Deltomerodes conaensis sp. nov.

Yan, Weifeng, Shi, Hongliang, Liang, Hongbin & Shi, Juan, 2021, Two new species of the genus Deltomerodes Deuve, 1992 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Patrobini) from Xizang, China, ZooKeys 1023, pp. 151-169 : 151

Deltomerodes conaensis sp. nov. Figs 15 , 16-19 , 20-23 , 24-28

Type locality.

China, Xizang: Cona County, Rama La pass (28.3037°N, 91.8834°E, 5019 m) .

Type material.

Holotype: male ( IZAS), " Xizang, Lhoka pref., Cona county, Quchomo Xiang , Rama La pass, alpine meadow, 28.3037°N, 91.8834°E, 5019m "; " under stone, 2019. VII. 24, Shi HL, Yan WF & Zhu PZ lgt., Exp. BJFU 2019 "; " HOLOTYPE ♂ Deltomerodes conaensis sp. nov., des. YAN & SHI, 2021" [red label]. Paratypes: 9 males and 7 females ( IZAS), same data as holotype but labeled as paratypes .

Diagnosis.

The new species can be distinguished within the genus by the combination of: head generally with two pairs of setae between eyes and neck constriction; pronotum subcordate, lateral margins slightly sinuate before posterior angles, which are slightly pointed outwards; humeri distinct, rounded; scutellar pore present; elytral discal pores only present on third and seventh intervals; fifth meso- and metatarsomeres with three to four pairs of setae ventrally; endophallus consisting of a straight and weakly sclerotized proximal copulatory piece and two distal spiniform pieces.

Description.

Habitus as in Figure 15 . Medium-sized for a Patrobini species (L = 9.7-11.5 mm; EW = 3.2-3.7 mm).

General appearance: Dorsal side dark brown to black, shiny, without metallic luster; head, mandibles, pronotum and elytra brown; antennae and legs a little paler, palpi reddish-brown; ventral side largely dark brown, abdominal sternum brown. Dorsal side smooth except for basal foveae of pronotum slightly punctate. Microsculpture invisible on head and pronotum, isodiametric on elytra, distinct in apical third, hardly visible near base.

Head: Broad and ovate; surface smooth, without coarse punctures. Mandibles not elongated, right mandible with a weakly protruding tooth beneath basal inner margin; terminal maxillary palpomere broadest in middle; ligula with two adjacent apical setae. Antennae pubescent beginning with third antennomere; first antennomere with only one long seta; second antennomere glabrous except for apical ring of setae (Fig. 16 ). Eyes small, very slightly convex; temporae tumid, much longer than eye diameter; neck constriction shallower than in D. ovicollis sp. nov. Frontal furrows short and rather shallow, extended to level of posterior edge of eyes, slightly divergent posteriorly; with two setae between eyes and neck constriction on each side (two specimens with three or four setae on one side), including one supraorbital seta near middle level of eyes, and one seta between posterior margins of eyes and neck constriction, not adjoining to neck constriction. Mentum with two deep longitudinal foveae basally, tooth narrow and bifid, apical notch shallow; submentum with two setae on each side in both sexes (Fig. 18 ).

Pronotum: Longitudinal-subcordate, rather narrow, PW / PL = 1.00-1.15, slightly wider than head, PW /HW = 1.11-1.21, widest near anterior third, fairly convex, moderately constricted posteriorly. Anterior margin near straight; anterior angles rounded, somewhat distinct, not protruding anteriorly; lateral margins broadly rounded in front, with slight sinuation before posterior angles; posterior margin nearly straight to slightly rounded; posterior angles obtuse to rectangular, apex sharp, slightly pointed outwards. Anterior transverse impression shallow and smooth; basal foveae shallow, finely punctate and wrinkled; disc smooth, median line shallow, obliterated at both extremities; lateral grooves narrow, not punctate. Lateral margins each with one seta before middle (two specimens with two setae on one side or both sides), another seta situated a little before posterior angle (Fig. 19 ).

Elytra: Oblong-ovate, convex; EL/EW = 1.69-1.74, EW/ PW = 1.64-1.74, EL/ PL = 2.80-2.84, widest near posterior third; humeri distinct, rounded, with small humeral tooth. Intervals slightly convex; inner striae well incised, finely punctate basally, lateral striae shallower; scutellar stria inconspicuous, only with one or two punctures and a superficial impression, scutellar pore present at base of second interval; third interval with three to four setiferous pores, all adjoining the third stria, the first one near basal sixth; seventh interval with one or two setiferous pores near basal sixth; umbilicate series composed of nine to twelve pores, basal ones not aggregated.

