The Weta 31: 16-18 (2006)16 Megadromus crassalis- coming out of the X-Files?

• Main Author: Philip Howe
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: New Zealand; Antarc*; antarcticus
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.568.2069; http://www.ento.org.nz/nzentomologist/free_issues/Weta31_1_2006/Weta31-16-18.pdf

In 1893, Captain Thomas Broun described a new species of large carabid from South Canterbury. He named it Trichosternus crassalis and commented on its similarity, but larger size, compared to Trichosternus (now Megadromus) antarcticus, the widespread mid and north Canterbury species. His description was based on the single female specimen captured at Albury, inland from Timaru. In E.B. Britton’s (1940) revision of New Zealand Pterostichini he saw fit to reduce M. crassalis to a synonym of M. antarcticus, which is perhaps not surprising considering the huge amount of overdescription that Broun had indulged in when describing New Zealand beetles, particularly within the Carabidae. In the years that followed, the odd report surfaced of large Megadromus specimens in South Canterbury. Inspired by the notion of seeing the largest known Megadromus, I went on several trips to the Albury area during the 1980s and 90s. Here I concentrated on searching in what seemed like ideal M. crassalis or antarcticus habitat – river flat scrub, limestone cliffs and one or two remaining patches of low-lying native forest. There was no sign of M. crassalis, but I did turn up two other local endemic species;