Mecodema crenaticolle
| Mecodema crenaticolle | |
|---|---|
| |
| Dorsal view of Mecodema crenaticolle | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Adephaga |
| Family: | Carabidae |
| Genus: | Mecodema |
| Species: | M. crenaticolle
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| Binomial name | |
| Mecodema crenaticolle Redtenbacher 1868
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Mecodema crenaticolle is a medium-bodied ground beetle that is endemic to the North Island, New Zealand. It is one of the three species within the ducale species group[1][2] 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. This species is sister taxon to the South Island only M. crenicolle.
Diagnosis
[edit]Distinguishable from other North Island Mecodema species by having:
- the pronotum carina strongly crenulated;
- elytral striae 1–4 with large stellate (star-shaped) asetose punctures in an irregular pattern, striae 5–7 with asetose punctures not stellate, but irregularly spaced;
- an elytral setose puncture posterior to the scutellum.[2]
Description
[edit]Length 21–27.9 mm, pronotal width 5.8–7.3 mm, elytral width 6.7–8.6 mm. Colour of entire body reddish-brown to black.
Natural history
[edit]Flightless and nocturnal predator of ground invertebrates including spiders, other carabids and worms.
References
[edit]- ^ Britton, E.B. "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.
- ^ a b Seldon, D.S.; Buckley, T.R. "The genus Mecodema Blanchard 1853 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Broscini) from the North Island, New Zealand". Zootaxa. in press.
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