Mecodema parataiko Seldon & Leschen 2011
Creators: name: Seldon, David S.
name: Buckley, Thomas R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Mecodema
Mecodema parataiko

description: Mecodema parataiko Seldon & Leschen, 2011.
Figures 6A, 12D and 45.
Diagnosis: Distinguishable from other North Island Mecodema species by having: 1, 4–6 setae along the prothoracic carina (curvidens species group); 2, elytral humerus without setose punctures; 3, all elytral striae with large, irregularly spaced asetose punctures (Fig. 45).
Description: Length 19.3–22 mm, pronotal width 5–5.7 mm, elytral width 5.8–6.9 mm. Colour of entire body matte to glossy black, coxae may be dark red.
Head: Narrow and flat, deflected laterally (Fig. 14C). Vertex with a few rugose wrinkles laterally; vertexal groove narrow and well-defined medially, shallowly impressed laterally; large supraorbital puncture bearing 3–4 setae; 2–3 well-defined supraorbital grooves; frons (Fig. 9) convex medially with a small and shallow depression each side, shallow grooves may be present laterally; frontoclypeal suture defined, tentorial pits small; anterior area of clypeus with indistinct broad grooves, 1 deep setose puncture each side bearing 2 setae (Fig. 45). Labrum rounded, anterior edge straight with 2 proximate central setae, 2 setae each side evenly spaced. Mentum lobes squared (Fig. 12G), median process long and narrow, upward angle absent, notched indentation (Fig. 12D); mentum setae present. Submentum sclerite constriction broad with 3 setae clustered laterally (very wide gap medially). Stipes with 2 basal setae. Gula pits small, suture poorly defined, gula flat and smooth. Gena (Fig. 8) with rugose wrinkles forming an isodiametric pattern laterally.
Prothorax: Prothoracic carina broad the entire length, moderately crenulated with 4–6 setae each side (Fig. 45), extended to anterior angle; posterior lateral sinuation evidently carinate, inwardly angled; pronotum broad and moderately deflected laterally, overall shape squared (Fig. 45); midline impressed, anterior medial and posterior medial impressions absent, disc with transverse wrinkles laterally (Fig. 45); pronotal foveae deep and narrow; anterior edge distinctly inwardly curved, posterior edge straight. Prosternum flat and smooth; proepisternum with corrugose ridges. Procoxal setae absent; protibia distally expanded and shovel-like (Fig. 10B).
Elytra: Narrow and moderately deflected; humeral angle anteriorly convergent (Fig. 6A); basal margin moderately curved and bevelled to base, interval 1 extended to scutellum; lateral carina narrow the entire length but broadened in posterior ⅓, extended to humeral angle; humerus without setose punctures (Fig. 45); suture welldefined; all striae with large, asetose punctures, irregularly spaced and of confused distribution; intervals 1–4 weakly convex, intervals 5–9 moderately convex; interval without microsculpture; 7 th strial setal pattern (Fig. 1) without setose punctures in anterior ½, 2–3 setose punctures in posterior ½, setose punctures large.
Ventral surface: Mesepisternum and metepisternum with wrinkles; setose punctures absent on mesocoxa and metacoxa. All abdominal ventrites (Fig. 2) lineate; ventrites 3–5 without setose punctures each side of midline; ventrite 6 setae present: ♂ and ♀ with 1–3 setae each side of midline along a bluntly rounded apical edge; ventrites foveate laterally (very small and shallow). Anterior metaventrite process a short triangle with a broad carina the entire length.
Male genitalia: Apical portion of penis lobe symmetrically rounded with a strong deflection to right of vertical axis (VV) (Fig. 15A), apex is a slightly flattened curve (Fig. 45 PL), shaft of penis lobe straight (VV), shaft of penis lobe narrowed apically but gradually broadened toward base, overall length of the 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 short and narrow; seta (scales) coverage of the apical plate extensive (76–100%); size of left setose flange small; size of right setose flange large. Left paramere basal lobe narrowly rectangular with a small dorsal hump, short slope to arm (Fig. 45 LP); arm short and broad, gradually narrowed to terminus; apical tuft of very long setae; setae extended along apical ½ (just past arm junction) of ventral edge; ventral edge moderately curved. Right paramere narrowly triangular, gradually narrowed to terminus with a double row of long setae extended along apical ¾ of ventral edge (Fig. 45 RP).
Female genitalia: Basal gonocoxite 1 short and broad apically, ventral surface smooth, internal dorso-lateral carina with 1 seta near edge of gonocoxite 2. Gonocoxite 2 short and rounded triangle, slightly reflexed along apical edge. Ramus (Fig. 5) long and narrow.
Comments: Mecodema parataiko is the most geographically widespread species of the curvidens species group found in Northland.
Distribution: New Zealand, North Island, Northland, Parataiko Range, Warawara Forest, Tangihua Range, Omahuta-Puketi F.P., Mangamuka S.R., Herekino Forest and Ahipara Plateau.
Holotype: NZAC male labelled. NEW ZEALAND ND Mangamuka Gorge Wkwy 350m 351140S/1732725E 17.IX.–16.X.1999 Larivière. Larochelle / wet broadleaf forest pit traps / HOLOTYPE Mecodema parataiko n. sp. design. Seldon & Leschen 2010 [red label].
Paratypes: (see Seldon & Leschen 2011).
Material examined: 1♀, NEW ZEALAND ND, Maungataniwha Range, Mangamuka River S.R., PTs 13–21 Jan 2010 D.S. Seldon, T.R. Buckley / Kauri-broadleaf forest, pitfall traps (NZAC); 1♂, 1, NEW ZEALAND ND, Herekino Forest Saddle Tk, PTs, 14–21 Jan 2010, D.S. Seldon, T.R. Buckley / 35°12.393, 173°11.487 223 m, CAR39B (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 88-90, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4598.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2668063