Zecillenus Lindroth 1980

Fig. 1–9

Zecillenus Lindroth, 1980: 182.

Bembidion (Zecillenus): Toledano 2005: 130.

Type species. Cillenum albescens Bates, 1878a, by original designation.

Description. Body length 3.0– 5.2 mm; color mostly pale (rarely mostly dark or with forebody dark); elytra with or without variegated color pattern; legs pale or mostly pale. Microsculpture present, poorly or well developed. Forebody very wide in comparison to elytra. Head. Antennae submoniliform, rather short, reaching about elytral base. Frontal furrows not prolonged on clypeus. Submentum with six setae. Ligula with two free, approximate setae. Palpi with penultimate labial segment plurisetose (five or six setae) on anterior margin. Thorax. Pronotum strongly convex, subcordate (cordate in other endemic subgenera), usually widest before middle (rarely about middle); laterobasal carinae absent; two setiferous punctures on each side, posterolateral puncture greatly removed from posterolateral angle (close to posterolateral angle in Ananotaphus and Notaphus); laterobasal foveae poorly developed. Epipleura (in dorsal view) not exposed in front of posterolateral angles. Elytra. Strongly convex, subelliptical or elliptical, widest before or about middle. Shoulders strongly rounded. Scutellar striole consisting of an impunctate line. Striae incomplete, punctate. Intervals convex or depressed on disc of elytra; interval 3 with three discal setiferous punctures; interval 5 without discal setiferous punctures. Lateral margins with a subapical tooth (without subapical tooth in other subgenera). Subapical sinuations moderately or very strong (feeble in other subgenera). Apical striole absent; preapical setiferous puncture isolated. Sutural apices rounded. Apex rounded, rarely oblique. Abdomen. Last visible sternum (sternum VII) of female with four long ambulatory setae only. Aedeagus. Internal sac without a brush sclerite (with a brush sclerite in other subgenera). Parameres. Three terminal setae present (as in subgenus Zemetallina).

Geographic distribution. New Zealand (endemic).

Ecology. Sandy banks of meandering estuarine streams situated in or near sand dunes.

References. Lindroth 1980: 182 (as Zecillenus; description), 179–186 (revision); Larochelle and Larivière 2001: 85 (as Zecillenus; catalogue); Toledano 2005: 130 (subgeneric status of Zecillenus); Larochelle and Larivière 2007: 48 (as Bembidion (Zecillenus); classification).

Remarks. Species of this subgenus are morphologically close. A considerable amount of color variation occurs within taxa. Male genitalia, however, show constant differences between species. These coastal beetles have been considered very rare until the authors discovered their ecological requirements.