Heptodonta posticalis ( White, 1844 )

Görn, Sebastian, 2020, Revision of the Oriental tiger beetle genus Heptodonta Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Zootaxa 4875 (1), pp. 1-62 : 40-43

Heptodonta posticalis ( White, 1844)

Figs. 106–115

Cicindela posticalis White, 1844: 422 .

Heptodonta posticalis . Chaudoir, 1865: 20.

Heptadonta posticalis . Fleutiaux, 1892: 128.

Odontochila (“group” Heptodonta) posticalis . W. Horn, 1910: 204.

Odontochila (Heptodonta) posticalis . W. Horn, 1926: 123.

Type locality. Hong Kong .

Type material. Lectotype (designated here): ♂ in BMNH, labelled: “Type” [round with red frame, printed] // “Hong / Kong” [round, handwritten] // “ Cic. posticalis White. / china. J. Bowring Esq.” [handwritten] // “LECTO- TYPE / Cicindela / posticalis / White, 1844 / design. Sebastian Görn 2020” [red, printed] // “ Heptodonta / posticalis / ( White, 1844) / det. Sebastian Görn 2020” [printed].

Diagnosis. Resembling H. schuelei sp. nov., H. tempesta sp. nov., and particularly H. pulchella , but most specimens are easy to identify by the metallic flickering elytral glitter, due to reduced elytral microsculpture ( Fig. 115 ), in contrast to the more uniform silky shine in the three other species owing to their pronounced regular elytral microsculpture ( Fig. 116 ). Elytral punctures usually deeper, often fused to coarse grooves. Male labrum rather short and more semicircular than triangular. Mesepisternum dark with an obscure violet lustre ( Fig. 114 ), without iridescent bronze-green shine. Uniquely shaped aedeagus relatively robust and with ventrally elongated apex. In right lateral aspect anteromedian sclerite transparent and not dark-testaceous.

Redescription. Body size: Length 11.9–14.3 mm (without labrum), width 3.7–4.5 mm ( Figs. 106–107 , 113 ).

Dorsal surface of head metallic copper and green. Frons transversely to irregularly grooved. Vertex anterior and in transition to orbital plates with rather straight longitudinal grooves, posterior with crumpled wrinkles. Orbital plates with fine striae, which are wrinkled anteriorly, and with two setae on each side. Occiput with irregular transverse grooves, anteromedian irregularly rugose. Genae glabrous and considerably grooved, usually anterior copper to yellowish-green and posterior bluish-green to violet. Clypeus glabrous, copper with green margin. Labrum pale testaceous in males and testaceous in females, with four setae, five apical teeth, and one lateral tooth on each side; male labrum rather semicircular and short (0.73–0.88 mm long, 1.43–1.73 mm wide, Fig. 108 ), female labrum triangular (1.05–1.28 mm long, 1.63–1.80 mm wide, Fig. 109 ). Mandibles testaceous, teeth black with dark rufousbrown apices, basal inner margin frequently with dark-brown spot. Labial and maxillary palpi testaceous, terminal palpomeres in males apically and in females entirely black. Antennae slender, extending back over the first third of the elytra, metallic black, scape frequently lightened, pedicel apical slightly and basal considerably testaceous, rarely first four antennomeres with a slight violet lustre, scape with a single apical seta, antennomeres 3–4 with few scattered setae, antennomeres 5–11 finely and evenly pubescent.

Thorax entirely glabrous. Pronotum metallic copper and green, approximately as long (2.33–2.80 mm) as wide (2.33–2.90 mm), moderate median line blue, transverse grooves wrinkled on disc, pronounced anterior and posterior sulci, anterior lobe wider than posterior, lateral margins of the median lobe slightly to moderately converging to the base. Proepisternum blue-violet with yellowish-green margin, mesepisternum black with dark violet lustre ( Fig. 114 ), metepisternum, mesepimeron, and metepimeron with iridescent yellowish-green lustre. Sterna median violetblue and lateral with iridescent green to copper lustre. Proepimeron metallic copper and yellow.

Elytra elongate, length 7.3–8.9 mm, slightly dilated laterally, maximal width at or slightly anterior to the middle, colouration metallic green with iridescent yellowish-copper lustre, brilliant shine due to reduced (but still visible) microsculpture ( Fig. 115 ), lateral margin violet with bluish-green transition, apical margin bluish-green, juxtahumeral impression and posterior gibbosity slightly pronounced; discal impression, apical impression and basodiscal convexity moderate, deep punctures forming an uneven surface and often fused to coarse transverse grooves.

