FNZ 43 - Carabidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) catalogue - Methods and conventions
Larochelle, A; Larivière, M-C 2001. Carabidae (Insecta: Coleoptera): catalogue. Fauna of New Zealand 43, 285 pages.
(
ISSN 0111-5383 (print),
;
no.
43.
ISBN 0-478-09342-X (print),
).
Published 15 Jun 2001
ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/References/D7D35747-8FA5-44E4-A6AA-BD8A14204ADC
Methods and conventions
This catalogue is based on eight years of extensive field work carried out by the authors in over 400 localities, an exhaustive survey of the literature published between 1775 and December 1999 (approximately 500 publications), and the recording of information associated with several thousand specimens from the following entomological museums and collections:
AMNZ Auckland Institute and War Memorial Museum, Auckland, New Zealand.
BBNZ Barbara I.P. Barratt private collection, Dunedin, New Zealand.
BMNH British Museum (Natural History), now The Natural History Museum, London, England.
BPNZ Brian Patrick private collection, Dunedin [now in OMNZ].
CMNZ Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand.
ITNZ J. Ian Townsend private collection, Levin, New Zealand [now partially deposited in NZAC].
JNNZ John Nunn private collection, Dunedin, New Zealand.
LUNZ Entomological Museum, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand.
MONZ Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand.
NZAC New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Mount Albert Research Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.
OMNZ Otago Museum, Dunedin, New Zealand.
PHNZ Philip Howe private collection, Timaru, New Zealand.
STNZ Stephen Thorpe private collection, Herne Bay, Auckland, New Zealand.
UCNZ Department of Zoology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Field surveys and collecting techniques. Most areas of New Zealand have been visited by carabid collectors. This has provided a basic inventory of taxa and resulted in New Zealand collections having representatives of most species, either described or undescribed. Collecting in the back country and at high elevation throughout New Zealand, especially in the alpine habitats (edges of small glacial brooks and seepages) of the northern half of the South Island, may yet yield a number of undescribed species, e.g., in the Amarotypini and Migadopini. The South Island has generally received the closest attention while the North Island has been somewhat neglected by collectors, except for the Northland, Auckland, and Wellington areas. Coastal habitats (gravelly-stony sea beaches, estuaries, dunes, cliffs, salt marshes, mangroves, forests), flaxlands, edges of streams crossing forests, hill tops, soil fissures under well-embedded stones, the underside of loose tree bark, and cliff walls are among the habitats least surveyed.
The material collected so far is rich in geographic information but generally poor in biological data. Furthermore, a majority of species are represented only by a few specimens, impeding our ability to assess morphological variations within and between populations.
Because we are field biologists and believe that species should be first recognised in the field, we have carried out an extensive survey in order to complete a more detailed picture of geographic distribution and to increase our knowledge of the natural history of as many species as possible. Two to three months a year were spent in the field over the last eight years. Over 400 localities were surveyed mostly on the North Island, but also in the South and the West of the South Island. Visits lasting about one week were made to a relatively large area, e.g., the Catlins or the Ruahines. A mixture of collecting techniques was used: hand-collecting, litter-sifting, Berlese funnel extraction techniques, and pittrapping. For the latter, eight traps containing soapy water were set in a straight line with a distance of five metres between each trap and usually left for a period of 5-7 days. According to the world literature, setting and spacing traps in this manner allow minimum interference between traps and yields the greatest number of species. Pittrapping and litter collecting was also carried out for longer periods, especially in autumn and winter. For example, pittraps containing ethylene glycol would be set in the Mangamuka Hills, ND for 6 weeks at a time over a number of months.
Geographical and biological data associated with all samples and specimens collected were recorded in as much detail as possible in field notebooks. This information was subsequently transferred to mounted specimens on two labels (Fig. 1), one detailing the locality information, the other one, the biological observations. More recently, most locality information has also been georeferenced (attributed longitude and latitude data). Our material is deposited in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection (Auckland).
We plan to continue our surveys for years to come as there is still a lot of information to be gathered in order to complete our taxonomic revisions and to gain a better understanding of the biogeography and natural history of New Zealand species.
Taxonomic information. The appropriate taxonomic literature was checked to obtain original spellings, years of publication, page citation, type-species designations, type-locality information, and the nomenclatural acts and changes affecting the status of New Zealand taxa.
The catalogue is arranged phylogenetically by subfamilies, divisions, tribes, and subtribes. Genera, subgenera, species, and subspecies are listed alphabetically within their respective higher category.
The nomenclature adopted in this catalogue adheres to the provisions established in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, Fourth Edition (1999).
Family-group names. Valid names of subfamilies, tribes, and subtribes (when available) are given as bold centred headings in small capitals. Treatment of nomenclature of family-group names is not included.
Genus-group names. Valid names are given with author and year as bold centred headings. Under this heading the valid name and its synonyms are given with author(s), year, and a page reference. Synonyms are given in chronological order and are followed by a citation of the original authority, year of publication, and page reference of each synonymy. Information on original rank, availability, homonymy, and synonymy, or changes of rank are also included. Type species (in original combination) and method of fixation are given for valid genera as well as synonyms. Incorrect spellings are noted.
Species-group names. Valid names are given with author(s) and year as bold left-justified headings. Under this heading the valid name and its synonyms are given with author, year, and a page reference. Synonyms are given in chronological order in their original combination and are followed by a citation of the original authority, year of publication, and page reference of each synonymy. Information on original rank, availability, homonymy, and synonymy, or changes of rank are also included. New combinations are listed in a manner similar to synonyms. Incorrect spellings are noted. Type localities are provided for valid taxa as well as synonyms. Appendices B and C provide lists of nomina nuda and unjustified emendations.
