Mecodema

Last updated

Mecodema
COLE Carabidae Mecodema.png
Mecodema by Des Helmore
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Carabidae
Subfamily: Broscinae
Tribe: Broscini
Subtribe: Nothobroscina
Genus: Mecodema
Blanchard, 1853
Synonyms [1]
  • Brullea Laporte, 1867
  • Maoria Laporte, 1867
  • Metaglymma Bates, 1867

Mecodema is a genus of large flightless ground beetle (Carabidae) endemic to New Zealand. The genus is very diverse in comparison to the other three New Zealand genera ( Diglymma , Oregus , Orthoglymma ) within the subtribe Nothobroscina (tribe Broscini). Mecodema is geographically widespread across both the North and South Islands, as well as numerous offshore islands, including the Three Kings Is., Poor Knights Is., Aotea (Great Barrier Is.) and Hauturu (Little Barrier Is.), Kapiti Is., Stephens Is., Stewart Is., Chatham Is., Snares Is.

Contents

Genus description

Head, frons and vertex often rugose and / or punctate, microsculpture or macrosculpture absent in some species groups (e.g., curvidens species); [2] [3] eyes prominent, almost hemispherical; a single supraorbital puncture on each side, bearing more than one setae; setose punctures of vertex absent; mandibles large, uniformly narrow to the pointed apex, sharply curved in the apical third, mandibles with a number of dorsal grooves and without a seta in the scrobe; [2] [3] mentum with median process, which is notched to strongly indentate (bifid); usually with 2 setiferous punctures (may be absent) below the process and generally with 4–8 setose (setiferous) punctures along the submentum sclerite; labial palpi with setae on the penultimate segment; terminal segments of all palpi slightly compressed, sub-cylindrical, truncate; ligula chitinous with a median carina, 2 apical setae present; the membranous paraglossae extended well beyond the apex of the ligula; stipes with 2–3 basal setae; antennomeres I–II glabrous, III–V with apical ring, VI–XI setose throughout; antennomeres I–III subcylindrical, IV–VII subglobose and slightly compressed. Prothoracic carina (pronotal lateral margin) distinct with an asymmetrical number of setae along each side, the last never at the posterior lateral sinuation (posterior angle); midline (median groove) and pronotal foveae (laterobasal depressions) always present; pronotal disc often with shallow depressions on each side of apical half. [2] [3] Elytra always striate; fused together along the suture; hind wings absent; a row of setose punctures on the 7th stria and another row (umbilical series) near the lateral carina (elytral margin). Legs slender, the protibia with a pointed apical prolongation on the outer side, greatly distally expanded to distally expanded and shovel-like; male and female tarsi identical, the basal 4 segments of the anterior tarsi are as broad as they are long, usually slightly asymmetrical. [2] [4] [5]

Type species: Mecodema sculpturatum Blanchard 1853.

Species and subspecies (102)

Related Research Articles

<i>Mecodema oconnori</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema oconnori is a large-bodied species of ground beetle that is found mainly on the western regions of the North Island, New Zealand. It is mainly found in native forest habitats, both intact and fragmented, and on the edges of pine plantations. Mecodema oconnori ranges from Otaki, Kapiti Coast to Raglan, but is also found in the Manawatu Gorge and some other eastern localities.

<i>Mecodema antarcticum</i> Species of beetles

Mecodema antarcticum is a carnivorous carabid beetle that burrows in sand above the high tide mark on New Zealand sandy beaches. First described by Francis de Laporte de Castelnau in 1867 as Brullea antarctica, it has since been reassigned to Mecodema.

<i>Mecodema aoteanoho</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema aoteanoho is a medium-sized ground beetle, the only such beetle endemic to Great Barrier Island (Aotea), Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand. Mecodema aoteanoho is a sister species to M. haunoho and is closely related to the Coromandel (mainland) species, M. atrox, all of which are species within the monophyletic curvidens group. There are a number of other characters that distinguish M. aoteanoho from all other North Island Mecodema, especially the pattern of the striations on the elytra.

<i>Mecodema haunoho</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema haunoho is the only ground beetle (Carabidae) species that is endemic to Little Barrier Island (Hauturu). It is sister species the Great Barrier Island (Aotea) species M. aoteanoho and both are closely related to M. manaia, a species found in Bream Head, Northland, New Zealand.

<i>Mecodema chaiup</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema chaiup is a large-bodied ground beetle species found in Mohi Bush Scenic Reserve, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. A single specimen was found beneath a large log in 2008 by D.S. Seldon and C.P. Martin. Since then a number of intensive pitfall trap surveys of Mohi Bush have failed to collect further specimens.

<i>Mecodema kokoromatua</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema kokoromatua is a medium-bodied ground beetle endemic to Northland, New Zealand. Its range is restricted to coastal forest behind the sand dunes and below the southern areas of the Ahipara Escarpment, Herekino, Northland, New Zealand. This species is within the curvidens species group and is related to the geographically widespread M. parataiko.

<i>Mecodema manaia</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema manaia is a medium-sized ground beetle species found in the native forests of Bream Head and Mt Manaia, Northland, New Zealand. This species shares the forests of Bream Head with a large-bodied species, Mecodema tewhara, with both inhabiting slightly different forest type.

