Art. XV.—The Beetles of the Auckland Islands.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 34, 1901, Page 175

Art. XV.—The Beetles of the Auckland Islands. By Captain F. W. Hutton, F.R.S., with Descriptions of New Species by Captain T. Broun, F.E.S. [Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 6th November, 1901.] Last January, at the invitation of His Excellency the Earl of Ranfurly, I visited the southern islands of New Zealand in the Government s.s. “Hinemoa,” commanded by Captain Bollans. The chief object of our visit, in addition to examining the provision depots, was to make a collection of birds for the British Museum. But, as I had nothing to do with the collection of the specimens, I devoted all the time I could to the Diptera. No systematic attempt was made to collect Coleoptera, and only five specimens were obtained. These were all new to science, and belong to four new species and one new genus. This is a very good proof that a great deal remains to be done in collecting insects in these islands. Indeed, it is remarkable that after the visits of four scientific expeditions to the Auckland group—two French, one English, and one German—so very little should be known about the insects. Lyperobius læviusculus was captured on the high land of Adam's Island, when the party were going to the albatros nesting-ground. They were feeding, I believe, on Ligusticum antipodum. Inocatoptes incertus was obtained on the high land at the head of Port Ross, but I do not know on what plant it was feeding. Both specimens of Euthenarus were found under stones in Carnley Harbour, near where the “Grafton” was wrecked. I also saw on the islands, several times, a moth which appeared to be a Crambus, of which I did not take specimens.;

also a Myriapod, belonging to the Polydesmida, which I failed to secure. On Antipodes Island the magpie moth (Nyctemera annulata) is common. I also saw spiders on all the islands, but as my bottles were full of Diptera I could not collect them. The following is a list of the beetles at present known from the Auckland Islands:— Family Carabidæ. Calathus rubromarginatus, Blanchard. Euthenarus cilicollis, Broun. Euthenarus huttoni, Broun. Heterodactylus nebrioides, Guerin. Heterodactylus castaneus, Blanchard. Pristanclus brevis, Blanchard. Oopterus clivinoides, Guerin. Oopterus plicaticollis, Blanchard. Family Tenebrionid.æ. Adelium tuberculatum, Guerin. Family Curculionid.æ. Inocatoptes incertus, Broun. Lyperobius laviusculus, Broun. of these all the species and the genera Heterodactylus, Pristanclus, and Inocatoptes are endemic. Oopterus and Lyperobius are confined to New Zealand and the Auckland Islands. Adelium extends to New Zealand, Australia, Tasmania, New Caledonia, and Chili. Calathus is a northern (Holarctic) genus extending as far south as India and Mexico. There is only one species in New Zealand, C. zealandicus, Redtenbacher, having been erroneously referred to this country (see “Zoological Record, 1891,” Insects, p. 89). It is, however, doubtful whether our southern species really belong to Calathus. Descriptions by Captain T. Broun, F.E.S. Group Harpalidæ. Euthenarus (?) cilicollis, sp. nov. Body fusco-piceous; elytra with a testaceous streak along the outer posterior margin of each; tibiæ and antennæ red, palpi paler. Head rather short, somewhat uneven. Labrum truncate. Eyes prominent. Thorax one-third broader than long, its base truncate and minutely ciliate; the sides rounded, widest just before the middle, much narrowed

behind; posterior angles rectangular but not projecting, the anterior slightly prominent but obtuse; disc a little convex, the longitudinal dorsal groove feebly impressed, the simple basal fossæ rather shallow and almost united by a curved transversal impression which is enlarged at the middle; there are some slight linear impressions across the surface. Elytra quite oval, slightly convex, not sinuate posteriorly; humeral angles obsolete; with simple regular striæ; interstices impunctate. Anterior tibia slightly thickened and ciliate at the extremity. Tarsi with brush-like soles, joints 2–4, of the front pair only, dilated and cordiform; the basal articulation longer, slender at base but broad at apex; the fourth joint deeply emarginate and with its inner angle some-what prolonged; the posterior tarsi elongate, their fourth joint excavate above and prolonged underneath, without definite angles but longer externally, and ciliate below. Antenna reaching backwards to the shoulders, their seven terminal joints pubescent; the first is as elongate as the fourth but stouter, the second is one-third shorter than the following one. ♂ Length, 5¼ lines; breadth, 2 ⅜ lines. Auckland Islands. One mutilated individual has been placed at my disposal by Captain Hutton. Obs. It was at first intended that this and the following species should be placed with Blanchard's Calathus rubromarginatus, but after studying the structure of the tarsi it became apparent that the present species should not be located in the group Anchomenida. Although Blanchard's species is unknown to me except by description, I have little hesitation in uniting it with those now described as exponents of one genus; but I am not prepared to make a new generic name for them until more specimens can be got for dissection. Under these circumstances, they are placed temporarily with Euthenarus in the group Harpalida. E. huttoni, sp. nov. Body rufo-piceous, slightly nitid; legs pitchy-red, antennæ and palpi paler. Head finely rugose, not short. Thorax about as long as broad, widest near the middle, only moderately rounded there; anterior angles slightly prominent, the basal rectangular, and, owing to the large and deep fossæ, appearing as if slightly elevated; the median dorsal groove is distinct. Scutellum short. Elytra oblongoval, rather broad, with fine, regular, impunctate striae; interstices simple. ♂ Length, 5 lines; breadth, 2 ⅛ lines. Auckland Islands. One specimen only, preserved in the Canterbury Museum. This species has been named in honour of its discoverer. In this species the eyes are less prominent and more dis-

