Tapinopterus (Tapinopterus) cognatus vlasinensis Ćurčić and Ilić, 2015

Ćurčić, Srećko, Ilić, Nastas, Vesović, Nikola & Antić, Dragan, 2015, Two new high-altitude subspecies of Tapinopterus (Tapinopterus) cognatus (Dejean, 1831) (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichinae) from Serbia, Zootaxa 4034 (1), pp. 197-200 : 197-199

Tapinopterus (Tapinopterus) cognatus vlasinensis Ćurčić and Ilić , ssp. n. ( Figs. 1–6 )

Type locality. Village of Vlasina Rid, Vlasina Lake Plateau, Mt. Čemernik, 1,200 m a.s.l., Surdulica, SE Serbia.

Type material. Holotype ♂, village of Vlasina Rid, Vlasina Lake Plateau, Mt. Čemernik, 1,200 m a.s.l., Surdulica, SE Serbia, 02–16.VIII.2014, from pitfall traps, leg. S. Ćurčić (p) HOLOTYPE Tapinopterus (Tapinopterus) cognatus vlasinensis ssp. n. Ćurčić & Ilić, 2015 (red p) ( IZFB) ( Fig. 1 ).

Paratypes: 10 ♂♂ 14 ♀♀, same data as for holotype (p) PARATYPE Tapinopterus (Tapinopterus) cognatus vlasinensis ssp. n. Ćurčić & Ilić, 2015 (red p) ( IZFB).

Description. BL M 10.38 mm (R 9.525–11.15 mm), BW M 3.28 mm. Head, pronotum, and elytra dark brown, shiny, antennae of similar color, legs and abdomen piceous brown, palpi somewhat paler. Head large, robust, somewhat wider than long (ratio HL/HW M 0.93), smooth, with a fine isodiametric microsculpture. Antennae moderately long, somewhat exceeding elytral humeri, with dense, decumbent pubescence from antennomere 4.

Pronotum weakly transverse, somewhat wider than long, ratio PL/PW M 0.89, PL M 2.51 mm (R 2.305–2.85 mm), PW M 2.82 mm (R 2.61–3.19 mm), PB M 1.89 mm (R 1.73–2.10 mm), with rounded lateral margins, smooth, with a fine isodiametric microsculpture, widest around at first third. Anterior margin somewhat sinuated, with prominent, at apex rounded angles, basal margin straight or slightly sinuated. Posterior angles prominent, almost rectangular. Pronotal base with single deep longitudinal posterolateral impression on each side of midline, reaching basal third of pronotum. Midline distinct, not reaching basal or anterior margins. Both midline and posterolateral impressions with transversal wrinkles.

Elytra oval, with an isodiametric microsculpture, ratio EL/EW M 0.56, with maximum width around at middle, with distinct, weakly punctate striae. Disc relatively flattened basally, while somewhat convex apically. Shoulders prominent, rounded. Second elytral striae with one setigerous pore each situated at the level of ¾ elytral length.

Median lobe of aedeagus in dorsal view relatively long, almost straight, with apical blade wide, somewhat curved to left ( Fig. 2 ), in lateral view arcuate, sub-apically roundly broadened, with a pointed apex gradually curved upwards ( Fig. 3 ). Right non-conchoid paramere elongate, of almost equal width over its whole length, curved ( Fig. 4 ), while left conchoid broad, ear-like ( Fig. 2 ).

Male abdominal sternite IX (urite) well-developed, ovoid ( Fig. 5 ).

Gonocoxites IX long, proximally thick, distally narrow, somewhat curved, basally joined with massive gonosubcoxites IX ( Fig. 6 ).

Etymology. The subspecies is named after the Vlasina Lake Plateau (SE Serbia), its terra typica.

Diagnosis. T. (T.) cognatus vlasinensis ssp. n. is closely related to T. (T.) cognatus cognatus (Dejean, 1831) , T. (T.) cognatus winkleri Mandl, 1936 , and T. (T.) cognatus pancici ssp. n., which are distributed in various mountain ranges in SE, NE and C Serbia and Bulgaria. It differs from the relative T. (T.) cognatus subspecies by the PL, PW and PB M (2.51 mm, 2.82 mm, 1.89 mm in T. cognatus vlasinensis ssp. n. vs. 2.35 mm, 2.70 mm, 1.90 mm in T. cognatus cognatus vs. 2.55 mm, 2.85 mm, 2.05 mm in T. cognatus winkleri vs. 2.60 mm, 2.90 mm, 1.93 mm in T. cognatus pancici ssp. n., respectively), the form of the posterior pronotal angles (almost rectangular in T. cognatus vlasinensis ssp. n. vs. obtuse in T. cognatus cognatus vs. rectangular in T. cognatus winkleri vs. more acute in T. cognatus pancici ssp. n.), the shape of the median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view (with a greatly broadened rounded sub-apical part and a pointed apex vs. with a less broadened sub-apical part of different shape and a bent apex in other analyzed subspecies), and the shape of the median lobe in dorsal view (almost straight, with a narrow apical blade curved to left; the similar state occurs also in T. cognatus winkleri , but here the blade is thicker and curved to left in greater extent) ( Mandl 1936; Schatzmayr 1942, 1943; this study).

Distribution and habitat. The type specimens have been collected in a mixed deciduous forest in the village of Vlasina Rid, 1,200 m a.s.l., Vlasina Lake Plateau, at a slope of Mt. Čemernik.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 12. Tapinopterus (Tapinopterus) cognatus vlasinensis ssp. n. from the village of Vlasina Rid, Vlasina Lake Plateau, Mt. Čemernik, 1,200 m a. s. l., Surdulica, SE Serbia (1 – 6) and T. (T.) cognatus pancici ssp. n. from by the road Jelak Reserve - village of Brzeće, Mt. Kopaonik, 1,100 m a. s. l., Jošanička Banja, C Serbia (7 – 12). 1, 7 — holotype male, habitus (dorsal view); 2, 8 — holotype male, aedeagus (dorsal view); 3, 9 — holotype male, aedeagus (lateral view); 4, 10 — holotype male, right paramere (external lateral view); 5, 11 — holotype male, abdominal sternite IX (urite); 6, 12 — paratype female, genitalia (dorsal view). Scales = 5 mm (Figs. 1 and 7), 1 mm (Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, and 12), and 0.5 mm (Figs. 4 and 10).