Mecodema atuanui was described from a single male specimen collected in pitfall traps on Mount Auckland (Atuanui), Kaipara Region. It is a medium-length ground beetle that is related to Mecodema spiniferum, which is the only large-lengthed ground beetle species found in the Waitākere Ranges, Auckland, rather than the more geographically close species to the east in Puhoi.

<i>Mecodema atrox</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema atrox is a medium-sized ground beetle species that is closely related to Mecodema curvidens. Mecodema atrox is relatively rare in comparison due to its preferred habitat, the coastal broadleaf forests of the Coromandel Peninsula, a forest type that is in decline. The body of Mecodema atrox is black and the legs are dark reddish-brown. They can be distinguished from other Mecodema species by a number of characters, including the pattern of asetose punctures along the elytral striae.

<i>Mecodema curvidens</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema curvidens Broun is a medium-bodied ground beetle that is geographically widespread throughout the central areas of the North Island, New Zealand, which includes the entomological regions of Auckland (AK), Waikato (WO), Coromandel (CL), Bay of Plenty (BP), Taupo (TO), Rangitikei (RI), Whanganui (WI), Hawkes Bay (HB) and Wellington (WN). Recently, the species M. occiputale Broun was synonymised under M. curvidens. Mecodema curvidens is relatively common through its range except in the southern area of the Hunua Ranges (Auckland) and Wellington regions.

<i>Mecodema crenaticolle</i> Species of insect

Mecodema crenaticolle is a medium-bodied ground beetle that is endemic to New Zealand. It is one of the three species within the ducale species group and is the only species of this group found in the North Island, New Zealand. Its range extends from the Wellington Region to Hunua Range, southeast Auckland, and is relatively common in most native forest habitats.

<i>Mecodema dux</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema dux is a medium-bodied New Zealand endemic ground beetle that is found in the Ruahine Ranges, Taupo, Rangitikei and southwestern Hawke's Bay entomological regions.

<i>Mecodema florae</i> Species of insect

Mecodema florae is an endemic New Zealand ground beetle, which was described by Britton in 1949. It is one of the few species within the genus Mecodema that has a range that includes both the North and South Islands. In the North Island it is found from Mt Taranaki (west) to Boundary Stream Mainland Island then southwards from the Taupo Line to Buller, northwest Nelson, South Island. Mecodema florae shares this range with its sister taxon M. longicolle, which is relatively similar in external morphology, but the male genitalia are different.

<i>Mecodema longicolle</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema longicolle is an endemic New Zealand ground beetle, and one of the few Mecodema species found in both the North Island and South Island.

<i>Mecodema genesispotini</i> Species of ground beetle

Mecodema genesispotini is a species of ground beetle found in a small native forest remnant, between paddocks and pine forest, in the Waimata Valley, northwest of Gisborne, New Zealand.

<i>Mecodema kokoroiho</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema kokoroiho is a large-bodied ground beetle that is endemic to Warawara Forest Park, Pawarenga, Northland, New Zealand. The species name (etymology) was provided by Te Rarawa kaumātua Joseph Cooper, Waipuna marae, Panguru, Northland. The specific name kokoroiho means ‘a beetle found with the fern root’.

<i>Mecodema jacinda</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema jacinda is a large-bodied ground beetle endemic to Maungatautari Sanctuary, Waikato, New Zealand. It is the largest species of Mecodema found on Maungatautari, which also has the medium-sized M. curvidens inhabiting the forest. It is named after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

<i>Mecodema aberrans</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema aberrans is a medium-sized ground beetle endemic to the South Island, New Zealand. This species is within the curvidens group and is one of three species that is a braided-river ecotype. It occurs in Otago and Canterbury.

<i>Mecodema moniliferum</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema moniliferum is a medium-sized ground beetle endemic to the South island, New Zealand. This species is part of the monophyletic curvidens group and is found on the braided-river systems of the South Island.

<i>Mecodema crenicolle</i>

Mecodema crenicolle is an endemic species of ground beetle from New Zealand.

References

  1. ↑ "Mecodema". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Seldon, D.S.; Buckley, T.R. (2019). "The genus Mecodema Blanchard 1853 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Broscini) from the North Island, New Zealand". Zootaxa. 4598 (1): zootaxa.4598.1.1. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4598.1.1. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   31716064.
  3. 1 2 3 Britton, E.B. (1949). "The Carabidae (Coleoptera) of New Zealand part 3: A revision of the tribe Broscini". Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 77: 533–581.
  4. ↑ Blanchard, C. (1853). Voyage au pole sud et dans l'océanie sur les corvettes l'astrolabe et la zélée; exécuté par ordre du roi pendant les années 1837–1838–1839–1840, sous le commandement de MJ Dumont-D'urville, Capitaine de Vaisseau; publié par ordre du gouvernement, sous la direction supérieure de M. Jacquinot, Capitaine de Vaisseau, Commandant de la Zélée. Zoologie par MM. Hombron et Jacquinot.
  5. ↑ Liebherr, J.K.; Marris, J.W.M.; Emberson, R.M.; Syrett, P.; Roig‐Juñent, S. (2011). "Orthoglymma wangapeka gen.n., sp.n. (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Broscini): a newly discovered relict from the Buller Terrane, north-western South Island, New Zealand, corroborates a general pattern of Gondwanan endemism". Systematic Entomology. 36 (3): 395–414. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2011.00569.x. hdl: 11336/75357 . ISSN   1365-3113.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.