Sphodrosomus Perroud, in Perroud and Montrouzier, 1864:58

Will, Kipling W., 2011, Taxonomic review of the Pterostichini and Loxandrini fauna of New Caledonia (Coleoptera, Carabidae), ZooKeys 147, pp. 337-397 : 358-359

Genus Sphodrosomus Perroud, in Perroud and Montrouzier, 1864:58 Figs 374243B

Type species.

Sphodrosomus saisseti Perroud and Montrouzier 1864, by monotypy.

Description.

Head. Clypeo-ocular sulci long, straight, very broadly and very shallowly impressed; mentum emarginate, sides slightly divergent, paramedial pits absent; median tooth bifid; paraglossae small, without elongate setae at apex; ligular sclerite with two or four seta on apical margin; maxillary palpifer with one basal seta; antennae filiform, with three basal segments glabrous. Thorax. Pronotum cordiform, margins sinuate basad, two marginal setae; pro-, meso- and metasterna glabrous; proepisternum smooth; elytra fused, border at base, nine well impressed striae, with or without very short tenth stria at level of plica, apicolateral plica large and visible, parascutellar stria short, impressed, not connected to stria 1, angular base of stria 1 well impressed, parascutellar punctures absent or if present minute and present at base of stria 2, no discal punctures, interval 7 equally convex as other intervals or slightly raised near base, odd numbered intervals slightly raised and more convex or equal, all intervals becoming flatter apicad; hind wing reduced; anterior tarsi of male with three basal segments expanded and squamose beneath in Setalidius griseolum , segments not expanded without ventral setae in other species, all tarsi dorsally glabrous. Abdomen. Ventrites 3-6 without sulci; aedeagus (Figs 38, 41) ostium dorsal, median lobe oriented left side up in repose; parameres very attenuate with long apex, nearly of equal length; female reproductive tract (Figs 39, 42) with prominent dorsolateral bursal lobe, elongate spermatheca attached apically on lobe, accessory gland attached to bursa at base of lobe, without spermathecal duct digital diverticulum, without spermathecal gland duct diverticulum.

Exemplars of species examined.

See treatment by Will (2006) for Setalidius saisseti and Setalidius monteithi . I examined four specimens in the Fauvel collection in IRSNB initially thought to be possible syntypes of Homalosoma griseolum Fauvel. The specimens are consistent with the morphological attributes as in the original description. However, in the original description Fauvel stated that the single specimen was from "Ile des Pins (Bougier)" a unique from the "Collection Gambey." Subsequently, Fauvel (1903) published additional records for this species and noted those specimens were "Deux exemplaires, dont un dans la collection François”. The four IRSNB specimens appear to have been identified by Fauvel and are labeled with Ile des Pins. However the last line of the label includes “f.Faustien”, which is a piece of information not noted in either of those publication by Fauvel. In a corrigenda and addendum by Fauvel (1903) he added "Le frère Faustien a recueilli à l’île des Pins une collection importante, aujourd’hui réunie à la mienne par l’acquisition de la collection Hustache." Based on this, the specimens I had available for study would have been added to Fauvel’s collection long after he described Homalosoma griseolum in 1882. The whereabouts of the holotype is unknown.

Generic distribution.

New Caledonian precinctive.

New Caladonian species.

Sphodrosomus saisseti Perroud and Montrouzier 1864 [type MNHN!]

Sphodrosomus monteithi Will 2006 [type MNHN!]

Sphodrosomus griseolum (Fauvel 1882) new combination [type not found]

= Homalosoma griseolum Fauvel 1882

Notes.

The placement of Setalidius griseolum in Sphodrosomus is primarily supported by shared features of the male genitalia and female reproductive tract (Figs 38-39, 41-42). The genus Homalosoma is part of the Trichosternus series of Moore (1965) and those taxa have a distinct set of characteristics that have not been found in any New Caledonian carabids.