal in width, each ventrally with spatulate, adhesive setae, concentrated on protarsomere 3; 1 st protarsomere 2.5× longer than protarsomere 2; 2 nd protarsomere 1.5× longer than protarsomere 3; protarsomere 4 reduced; 5 th protarsomere 2.5× longer than wide.

Remarks. This species corresponds to ‘ Xylophilus species 4” in the Lynfield survey of Kushel (1990), known from 1 specimen collected during this previous study.

Natural History. This is a relatively uncommon North Island species. Eight of the specimens were collected by Malaise traps, the others were from dead wood.

Distribution. North Island : Auckland ( AK), Coromandel ( CL), Bay of Plenty ( BP), Gisborne ( GB), Taranaki ( TK), and Hawkes Bay ( HB).

Type material examined. Holotype. Male ( AMNZ), labeled: “ NEW ZEALAND AK / Waitakere Ra / Karekare / 10 APR 2000 / Wasp Survey // Malaise trap 5 / Duration ca. 1 week // AMNZ 50727 / AUCKLAND / MUSUEM / NEW ZEALAND ” . Paratypes (11). North Island . AK: Auckland, Grafton Gully , 26/12/1999, leaf litter in bush at seepage, S.E. Thorpe (1, AMNZ) ; Glen Eden , Waikumete Cemetary , 15/01/2007, on log, S.E. Thorpe, (1, AMNZ) ; Lynfield, Tropicana Drive , 02/01/1977, G. Kuschel (1, NZAC) ; Waitakere Ra , Karekare , 14/02/2000, malaise trap, wasp survey (1, AMNZ) ; same, but 27/03/2000 (1, AMNZ) ; same, but 3/04/2000, Malaise trap, (1, AMNZ) . CL: Great Barrier Is , Little Windy Hill , 220m, 13/12/2002 – 17/01/2007, forest edge Malaise trap, P. Sutton (1, AMNZ) . BP: Lake Rotoiti , Otaramarae , 29/12/1977, ex. dead logs in secondary growth, J.S. Dugdale (1, NZAC) . GB: Waimata Valley , 14/12/1994 – 21/12/1994, malaise trap (2), clover-sweet vernal mature pasture, J.S. Dugdale (1, NZAC) . TK: Mount Messenger , 15/12/1983, L. Masner (1, CMNC) . HB: Waitere , 600m, 12/01/1984, 31069, malaise trap, J.G. Charles (1, NZAC) .

Figures

FIGURES 2A–D. Dorsal habitus images. (A) Scraptogetus anthracinus Broun, 1893; (B) Scraptogetus arboreus (Broun, 1914); (C) Transrenus thulater, gen. n. sp. n.(D) Pseudozena denticulata gen. n. sp. n. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 6A–G. Transrenus thulater, gen n. sp. n., scanning electron micrographs. (A) pronotum; (B) antenna; (C) scutellum; (D) proleg; (E) elytral integument close-up; (F) elytron; (G) mesoventral and metaventral processes.