Mecodema antarcticum

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Mecodema antarcticum
Brullea antarctica from Castlecliff Beach, Whanganui, New Zealand.jpg
Specimen from Castlecliff Beach, Whanganui, New Zealand
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Carabidae
Genus: Mecodema
Species:
M. antarcticum
Binomial name
Mecodema antarcticum
(Laporte, 1867)
Synonyms [1]
  • Brullea antarctica Laporte, 1867

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. [2]

Contents

Description

Mecodema antarcticum is large (up to 25 mm), glabrous reddish brown to black with a distinct "waist" or narrowing between thorax and abdomen (peduncle), like all Mecodema . [3] Indeed, recent DNA analysis places it within that genus, a sister group to Mecodema curvidens ; its distinctive differences in body shape may be adaptations to burrowing in sand. [4]

This species legs are well-adapted for digging in sand with greatly expanded coxa, femur and tibia: all tibia are greatly expanded at their distal ends, and the middle and hind pairs are also strongly curved. [5] Other features consistent with dwelling in and on sand are the short antennae, large curved mandibles, and a rather boxy shape in contrast to the longer and more elegant forest Mecodema species. The abdomen of M. antarcticum is covered in long setae to further protect it from abrasion. Its larval form was unknown for some time, and was first described in 1978. [6] [7]

Description

Mecodema antarcticum is found in the supralittoral or splash zone of sandy beaches around the New Zealand coast, underneath logs or stones, hiding in the sand during the day and emerging at night to feed. [8] [9] It was described by George Hudson as "usually rare", [8] but is a secretive burrowing beetle, and occasionally is discovered in reasonable numbers. [10] It was rediscovered by schoolchildren on the Whanganui coast in 2006 after not being recorded for many years. [11]

Mecodema antarcticum has been recorded being heavily preyed on by katipō spiders, [10] and it may be threatened by the introduced South African spider Steatoda capensis, either as a predator or competitor. [12]

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<i>Mecodema</i> Genus of beetles

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 within the subtribe Nothobroscina. 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 and Hauturu, Kapiti Is., Stephens Is., Stewart Is., Chatham Is., Snares Is.

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

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<i>Oregus</i> Genus of beetles

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

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

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<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>Bembidion tillyardi</i> Species of beetle

The Back Beach beetle is a small critically endangered species of ground beetle, found only in the intertidal sand of Back Beach, a small sandspit near Nelson, New Zealand.

<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 quoinense</i> Species of beetle

Mecodema quoinense is a large-bodied ground beetle of the genus Mecodema, an endemic New Zealand carabid, which is found in the Tararua Ranges, North Island above about 1000 m. It is named after the type locality Mount Quoin, but specimens have been found on Mount Holdsworth. This species can be distinguished from other Mecodema species by the very distinctive shape of the male genitalia, but it can be differentiated from the other more common Tararua Ranges species, M. simplex, by the narrower/square-shaped pronotum, and the smooth carina of the pronotum.

Mecodema oregoides is a small-bodied ground beetle endemic to New Zealand, and is the southernmost species of the curvidens group. It is found in a range of different habitats on Banks Peninsula, Canterbury.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nothobroscina</span> Subtribe of beetle

Nothobroscina Roig-Juñent 2000 is one of five subtribes within the ground beetle tribe Broscini. The subtribe consists of ten genera from the Gondwanan countries: Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand and southern South America. All of these genera are endemic to their respective country, i.e., none of the genera are shared across any of the Gondwanan countries.

<i>Mecodema dunnorum</i> New Zealand beetle species

Mecodema dunnorum is a large-bodied ground beetle in the Mecodema genus found in some native forest remnants in the Puhoi area, north Auckland, New Zealand. It is one of six endemic Mecodema species that are found in the Auckland entomological region, as per Crosby et al. 1976.

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

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

Mecodema howitti, termed the Large Banks Peninsula ground beetle, is a carnivorous forest ground beetle in the genus Mecodema. It is endemic to Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, New Zealand, and is the largest of the 16 carabids found in the area.

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

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

<i>Neocicindela dunedensis</i> Species of beetle

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References

  1. ↑ "Mecodema antarcticum". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "Mecodema antarcticum (Laporte, 1867)". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  3. ↑ Britton, Everard B. (1949). "The Carabidae (Coleoptera) of New Zealand: Part III—A Revision of the Tribe Broscini". Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 77 (4): 533–581. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  4. ↑ Goldberg, Julia; Knapp, Michael; Emberson, Rowan M.; Townsend, J. Ian; Trewick, Steven A. (2014). "Species Radiation of Carabid Beetles (Broscini: Mecodema) in New Zealand". PLOS ONE. 9 (1): e86185. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...986185G. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086185 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3900486 . PMID   24465949.
  5. ↑ Roig-Juñent, Sergio (2000). "The subtribes and genera of the tribe Broscini (Coleoptera: Carabidae): cladistic analysis, taxonomic treatment, and biogeographical considerations". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 255: 1. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2000)255<0001:tsagot>2.0.co;2. S2CID   85796620.
  6. ↑ Harris, A. C. (1978). "The larva of Brullea antarctica (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Broscinae)". New Zealand Entomologist. 6 (4): 401–405. doi:10.1080/00779962.1978.9722304.
  7. ↑ Harris, A. C. (1980). "The larva of Brullea antarctica (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Broscinae): note". New Zealand Entomologist. 7 (2): 174–175. doi:10.1080/00779962.1980.9722369.
  8. 1 2 Hudson, George Vernon (1934). New Zealand Beetles and Their Larvae. Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn. pp. 33–34.[ permanent dead link ]
  9. ↑ Brooks, Paul (27 April 2016). "Collect beetles for museum study". Wanganui Midweek. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  10. 1 2 Bull, R. M. (1959). "A note on the occurrence of Brullea antarctica Castelnau (Coleoptera: Carabidae) at Otaki Beach". New Zealand Entomologist. 2 (4): 9. doi:10.1080/00779962.1959.9722773.
  11. ↑ Beautrais, Margie (13 February 2012). "Conservation: Seaweek tribute to national treasure". Wanganui Chronicle. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  12. ↑ Gardner-Gee, Robin; Graham, Sharen; Griffiths, Richard; Habgood, Melinda; Heiss Dunlop, Shelley; Lindsay, Helen (2007). Motuora Native Species Restoration Plan (PDF). Auckland: Department of Conservation & Motuora Restoration Society. p. 89.
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