Mecodema kokoroiho Seldon & Buckley 2019, sp. n.
Creators: name: Seldon, David S.
name: Buckley, Thomas R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Mecodema
Mecodema kokoroiho

description: Mecodema kokoroiho sp. n.
Figure 34.
Diagnosis: Distinguished from other North Island Mecodema species by: 1, vertexal groove broad and shallow with a few scattered, obsolescent punctures and rugose wrinkles laterally; 2, the pronotal foveae deep and narrow (distinctly formed by posterior sinuation); 3, intervals 1 and 7 continued to base; 4, distinctive shape of the apical portion of the penis lobe (Fig. 34 PL).
Description: Length 27–34 mm, pronotal width 6.5–9 mm, elytral width 8–11 mm. Colour of body matte to glossy black, coxae and femur dark reddish-brown, tibiae black.
Head: Broad and flat (Fig. 14A). Vertex with very fine wrinkles forming an isodiametric pattern; vertexal groove well-defined, broad and shallow laterally with a few scattered obsolescent punctures and rugose wrinkles laterally; small supraorbital puncture (Fig. 9) bearing 3–4 setae; 4–5 well-defined supraorbital grooves extended onto frons; frons with shallow grooves laterally, medially convex, a broad and shallow depression each side (extended to frontoclypeal area) of midline; frontoclypeal suture (Fig. 9) indistinct with indistinct to small tentorial pits within a larger depression; anterior area of clypeus medially convex posterad with 3 shallow grooves; 1 clypeal puncture each side bearing 1–2 setae. Labrum lobate, anterior edge strongly emarginated with 2 proximate central setae, 2 setae each side evenly spaced. Mentum lobes rounded (Fig. 12F), median process short and broad, moderately angled upward (30°), strongly indentate (Fig. 12A); mentum setae absent. Submentum sclerite constriction broad with 6 evenly spaced setae. Stipes with 2 basal setae. Gula pits small, suture defined, gula flat and smooth. Gena with a finely wrinkled isodiametric pattern across entire area.
Prothorax: Prothoracic carina (Fig. 11) narrow the entire length, crenulations absent with 8–12 setae each side, extended beyond anterior angle; posterior sinuation indistinctly carinate, angled slightly inward; pronotum broad and flat, deflected laterally, overall shape cordate (Fig. 34); disc with very fine transverse wrinkles laterally; midline well-defined, anterior medial triangular impression and posterior medial diamond-shaped impression present; pronotal foveae deep and narrow (distinctly formed by posterior sinuation); anterior edge inwardly curved, posterior edge straight (Fig. 34). Prosternum concave with very fine transverse lines; proepisternum without microsculpture. Procoxal setae absent; protibia distally expanded and shovel-like (Fig. 10B).
Elytra: Broad and flat, slightly deflected laterally; humeral angle evenly convex (Fig. 6B); basal margin slightly curved and gently sloped to base, intervals 1 and 7 continued to base; lateral carina narrow the entire length (Fig. 34), extended beyond humeral angle; humerus with 3 proximate setose punctures and 1 double-spaced posterad; suture indistinctly impressed; striae with small, regularly spaced asetose punctures, indistinct near suture to more visible laterally; intervals 1–6 weakly convex, intervals 7–9 moderately convex, interval 9 truncated anterad prior to humerus; interval microsculpture present in form of fine transverse lines; 7 th strial setal pattern with 3 setose punctures in anterior ½, 5 setose punctures in posterior ½ (Fig. 34), setose punctures small.
Ventral surface: Mesepisternum with obsolescent punctures and a few lines, metepisternum without microsculpture; setose punctures present on mesocoxae (2) and metacoxae (2). All abdominal ventrites (Fig. 2) finely lineate; ventrites 3–5 with 1–2 setose punctures each side of midline; ventrite 6 setae present: ♂ with a pair of closely spaced setae at the junction of squared apical edge and curve anterad, ♀ with 3 setae each side, 1 proximate medially, 2 clustered together distantly from midline, apical edge obtuse rounded; ventrites foveate laterally (very shallow depressions). Anterior metaventrite process (Fig. 2) a short triangle with a well-defined narrow carina the entire length.
Male genitalia: Apical portion of penis lobe asymmetrically hooked and width broad with a moderate deflection to right of vertical axis (VV) (Fig. 15B); ventral process a very short point at centre, apex symmetrically curved upward to form a distinctly recurved, rounded dorsal process (looks like a dolphin fin) with a brief and sharp returned curve to shaft (Fig. 34 PL); penis lobe shaft narrow but broadened at apex and towards base; penis lobe ventral edge with a moderate curve to right (VV); overall length of penis lobe moderately curved ventrally (LV) (Fig. 16B). 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 with projection; setal (scales) coverage of the apical plate extensive (76–100%); size of left setose flange small; size of right setose flange very long. Left paramere basal lobe articulated at right angle, broad and short with moderate dorsal hump forming steep slope (60°) to truncated arm (Fig. 34 LP); arm narrow and short; terminal lobe distinctly short and broad; apical tuft of sparse medium-lengthed setae, very short setae continued to medium-lengthed setae form a comb at junction of arm and basal lobe (Fig. 34 LP); setae extended along along ½ of ventral edge; ventral edge straight. Right paramere a narrow, humped triangle with a double row of long setae along apical ¾ of ventral edge (Fig. 34 RP).
Female genitalia: Basal gonocoxite 1 short and broad, broadened apically, branched grooves on ventral surface; internal dorso-lateral carina (Fig. 5) without setae. Gonocoxite 2 ovate in shape. Ramus short and relatively broad, rounded apically.
Comments. The description of Mecodema kokoroiho is based on 46 specimens caught during three trapping events (2007, 2008, 2009), from several locations within Warawara Forest Park, northwest Northland. This species has been found along forest edge near clearings and within 50 m of streams in cut-over broadleaf forest, but no specimens have been caught in areas of Warawara Forest where kauri (Agathis australis) trees are dominant.
Distribution. New Zealand, North Island, Northland, Warawara Forest.
Holotype: NZAC male labelled. NEW ZEALAND ND Warawara Forest Hauturu Stream 7–21 Nov 2009 pitfall traps D.S. Seldon / HOLOTYPE Mecodema kokoroiho n. sp. design. DS Seldon, TR Buckley 2018 [red label].
Paratypes: 3, NEW ZEALAND ND Warawara Forest Hauturu Stream 16-18 Dec 2007 pitfall traps D.S. Seldon & T.R. Buckley (NZAC); 13, 1♀, NEW ZEALAND ND Warawara Forest Hauturu Stream 8–13 Dec 2008 pitfall traps D.S. Seldon, T.R. Buckley & R.A.B. Leschen (NZAC); 15, NEW ZEALAND ND Warawara Forest Hauturu Stream 7–21 Nov 2009 pitfall traps D.S. Seldon 35°22.131 173°17.081 (NZAC); 10, NEW ZEALAND ND Warawara Forest clay bank edge 7–21 Nov 2009 pitfall traps D.S. Seldon 35°22.309 173°17.139 (AMNZ); 3, NEW ZEALAND ND Warawara Forest Kauri Plateau camp 7–21 Nov 2009 pitfall traps D.S. Seldon (MONZ).
Etymology: The species name, kokoroiho, means ‘a beetle found with the fern root’, was provided by Te Rarawa kaumātua Joseph Cooper, Waipuna Marae, Panguru, Northland. Being Te Reo Māori, the name is to be treated as a noun.
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 62-63, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4598.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2668063