tant from the thoracic margin than in E. cilicollis. The thorax is rather longer, and differs in form; its sides are quite obviously marginated, and the basal foveæ are large and deeply impressed. The elytra also differ in contour, owing chiefly to being much less narrowed towards the shoulders. Group Otiorhynchidæ. Inocatoptes, gen. nov. Rostrum moderately short and broad. Scrobe well defined near the apex, but becoming shallow behind. Eyes moderately prominent, distinctly facetted, subtruncate in front Prosternum incurved. Mesosternum with a raised lamina between the coxæ. Abdomen finely setose; basal segment medially emarginate, third and fourth short. This should be located between Inophlœus and Catoptes. From the latter it differs in the shape of the eyes, in the direction of the scrobes, and in the less-developed ocular lobes From the former it may be at once distinguished by the absence of the double series of ciliæ at the extremity of the posterior tibiæ, by the distinct intercoxal process, and by the absence of the usual nodosities and acuminate apices of the elytra. Inocatoptes incertus, sp. nov. Subovate, without nodiform elevations, thinly clothed with decumbent yellowish setæ. Rostrum rather flat, with a fine longitudinal carma, terminating in a fovea between, the eyes. Scape clavate at extremity, extending to back part of the eye. Fumculus sparsely setose; basal two joints almost equally elongate, third slightly longer than fourth. Club finely pubescent, elongate-oval, its three joints of nearly equal length. Thorax transverse, base and apex truncate; uneven above, but without distinct sculpture. Scutellum distinct. Elytra oviform, a little broader at the base than the thorax; each elytron with six discoidal series of moderate punctures, the external two coarser; the four nearest the suture form fine striæ. Legs elongate, femora incrassate near the middle; tibiæ setose, the front pair slightly arcuate externally, some-what thickened and produced at the inner apices. Tarst. normal. Length (rost. included), 8 lines; breadth, 3½ lines. Colouration has not been, alluded to because the only specimen extant is somewhat immature, and, although it is rufo-castaneous, it may become dark or greyish. The deciduous supplementary mandibles are conspicuous. Described from one example in the Canterbury Museum. It was found on the main island, Auckland group, by the Hon. H. C. Butler. Type in the Canterbury Museum.

Group Molytidæ. Lyperobius læviusculus, sp. nov. Pitchy-black, sometimes rufo-piceous; hind-body sparingly clothed with depressed, testaceous, setiform scales. Rostrum nearly plane above, medially narrowed, rather finely punctured. Head broader than the rostrum, with a shallow median groove before the eyes and some transversal linear impressions behind. Eyes more rotundate than those of the typical species. Scrobes deep in front, but quite indefinite behind. Scape thickened apically, attaining the back of the eye. Funiculus sparsely pilose, second joint only slightly shorter than the first; joints 3–7 momliform. Club triarticulate, rather elongate, finely pubescent. Thorax somewhat uneven, without central carina, finely punctate. Elytra oblongoval, humeral angles narrowed and rounded, rather acuminate posteriorly; each elytron indistinctly tricostate, suture slightly elevated, interstices nearly smooth, with only feebly impressed series of punctures. Legs rather elongate; femora clavate; tibiæ flexuous, without the usual inner armature just above the extremity; the anterior pair with pale erect setæ along the inside. Underside nearly smooth, almost nude. Prosternum a little emarginate. Length (rost. included), 10–12 lines; breadth, 3½-5 lines. Auckland Islands. Captain Bollans, of the Government steamer “Hinemoa,” found two specimens on Adam's Island. The larger one has very indefinite elytral costæ. One specimen retained in Captain Broun's collection, the other placed in the Canterbury Museum.