Ventral side: Prosternum smooth, propleuron densely punctate; mesosternum and mesopleuron wrinkled, mesopleuron with sporadic coarse punctures; mesepimeron narrow, slightly widened laterally, suture separating mesepisternum and mesosternum joins anterior margin of mesepimeron; metepisternum rather long and narrow, not punctate. Lateral areas of abdominal sternites finely rugose, sternites IV to VI each with one pair of setae near middle; sternite VII with one seta on each side in males and two in females. Female sternite VIII with anterolateral apophyses long, with both longitudinal and transverse depigmentation distinct, posterointernal depigmentation present (Fig. 26 ). Female tergite VIII with anterolateral apophyses quite short; longitudinal carinae absent, transverse ones short and laterally placed, median sclerotization absent, basal depigmentation indistinct, apical depigmentation absent (Fig. 25 ).

Legs: Males with basal two protarsomeres slightly expanded, second protarsomere distinctly wider than third, which is near triangular; fourth protarsomere slightly bilobed; metatrochanter normal, apex not protruding; all tarsomeres pubescent dorsally; fifth meso- and metatarsomeres with three or four pairs of setae ventrally (Fig. 17 ).

Male genitalia: Median lobe of aedeagus strongly bent at base, gutter-shaped and opened dorsally; in lateral view apical lamella moderately curved dorsally; in dorsal view apical lamella gradually attenuated towards apex and faintly twisted rightwards, apex rounded, forming a prominent hook to the right (Fig. 22 ). Armature of endophallus consisting of a straight and weakly sclerotized proximal copulatory piece and two spiniform distal pieces, the dorsal one large and stout, the left one much narrower (Fig. 23 ). Left paramere larger than right one, both short and gradually contracted towards apex but the left one more truncated at apex, both with two long apical setae and one or two short subapical setae (Figs 20 , 21 ).

Female genitalia: Gonocoxite I glabrous; gonocoxite II narrow and slightly curved, blunt-rounded at apex, with two small setae in one fovea at subapical inner margin (Fig. 28 ). Reproductive tract with well-marked annular sclerotized ring about 0.35 mm in diameter on bursa copulatrix; spermatheca tubular, very small, without spermathecal duct and spermathecal gland (Figs 24 , 27 ).

Distribution.

This species is known only from the type locality of Rama La in Cona County, Xizang (Map 3 ) .

Etymology.

The scientific name of the new species refers to its type locality in Cona County.

Remarks.

According to the key provided by Zamotajlov (1999), the new species belongs to the Deltomerodes murzini -group for some characters: (1) head with less than four pairs of setae between eyes and neck constriction; (2) pronotum not cordate, without distinct sinuation before posterior angles, sides with one seta in anterior third; (3) fifth meso- and metatarsomeres with three or four pairs of setae ventrally. Within this species group, the new species seems to be closest to D. wrasei for their adjacent distribution and morphological similarities in chaetotaxy, pronotum shape and in the apical lamella of the aedeagus. However, the armature of the endophallus in D. conaensis sp. nov. has a straight and weakly sclerotized proximal copulatory piece. The new species is different from all other known species of the genus, in which the proximal copulatory piece is well-sclerotized and loop-like.

Figures

Map 3. Distribution map for Deltomerodes conaensis sp. nov. (red).

Figure 15. Deltomerodes conaensis sp. nov. (holotype). Habitus and labels (the white dots represent the setiferous pores on the left side of the specimen). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Figures 16 - 19. Deltomerodes conaensis sp. nov. (holotype) 16 first two segments of antenna 17 lateral side of fifth metatarsomere 18 labium 19 pronotum. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (a for 16, 17, b for 18, 19).

Figures 20 - 23. Deltomerodes conaensis sp. nov. (holotype) 20 left paramere of aedeagus 21 right paramere of aedeagus 22 median lobe of aedeagus, left lateral view (22 A), dorsal view (22 B) 23 endophallus of aedeagus, left lateral view (23 A), dorsal view (23 B). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figures 24 - 28. Deltomerodes conaensis sp. nov. (paratype female) 24 female reproductive tract 25 female tergite VIII 26 female sternite VIII 27 spermatheca 28 gonocoxa, right lateral view (28 A), dorsal view (28 B). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (a for 24 - 26, b for 27, 28).