Mecodema haunoho

Mecodema haunoho
Dorsal view of Mecodema haunoho from Little Barrier Island, New Zealand
Conservation status
Naturally Uncommon (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Adephaga
Family:	Carabidae
Genus:	Mecodema
Species:	M. haunoho
Binomial name
Mecodema haunoho Seldon & Leschen, 2011
Distribution (in green) of Mecodema haunoho

Mecodema haunoho is the only ground beetle (Carabidae) species that is endemic to Little Barrier Island (Hauturu). ^{[1] [2] [3]} It is sister species of 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. ^[1]

Diagnosis

Distinguished from other North Island Mecodema species by having:

1. the prothoracic carina narrow the entire length, moderately crenulated with 3 setae along each side (curvidens species group);
2. the distinctive shape of the penis lobe. ^[2]

Description

Length 20.5–24.1 mm, pronotal width 5.1–5.9 mm, elytral width 6.3–6.8 mm. Colour of the entire body is matte to glossy black. ^{[1] [2]}

Natural history

Found throughout the island, but more commonly encountered in the broadleaf forests of the southern and southwestern areas of Hauturu.

Conservation status

Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species is listed as "Naturally Uncommon" with the qualifiers of "Island Endemic" and "One Location". ^[4]

References

1. Seldon, David S.; Leschen, Richard A.B. (2011). "A revision of the Mecodema curvidens species group (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Broscini)". Zootaxa. 2829: 1–45. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2829.1.1. hdl: 2292/8777 .
2. 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. S2CID   164710644.
3. Hauturu: the history, flora and fauna of Te Hauturu-o-Toi Little Barrier Island. Veitch, C.R., Wade, L. Auckland, New Zealand. 2019. ISBN   9780995109582. OCLC   1106097068.
4. Leschen, R. A.B.; Marris, J. W.M.; Emberson, R. M.; Nunn, J.; Hitchmough, R. A.; Stringer, I. A.N. (1 July 2012). "The conservation status of New Zealand Coleoptera". New Zealand Entomologist. 35 (2): 91–98. doi:10.1080/00779962.2012.686311. ISSN   0077-9962.