Pristosia atrema

Schmidt, Joachim & Hartmann, Matthias, 2009, Pristosia Motschulsky, 1865 from the Nepal Himalaya: Taxonomy and Biogeography (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Sphodrini), Zootaxa 2009, pp. 1-26 : 9-10

The Pristosia atrema species group

Diagnosis: Medium sized dark brown or blackish species from Western Himalaya. Pronotal shape Calathus - like with sides only slightly restricted toward base and with hind angles acute ( Fig. 13 ; symplesiomorphy of P.

atrema Andrewes, 1926 with Western Himalayan species), with hind angles obtuse (P. b r a n c u c c i Deuve, Lassalle & Queinnec, 1985, from Uttar Pradesh), or pronotal hind angles completely rounded ( Figs. 5–11 ; synapomorphy of a terminal group of Nepalese species). Elytral interval III with setigerous pore punctures completely reduced (apomorphy). Aedeagal internal sac, in dorsal view, with a transverse folding in middle of median lobe, and with two or more elongated longitudinal folds extending to apex of median lobe; the latter folds with a small part of their inner border below ostium more strongly sclerotized ( Figs. 24–40 ). These male genital characters are derived and unique within Pristosia .

Description: Body length: 9.8–12.5 mm.

Head: Averaged in general form, convex on disc, and with eyes moderately protruding laterally. Mandible normal. Collar constriction weakly developed. Eyes moderately small, temporae long and distinctly developed. Antennae slender, with antennomere VIII extending beyond the basal border of pronotum; antennomeres I–III usually smooth except for the primary apical setation, but seldom with a very fine additional apical seta on antennomeres I and/or II.

Pronotum: Slightly transverse or as long as wide, distinctly wider than head across eyes, widest somewhat anterad to middle; disc convex. Front angles narrowly rounded, often slightly protruding. Anterior marginal bead faintly developed laterally, absent in middle, posterior marginal bead reduced to a fine and short line at basal depressions or completely reduced. Lateral gutter shallow, narrow in anterior half, +/- expanded toward base. Laterobasal impressions moderately deep, smooth. Both lateral and basolateral setae present, with lateral seta located slightly anterior to maximum pronotal width and distinctly beside the lateral gutter.

Elytra: Oval, with maximum width about middle, distinctly broader than pronotum, disc convex. Humerus broadly rounded. Basal groove moderately or strongly concave, forward bent toward scutellum and humerus as well. Striae deep, impunctate, intervals convex. Parascutellar pore present, third interval without setigerous pore punctures, umbelicate series with 15–17 pore punctures.

Hind wings: Reduced to small scales.

Ventral side: Posternal process with lateral bead reduced to very short and shallow furrows or completely unbordered. Metepisterna short, nearly as wide as long. Abdominal sternum VII in male and female with one pair of setae near apical margin.

Legs: Relatively stout or slender. Metafemur with two setae on ventral surface, one near base and one beyond middle of femoral length. Tarsi smooth on dorsal and inner lateral surface, hind tarsomeres I–II with a thin but distinct longitudinal furrow on outer lateral surface, tarsomere V with four to five pairs of setae underneath, claws pectinate.

Male genitalia: Aedeagal median lobe, in lateral view, more strongly curved in basal half, and straight or slightly curved on ventral side toward apex. In dorsal view, median lobe more slender oval with apical lamella relatively small to broad. Internal sac, in dorsal view, with a transverse pack of folds in middle of median lobe, and with two or more longitudinal folds on each side of ostium extending toward apex of median lobe; the latter folds each having a part of its inner border below ostium more strongly sclerotized ( Figs. 24–40 ).

Species included: P. a t re m a ( Andrewes, 1926) from Kumaon Himalaya, P. brancucci Deuve, Lassalle & Queinnec, 1985 , from Uttar Pradesh, P. dahud Morvan, 1994 , P. glabella sp. n., P. similata sp. n., from western Nepal Himalaya.

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 15. Pristosia spp., pronotum. Fig. 5, P. dahud polita ssp. n., Paratype, male. Fig. 6, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, male, Rara Lake. Fig. 7, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, male, Maharigaon. Fig. 8, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, male, Khari Lagna (transitional form). Fig. 9, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, male, Khari Lagna (typical form). Fig. 10, P. similata sp. n., Paratype, male. Fig. 11, P. glabella sp. n., Paratype, male. Fig. 12, P. amaroides (Putzeys, 1877), non-type, female, India, Darjeeling. Fig. 13, P. a t re m a (Andrewes, 1926), Holotype. Fig. 14, P. nepalensis sp. n., Paratype, male. Fig. 15, P. championi (Andrewes, 1934), Holotype. Scale bar = 2 mm.

FIGURES 24 – 29. Pristosia spp., aedeagal median lobe, dorsal view (Figs. 24, 26, 28) and left lateral view (Figs. 25, 27, 29, the internal sac is figured only in dorsal view). Figs. 24, 25, P. s i m i l a t a sp. n., Paratype. Figs. 26, 27, P. a trema (Andrewes, 1926), Holotype. Figs. 28, 29, P. a t re m a (Andrewes, 1926), non-type, India, Pindar Valley. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 30 – 35. Pristosia spp., aedeagal median lobe, dorsal view (Figs. 30, 32, 34) and left lateral view (Figs. 31, 33, 35, the internal sac is figured only in dorsal view). Figs. 30, 31, P. dahud polita ssp. n., Paratype. Figs. 32, 33, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, Khari Lagna (transitional form). Figs. 34, 35, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, Khari Lagna (typical form). Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 36 – 41. Pristosia spp., aedeagal median lobe, dorsal view (Figs. 36, 38, 40) and left lateral view (Figs. 37, 39, 41, the internal sac is figured only in dorsal view). Figs. 36, 37, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, Maharigaon. Figs. 38, 39, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, Rara Lake. Figs. 40, 41, P. glabella sp. n., Holotype. Scale bar = 1 mm.