Pristosia amaroides

Schmidt, Joachim & Hartmann, Matthias, 2009, Pristosia Motschulsky, 1865 from the Nepal Himalaya: Taxonomy and Biogeography (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Sphodrini), Zootaxa 2009, pp. 1-26 : 19

The Pristosia amaroides species group

Diagnosis: The monotypic species group includes a medium sized species from Eastern Himalaya, with Amara -like body shape and slightly metallic elytra ( Fig. 2 ). Pronotum strongly transverse, widest just before base ( Fig. 12 ). Pronotal front angles distinctly protruded anterad. Like the pronotal shape, elytra are only slightly restricted toward base. Third elytral interval without setigerous pore punctures. Metafemur without setae on ventral surface. Aedeagal median lobe stout, in lateral view strongly bent from basal bulb to apex, and with terminal lamella very short ( Fig. 23 ). Internal sac, in dorsal view, with two more strongly sclerotized, narrow lanceolate longitudinal folds, which are proceeding evenly and slightly arcuate on right side of ostium ( Fig. 22 ). Body shape, elytral dorsal chaetotaxy, femoral chaetotaxy and aedeagal internal sac folding are derived features and unique within Pristosia .

Description: Body length: 10–11 mm.

Head: Averaged in general form, convex on disc, and with eyes moderately protruded laterally. Mandible normal. Collar constriction very slightly developed. Eyes moderately small. Antennae relatively slender, with antennomere VIII extending beyond the basal border of pronotum; antennomeres I–III smooth apart from primary apical setation.

Pronotum: Remarkably transverse ( Fig. 12 ), Amara -like, much wider than head across eyes, widest in posterior quarter, with sides evenly rounded toward base, the latter much wider than anterior margin. Pronotal disc moderately convex. Front angles wrinkled, distinctly protruding, hind angles rectangular but rounded at tip. Base straight. Anterior marginal bead broadly interrupted in middle, posterior marginal bead completely reduced. Lateral gutter flat, very narrow in anterior half, but distinctly extended behind pronotal middle. Laterobasal impressions large, very flat. Both lateral and basolateral setae present, with lateral setae located somewhat before pronotal middle.

Elytra: Oval, but only slightly restricted toward base, with maximum width somewhat anterad to middle, a little broader than pronotum, humerus wrinkled, disc moderately convex. Basal groove strongly concave, bent forward toward scutellum and humerus as well. Striae deep, impunctate, intervals flat or convex. Parascutellar pore present, third interval without setigerous pore punctures, umbelicate series with 16–18 pore punctures.

Hind wings: Reduced to small scales.

Ventral side: Prosternal process with lateral bead reduced at tip. Metepisterna somewhat shorter than wide. Abdominal sternum VII in male and female with one pair of setae near apical margin.

Legs: Moderately stout. Metafemur without setae on ventral surface. Middle and hind tarsi I–IV each with a thin but deeply engraved longitudinal furrow on outer lateral surface, and each with a very fine and weakly engraved longitudinal furrow on inner lateral surface; the latter is often completely reduced on tarsomere IV; tarsomere V with 3–4 pairs of setae underneath, claws pectinate.

Male genitalia: Aedeagal median lobe short, in lateral view more strongly curved in basal half, moderately curved toward apex; apical lamella without terminal hook ( Figs. 22, 23 ).

Species included: Monotypic. Currently this species group includes only P. amaroides ( Putzeys, 1877) from Eastern Himalaya. However, the Pristosia fauna of the Eastern Himalaya is poorly known and requires further investigation.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Pristosia spp., habitus. Fig. 1, P. crenata (Putzeys, 1873), non-type, male, Nepal, Dailekh. Fig. 2, P. amaroides (Putzeys, 1877), non-type, female, India, Darjeeling. Fig. 3, P. glabella sp. n., Paratype, female. Fig. 4, P. nepalensis sp. n., Paratype, male. Scale bar = 5 mm.

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 16 – 23. Pristosia spp., aedeagal median lobe, dorsal view (Figs. 16, 18, 20, 22) and left lateral view (Figs. 17, 19, 21, 23, with exception of P. crenata, the internal sac is figured only in dorsal view). Figs. 16, 17, P. championi (Andrewes, 1934), Holotype. Figs. 18, 19, P. nepalensis sp. n., Paratype. Figs. 20, 21, P. crenata (Putzeys, 1873), nontype, Nepal, Dailekh. Figs. 22, 23, P. amaroides (Putzeys, 1877), non-type, Nepal, Deorali to Sheldoti. Scale bar = 1 mm.