Coxae testaceous and dark-testaceous with iridescent blue and green lustre, procoxae anteriorly, mesocoxae anteriorly and posteriorly, and metacoxae laterally densely covered with long white setae. Trochanters and femora testaceous. Femoral distal apices metallic black with testaceous areas on anterior and posterior apical profemora, and anterior apical mesofemora. Metallic black tibiae with testaceous proximal half on protibiae, testaceous proximal end on mesotibiae, and lightened proximal tip on metatibiae. Metallic black tarsi proximal frequently lightened. Claws testaceous.

Abdominal sternites glabrous (apart from few long setae at posterior margins), dark-brown with violet-blue to yellowish-green reflections on first five sternites ( Fig. 110 ).

Aedeagus arched, length 2.80–3.10 mm, with slight medioventral convexity, stout apex elongated ventrally, hump-shaped dorsal curvature peaked slightly posterior to medioventral convexity, short aedeagal base rather moderately sloping. Inner sac in right lateral aspect with testaceous apical and anteromedian spine rows, anteromedian spine row covered by transparent anteromedian sclerite ending in a diagonal dark-testaceous spine located between both rows ( Figs. 111–112 ).

Distribution. Southern and central CHINA (Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong, Hubei, Yunnan), TAIWAN.

Additional material examined. 37 specimens. CHINA : Guangdong, Qimuzhang , 950–1200m, 23°51’N 115°22’E, 7.–8.VI.2014 ( JWCW, SGCH) ; Hubei, Fengling , IX.2004 ( JWCW) ; Yunnan, Xishangbana , VII.1994 ( JWCW) ; Hainan, Gaofengtai, Sanya City , 2.–11.V.2006 ( JWCW) ; Guangdong, near Guangzhou , primary forest, 21.V.1980 ( JWCW) ; Hong Kong, Chicken Farm Beach , 22.–24.V.2007 ( JWCW) ; Guangdong, Qixingyanding , 500–800m, 23°33’N 111°57’E, 21.V.2012, 25.V.2013 ( JWCW) ; Rioung tung, Lung an tung, 28.V.1916 ( MNB) ; Hong Kong ( MNB, ZSM, SDEI) ; Guangdong, Guangzhou , 5.VI.1980 ( ZSM) ; Guangzhou ( SDEI) ; TAIWAN: Ku Sia ( SDEI) ;? INDONESIA: Java ( SDEI) ;? PHILIPPINES: Luzon ( MNB) .

Remarks. This species shows a peculiar distribution pattern ( White 1844; Westwood 1853; Chaudoir 1865; Fleutiaux 1892; Horn 1910, 1912, 1926; Mandl 1981; Wiesner 1992; Shook & Wiesner 2006; Shook & Wu 2007; Aston 2016; Putchkov & Matalin 2017): the main distribution is located along the coastline of southern China (Hainan, Guangdong, Hong Kong), but it is also recorded from the Central Chinese Hubei province, and southern Yunnan, close to the borders of Laos and Myanmar. The location “ Formosa ” (Taiwan) of two old specimens from Fruhstofer needs to be verified, but the main distribution of H. posticalis along the southern Chinese coast makes this record plausible. In contrast, the old records from Java and Luzon, which are far from the validated distribution range, are highly improbable.

Biology. Like H. pulchella and H. schuelei sp. nov., H. posticalis occurs on large road cuts along rough mountain roads (Michio Hori pers. comm.). A preference for vertical earth banks was also recorded by Aston (2016). According to one label it also is found in primary forest.

Figures

FIGURES 106–112. Heptodonta posticalis (White, 1844), China, Guangdong, Qimuzhang (JWCW): 106, 108, 110–112—♂: 106—habitus, 108—head, 110—lateral body, 11—aedeagus in left lateral aspect, 112—aedeagus in right lateral aspect; 107, 109—♀: 107—habitus, 109—head. Scales: 106–110 = 1 mm, 111–112 = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 113–116. 113–115—Heptodonta posticalis (White, 1844): 113—habitus, ♂, lectotype, China, Hong Kong (BMNH); 114–115—♀, China, Guangdong, Qimuzhang (JWCW): 114—mesepisternum, 115—detail elytra. 116—detail elytra, H. pulchella (Hope, 1831), ♀, Nepal, Bagmati, Sollenta-Dhading (JWCW). Scales: 113–114 = 1 mm, 115–116 = 0.5 mm.