Macrocheilus viduatus katanganus Basilewsky, 1960

Serrano, Artur R. M., 2023, Afrotropical ground beetles of Macrocheilus Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera, Carabidae) description of four new species and faunistic notes, Zootaxa 5256 (1), pp. 1-35 : 26-27

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5256.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CE0AC7CD-E55D-484C-9346-86F16C985DBE
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7745393
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AE0487C8-F52A-FFC2-0986-A38A65AAF84E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Macrocheilus viduatus katanganus Basilewsky, 1960
status

Treatment

Macrocheilus viduatus katanganus Basilewsky, 1960 View in CoL

Figs. 11f, g View FIGURE 11 , 12d View FIGURE 12 , 13d View FIGURE 13 , 14d View FIGURE 14

Studied material. 1 male: “ Zambia Copperbelt Prov. \ 40 km Ouest Chingola\ 21.XI.2005 \ S. Rojkoff & K. Werner leg.”\\ “Macr-04” (yellow label)\\ “ Macrocheilus \ viduatus \ katanganus \ Basilewsky, 1960 ” [h]\ “A.Serrano det. 2021” [t] [h]; 2 females: “ Zambia NW\ E of Chisasa, W of Solwezi\ 24.10.2008, Snizek leg.”\\ “Macr-02” \\ “Macr-3 ”(yellow labels)\\ “ Macrocheilus \ viduatus \ katanganus \ Basilewsky, 1960 ” [h]\ “A. Serrano det. 2021” [t] [h]; 1 female: “ Zambia NW\ 150 km S of Mwinilunga\ 2.11.2008, Snizek leg.” \\ “Macr-05” (yellow label)\\ “ Macrocheilus \ viduatus \ katanganus \ Basilewsky, 1960 ” [h]\ A. Serrano det. 2021” [t] [h]; 1 female: “ RSA, Kwaz. Natal pr.\ 25 km S Pongola\ 510m, S 27º 34′, E 31º\ 35′, 25.1.10, Halada” \\ “Macr-06” (yellow label)\\ “ Macrocheilus \ viduatus \ katanganus \ Basilewsky” [h]\ “A. Serrano det. 2021” [t] [h].

Remarks. The species is polytypic, the nominotypical subspecies is spread over southern Africa ( Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, Republic of South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe) ( Basilewsky 1960; Häckel & Farkač 2013). Macrocheilus viduatus katanganus was originally described from several localities of the former Belgian Congo (= Democratic Republic of the Congo) and north of Rhodesia (= Zambia) ( Basilewsky 1960) based on the well differentiated colour of legs and antennae (black in the nominotypical subspecies vs. reddish brown in M. viduatus katanganus ). All the adult specimens studied (e.g. Fig. 11g View FIGURE 11 ) have the legs and antennae reddish brown and hence belong to this subspecies. The species is very similar to M. bimaculatus , both presenting distinct microreticulation, extremely fine, in the elytral tegument. However, the aedeagus of both species are very different, allowing their segregation (see Serrano 2000, Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 and Fig. 13d View FIGURE 13 , this work). Macrocheilus viduatus katanganus is recorded for the Republic of South Africa for the first time.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 13d View FIGURE 13 ). Median lobe slightly dilated in the median region, slightly constricted between basal bulb and shaft, apex acuminated and very slightly upward (lateral view), rounded (dorsal view), apical ostium with one pair of large scaled sclerotized stripes on dorsum; left paramere large and rounded, without distal tooth.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 14d View FIGURE 14 ). Gonocoxite 1 subtriangular; gonocoxite 2 sickle shaped, apex sharp; dorsal surface slightly concave, covered with numerous setae, several setae (9–10) near the outer margin on a sub marginal longitudinal rib, apical half of inner margin with 3 setae; ventral surface slightly convex, smooth.

Distribution. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of South Africa, Zambia.