Mecodema hector Britton 1949
Creators: name: Seldon, David S.
name: Buckley, Thomas R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Mecodema
Mecodema hector

description: Mecodema hector Britton, 1949.
Figure 31.
Diagnosis: This species differs from other North Island Mecodema species by having: 1, the vertex and vertexal groove without punctures; 2, anterior area of clypeus convex medially in front of suture, grooves anterad raised area, 1 large setose puncture each side bearing 2 distinctly separate setae; 3, the shape of the apical portion of the penis lobe (Fig. 31 PL).
Description: Length 27.61 mm, pronotal width 7.2 mm, elytral width 8.68 mm. Colour of entire body very dark reddish-brown.
Head: Broad and flat (Fig. 14A). Vertex smooth; vertexal groove (Fig. 9) broad and slightly impressed, defined laterally by indistinct wrinkles and a few scattered pits; large supraorbital puncture bearing 4–5 setae; 2–3 poorly defined supraorbital grooves; frons with a large and shallow depression each side of midline; frontoclypeal suture deep and narrow, tentorial pits (Fig. 9) small; anterior area of clypeus medially convex anterad suture, grooves anterad raised area, 1 large setose puncture each side bearing 2 separated setae. Labrum rounded, anterior edge straight and slightly emarginated with 2 proximate central setae, 2 setae each side evenly spaced. Mentum lobes rounded (Fig. 12F), median process very narrow, slightly angled upward (15°), indentation notched (Fig. 12D); mentum setae absent. Submentum sclerite constriction broad with 3 setose punctures each side (large space medially). Stipes with 2 basal setae. Gula pits very small, suture defined, gula (Fig. 9) weakly convex with very fine transverse lines. Gena with fine wrinkles forming an isodiametric pattern across entire area.
Prothorax: Prothoracic carina narrow the entire length (broadened slightly at shoulder), slightly crenulated with 6–7 setae each side, extended beyond anterior angle; posterior lateral sinuation (Fig. 11) indistinctly carinate, inwardly angled (Fig. 31); pronotum broad and deflected laterally, overall shape cordate; midline well-defined, anterior medial and posterior medial diamond-shaped impressions present, disc smooth; pronotal foveae deep and broad; anterior edge slightly inwardly curved, posterior edge relatively straight. Prosternum (Fig. 2) with large medial depression, sparsely micropunctate increased laterally; proepisternum micropunctate. Procoxal setae absent; protibia distally expanded and shovel-like (Fig. 10B).
Elytra: Narrow and slightly deflected laterally; humeral angle evenly convex (Fig. 6B); basal margin sharply angled and gently sloped to base, interval 1 extended to scutellum; lateral carina narrow the entire length, extended to humeral angle; humerus with 2 setose punctures proximate humeral angle, 1 setose puncture posterad the humeral angle (Fig. 31); suture impressed but no more so than the striae; striae 1–4 impressed as lines, asetose punctures absent, striae 5–8 with asetose punctures visible, especially towards apex; intervals 1–6 flat or weakly convex (convexity increased laterally), intervals 7 and 8 strongly convex in anterior ⅓, to moderately convex apically, interval 9 shortened and moderately convex the entire length; interval microsculpture absent; 7 th strial setal pattern (Fig. 1) with 2 setose punctures in anterior ½, 2 setose punctures in posterior ½, setose punctures large.
Ventral surface: Mesepisternum with numerous grooves and pits; metepisternum (Fig. 2) with wrinkles and very sparsely pitted; setose punctures present on mesocoxa (4) [anterior punctures in a line of 3] and metacoxa (2). Abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 finely lineate and sparsely pitted, ventrites 3–5 finely lineate with 2 setose punctures each side of midline; ventrite 6 setae present: ♂ with 4–6 setose punctures on each side along straight apical edge, no ♀ specimen available; ventrites 3–5 foveate laterally. Anterior metaventrite process an almost equal-sided triangle with a narrow carina the entire length.
Male genitalia: Apical portion of penis lobe asymmetrically hooked with a moderate deflection to right of vertical axis (VV) (Fig. 15B); ventral process formed by very short and steep curve forming a sharp point (Fig. 31 PL), apex with broadly rounded (almost symmetrically) curve that forms a broad but flattened dorsal process with a recurved hook posterad the central vertical axis (Fig. 31 PL), brief curve from hook to shaft; penis lobe shaft narrow but slightly broadened to base, very distinct curve to right, especially in apical ⅓ (VV), overall length of penis lobe slightly curved ventrally (LV) (Fig. 16A). Structures of the endophallus (Fig. 4): lateral form of the apex of the central spicule pointed; dorsal form of the apex of the central spicule greatly expanded without projection; setal (scales) coverage of the apical plate extensive (26–75%); size of left setose flange small; size of right setose flange large. Left paramere basal lobe a small rectangle with moderate dorsal hump forming a steep (60°) rounded curve to very truncated arm (Fig. 31 LP); arm and terminal lobe indistinct from each other, apical tuft of very long with numerous setae, medium length setae continue along apical ½ of ventral edge (Fig. 31 LP); ventral edge moderately curved. Right paramere a long and narrow rectangle, gradually narrowed to form terminal end with a double row of long setae extended along apical ¾ of ventral edge (Fig. 31 RP).
Female genitalia: no female specimen available.
Comments: Type locality mislabelled by Britton (1949) as Otago, but was corrected by Larochelle & Lariviere (2001) to Mt Hector, Wellington region.
Distribution: New Zealand, North Island, Wellington, Tararua Range, Mt Hector.
Holotype: MONZ male labelled [card mounted, genitalia exposed (on card)]. Type [round label, red outer circle] glued to card, Hector, 26.12.10 [hw] (underside of card) / Det. E.B. Britton [hw] / AI.000036.
Material examined: 1♂ Tararuas 20.12.20 [hw] / Mecodema hector Britton 1949 Det. A. Larochelle (NZAC).
description: Published as part of Seldon, David S. & Buckley, Thomas R., 2019, The genus Mecodema Blanchard 1853 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Broscini) from the North Island, New Zealand, pp. 1-148 in Zootaxa 4598 (1) on pages 55-57, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4598.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2668063