Pterostichus neilgaimani Chaladze & Kalatozishvili, 2017

Bakuradze, Giorgi, 2017, Pterostichus neilgaimani sp. nov., a new species of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from relict sacred grove in Eastern Georgia, Zootaxa 4329 (1), pp. 91-95 : 91-94

Pterostichus neilgaimani Chaladze & Kalatozishvili sp. nov. ( Figs 1–9 )

Etymology. Species is named after author Neil Gaiman, for bringing back what has been forgotten. Type material. Holotype: male, collected in pitfall traps in the Sacred Grove of Khevsha (Eastern Georgia);

trapping period: 17.06.2017 –1.07.2017. Specimen is deposited at the Ilia State University’s Zoological collection.

Paratype: male, same date and locality as holotype, preserved at first author’s personal collection. Diagnosis. Head with 7–9 supraorbital setiferous pores present on each side; body unicolor, chestnut. Description. Habitus ( Figs. 1, 2 ), body length 15–16.6 mm, width 3.9–4.4 mm, dorsum, underside, legs, antennae,

and palpi unicolor–chestnut.

Head. Length 3.4–3.6 mm, width 3.2–3.6 mm, genae prominent, eyes small, rudimentary, much closer to anterior angle of genae than to temples; temples long and evenly rounded, frons with 7–9 setiferous pores present on each side ( Figs 3, 4 ), as 2–3 pores are situated in anterior part at eye level, and other 5–6 are situated in posterior part at mid-temple level. Tooth of mentum short, bifid, with shallow apical hollow. Genae on ventral side rugose.

Thorax. Pronotum cordiform, length 3.2–3.6 mm, width 3.4–3.8 mm, basal margin deeply emarginated in the middle, hind angle prominent, lateral margin with 4–6 marginal setae in anterior half and one seta at hind angle. Prosternum smooth, prosternal process not beaded, mesosternum rugose, scarcely punctate, metasternum smooth; pro-, meso- and metepisterna coarsely punctate, twice as long as wide.

Elytra. Elongate and narrow, almost parallel, widest at posterior third part, length 8.3–9.4 mm, width 3.9–4.4 mm; shoulder rounded, without prominent angles; striae well-impressed, parascutelar stria distinct; interval 3 with 3–4 pores, first one–two adjoining stria 3, others adjoining stria 2; hind wings reduced.

Abdomen. Sternite 1 coarsely punctured laterally, sternites 2–5 smooth in the middle, coarsely punctate in lateral part, anal sternite smooth, with two marginal pores.

Metatrochanter. Straight, not curved apically, as long as half of metafemur ( Fig. 5 ).

Aedeagus. Bent at base almost at right angle ( Figs. 6, 7 ), apical lamella of median lobe well developed, rounded at tip (fig. 8). Parameres are typical for the subgenus, left paramere straight and slender, right one wide and rounded ( Fig. 9 ).

Type locality. Sacred grove (Lat.: 42.40276, Lon.: 44.69885) is located approximately within one kilometre from village Khevsha, Dusheti Municipality, Eastern Georgia ( Fig. 10 ).

Habitat. Sampled area corresponds to a mountainous forest located on the southern slopes of Greater Caucasus ( Fig. 11 ). The forest is dominated by Fagus orientalis together with other woody species such as Acer platanoides, Ulmus minor and Sorbus aucuparia . Altitude ranges between 1721–2000 m. a.s.l. Minimum inclination of the slope is 29 degrees while maximum is significantly steeper 45 degrees. Forest floor is dominated by ferns, shrubs and forb: Polystichum aculeatum, Polypodium vulgare, Rubus sp., Thlaspi macrophyllum, Cardamine quinquefolia, Cardamine bulbifera, Asperula odorata, and Paris incompleta .

Other ground beetles species with large body size found in the area are Carabus nothus Adams , C. ibericus ibericus Fischer , C. adamsi Adams , C. septemcarinatus Motschulsky , C. osseticus Adams , C. scabrosus caucasicus Adams , Cychrus aeneus Fisher-Waldheim , and Thermoscelis insignis Chaudoir.

Remarks. Given that we performed sampling for seven month using twenty pitfall traps, and that we could only find two specimens, it seems that the new species is as rare as usual for representatives of Aphaonus . However, subterranean (MSS) traps (see Mamola et al. 2016) could provide better results.

As the type locality of P. neilgaimani sp. nov. is far from the known area of other Aphaonus species, it seems that species of this subgenus possibly lived in a continuous area of undisturbed forests, and that populations were fragmented due to habitat disturbance. In any case, density of Aphaonus populations is usually low along the southern strip of the Great Caucasus range.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Map of Georgia showing location of Khevsha, type locality of Pterostichus neilgaimani sp. nov.

FIGURE 11. Forest close to Sacred Grove of Khevsha, type locality of Pterostichus neilgaimani sp. nov.

FIGURES 1, 2. Pterostichus neilgaimani sp. nov., male, holotype, 1 — dorsal view, 2 — ventral view.

FIGURES 3 – 9. Pterostichus neilgaimani sp. nov., holotype, 3 — head, dorsal view, 4 — head, left lateral view, 5 — left metafemur and left metatrochanter, 6 – 8 — aedeagus: 6 — median lobe, right lateral view, 7 — median lobe, left lateral view, 8 — apical lamella of median lobe, 9 — parameres.