Urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2820926D-6046-49C5-826B-4BFFB5207490

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Publication review:

  • Johns, P.M. 2010: Migadopini (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Migadopinae) of New Zealand. Records of the Canterbury Museum, 24: 39-63. ISSN: 0370-3878 ZooBank

Introduction

This is the first substantial taxonomic revision of the New Zealand Migadopini (excluding Amarotypini) since Johns (1974) revised the New Zealand subantarctic fauna. In it, Johns recognises 3 genera (Calathosoma, Loxomerus and Taenarthrus) and 18 species, 12 of which are described as new. Taenarthrus is reinstated from synonymy with Loxomerus, and comprises 13 species (11 new), all confined to the New Zealand mainland (South Island, Stewart Island), while the other 2 genera (5 species, 1 of them new) are confined to the New Zealand subantarctic islands (Auckland Islands, but 1 species apparently shared with the Antipodes Islands). Generally, the quality of this publication is high, but there are a few minor errors and some other "issues" that I shall discuss below.

Comments on the subantarctic taxa

  • Johns (1974) only had migadopines from the Auckland Islands
    • Calathosoma rubromarginatum (rare, larvae unknown)
    • Loxomerus brevis (common)
    • Loxomerus huttoni (holotype female only, larvae unknown)
    • Loxomerus nebrioides (common)
    • the larva of a third species was known, but could not be positively associated with any known species
  • Marris (2000) reported a new species of Loxomerus from the Antipodes Islands
  • Johns (2010) has nothing to add regarding Calathosoma rubromarginatum, except for one new specimen record
  • Johns (2010) describes the male of Loxomerus huttoni for the first time, based on a single specimen (only the second ever published specimen record), which is unfortunately listed with a female symbol under 'material examined'
  • Johns (2010) has nothing to add regarding Loxomerus nebrioides
  • Johns (2010) identifies the Antipodes Islands species with Loxomerus brevis, which comes as a great surprise to both myself and to John Marris, as we both think that it is very distinct from L. brevis, judging by external morphology, and we think that further research is needed to confirm the alleged conspecificity
  • Johns (2010) describes as new a 4th species of Loxomerus from the Auckland Islands, L. katote, based on 1 male and 1 female, collected together
  • hence there are now 5 species of migadopines on the Auckland Islands, Calathosoma rubromarginatum and 4 Loxomerus spp. (2 common, 2 very rare)
  • only the larvae of the 2 common species of Loxomerus are identified, leaving 3 spp. without known larvae, and the unassociated 1974 larva remains so ...
  • Johns (2010) doesn't really highlight, as I have done above, the new information that he is presenting, nor does he emphasise the apparent rarity of 3 of the species (possibly sufficient for conservation concern?), nor the areas where further research is needed to fill in some of the knowledge gaps

to be continued ...

References


Stephen Thorpe 05:18, 11 February 2011 (CET)

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