Type data. Type locality information is quoted literally as possible from original descriptions and subsequent revisions. They are listed for valid species-group names and synonyms in the following format: "Type locality: name of type locality, appropriate area code (Crosby et al. 1976, 1998)." Additional information supported by reference citations is added in cases where information differs between two publications. The geographical coordinates of the main type localities are listed in Appendix F.
A number of years ago, R.M. Emberson (Lincoln University, Lincoln) initiated a project detailing the types of New Zealand Carabidae and their repositories; he is still working on this eagerly awaited catalogue.
Geographic distribution. The catalogue contains distributional information for tribes, subtribes, genera, subgenera, species, and subspecies, based on literature and specimen label data.
The distribution of supraspecific groups is given as major zoogeographical regions or in slightly more detail if the taxon is widely known within the Australian Region.
For species and subspecies, area codes of Crosby et al. (1976, 1998) are given in alphabetical order for the North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, and the Offshore Islands respectively. When appropriate, the extralimital distribution is also included as well as first mentions of adventive species. Species-based geographic information and type-locality data for valid species and synonyms, were maintained in a MicrosoftAccess97 database. This database was used to prepare the species distribution maps (pp. 223-270, presented alphabetically by taxa), the maps on taxonomic diversity (pp. 219-222), the appendices listing type localities (Appendix F), and the species by areas of New Zealand (Appendices G, H). All maps were prepared with the program CorelDRAW (version 8.0).
Two additional appendices provide synopses of species incorrectly or doubtfully recorded (Appendix D) and species deliberately introduced (Appendix E).
Two-letter abbreviations for the area codes of Crosby et al. (1976, 1998) used in this catalogue are as follows:
New Zealand. North Island: AK, Auckland; BP, Bay of Plenty; CL, Coromandel; GB, Gisborne; HB, Hawke's Bay; ND, Northland; RI, Rangitikei; TK, Taranaki; TO, Taupo; WA, Wairarapa; WI, Wanganui; WN, Wellington; WO, Waikato. South Island: BR, Buller; CO, Central Otago; DN, Dunedin; FD, Fiordland; KA, Kaikoura; MC, Mid Canterbury; MK, Mackenzie; NC, North Canterbury; NN, Nelson; OL, Otago Lakes; SC, South Canterbury; SD, Marlborough Sounds; SL, Southland; WD, Westland. SI, Stewart Island. Offshore Islands: AN, Antipodes Islands; AU, Auckland Islands; BO, Bounty Islands; CA, Campbell Island; CH, Chatham Islands; KE, Kermadec Islands; SN, Snares Islands; TH, Three Kings Islands.
Ecological, biological, and dispersal information. The information provided is based on the literature and specimen label data. In order to eliminate spurious records, an effort was made to summarise available information by using the smallest common denominator representing the essentials of each species' requirements.
Data sheets were prepared to compile information on ecology, biology, and dispersal power (Fig. 2). On these sheets, the first line indicates the data source, e.g., collection acronym or literature. The second line gives the complete scientific name of the taxon for which information is being compiled. This is followed by four sections recording information on geographic distribution, ecology, biology, and dispersal power, using predefined categories and standard terms. The data sheets were kept in alphabetical order in a series of binders and then used to compose the species' treatments for the catalogue.
In this catalogue, ecological tendencies are summarised for each species using a series of standard terms following the approach taken by previous workers dealing with other faunas (Lindroth, 1945 and 1949; Sharova, 1981; Koch, 1989). The ecological terms used in this catalogue are defined in the glossary (Appendix A).
Altitudinal distribution, or distribution related to altitude or elevation, is expressed as lowland, mountain or upland, subalpine, alpine following the categories used by Poole & Adams (1990).
Vertical distribution, or distribution related to the horizon, is expressed as arboreal, planticolous, epigean, endogean, and cavernicolous. These terms are defined in the glossary (Appendix A).
Seasonality, or the period of year when an animal is active, is expressed as months from September to August.
Dispersal power, or the capability of dispersal, has been assessed when possible, using three main criteria: wing condition, flight data (including light-trapping observations), and other locomotory habits.
Wing condition was evaluated for each species based on the literature, and personal observations in the field and in the laboratory. The terms used for wing condition are also included in the glossary.
The locomotory habits of species has been recorded under three categories: fast runner, moderate runner, and slow runner. Each species has been assigned to one of these categories using field observations and examination of leg characteristics (Evans, 1977 and 1986; Forsythe, 1981 and 1983). In general, fast runners have longer, thinner legs and occur in open, bare habitats, e.g., Cicindela species. Moderate runners have moderately long, moderately large legs, and live generally in leaf litter or the low vegetation. Slow runners have shorter, more inflated legs armed with tooth-like excrescences, and dig burrows, e.g., Broscini and Clivinini.
For flight and climbing data, three categories were used: occasional (only a few specimens and instances observed), regular (a moderate number of specimens and instances), and frequent (numerous specimens and instances). Indirect evidence of flight was also provided in the case of specimens found in shore-drift material.
References. Under Reference(s), only the most important references are given for each valid taxon, with an indication of their contents between parentheses.
Notes. Additional information is given as Notes under each valid taxon.