''Microscydmus lynfieldi'' is a species of minute

beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

belonging to the family

Scydmaeninae Scydmaeninae are a subfamily of small beetles, commonly called ant-like stone beetles or scydmaenines. These beetles occur worldwide, and the subfamily includes some 4,500 species in about 80 genera. Established as a family, they were reduced in ...

. First discovered in the

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

suburb of

Lynfield Lynfield is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is under the local governance of Auckland Council. The suburb is located on the southwestern Auckland isthmus bordering the Manukau Harbour, much of which is densely forested with native forest ...

in 1975 and described in 1977, it is endemic to New Zealand. ''M. lynfieldi'' is one of the smallest known species of beetle.

Taxonomy

The species was described by Austrian entomologist Herbert Franz in 1977, based on holotypes collected from decaying māhoe wood by Guillermo Kuschel from the vicinity of the

Wairaki Stream Wairaki Stream is a stream in the suburb of Lynfield, New Zealand, Lynfield in Auckland, New Zealand. One of two named streams that flows into the Manukau Harbour from the Auckland isthmus, the stream is primarily surrounded by reserves, and is ...

/ Tropicana Drive in

, Auckland, New Zealand in 1975. The species was named after its type locality of Lynfield. In 1990, ''Microscydmus omahutensis'', also found at Lynfield and described by Franz in 1977, was synonymised with ''M. lynfieldi'' by Kuschel.

Description

The species has an average length of , and is a light reddish brown colour. It is recognisable by its broad head, large eyes and a pronotum of approximate equal length and width.

Distribution

The species is endemic to New Zealand. By the 1990s, verified sightings of the species had only been made in Lynfield, Auckland, with an unconfirmed sighting in 2010 at

Port Waikato Port Waikato is a New Zealand town that sits on the south bank of the Waikato River, at its outflow into the Tasman Sea, in the northern Waikato. Port Waikato is a well-known surfing and whitebaiting destination and a popular holiday spot. ...

References

{{Authority control Insects described in 1977 Staphylinidae Endemic beetles of New Zealand Endemic biota of the Auckland Region, New Zealand Fauna of the North Island