Stomis gigas Sciaky, 1998

Sciaky, Riccardo, 2024, Review of the Chinese Stomis, with description of nine new taxa and a new key (Carabidae: Pterostichini), Zootaxa 5523 (1), pp. 1-34 : 12-13

Stomis gigas Sciaky, 1998

Loc. typ.: China, N Yunnan, Haba Shan near Zhongdian.

Stomis gigas ssp. xiaoxuensis Deuve, 2022 syn. nov.

Loc. typ.: China, Yunnan, env. 50 km au nord de Shangri La (Zhongdian), Xiaoxu Shan, col entre Biyizhong et Zhuanfang, 4011 mètres.

Described upon few specimens and collected again more recently in some new specimens from the type locality, partly mentioned by Deuve (2022). In a very recent paper, the same author ( Deuve 2022) described Stomis gigas ssp. xiaoxuensis , a new subspecies mainly characterized by the smaller size and by very subtle chromatic and morphological differences. The type locality of this new subspecies is extremely near the type locality of S. gigas s. str. and both are in the vicinities of Zhongdian. I have not seen any specimen of this new form, but the proximity of the two type localities and their really scarce differences in my opinion do not allow to maintain two different subspecies in such a limited geographic area, therefore I consider Stomis gigas ssp. x iaoxuensis as a synonym of Stomis gigas .

I can therefore propose the new synonymy:

Stomis gigas ssp. xiaoxuensis Deuve, 2022 = S. gigas Sciaky, 1998 syn. nov.

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 15 . The combination of characters allowing to distinguish this species are: length 10.5–14.1 mm; integuments dark green, rather shiny; body rather convex; femora, tibiae and base of antennae blackish, tarsi and last 7 antennomeres reddish-brown, rather long and slender; head narrow, with mandibles distinctly longer than the rest of the head; pronotum anteriorly broad, with lateral margins feebly and linearly constricted, then sinuate in the last seventh towards the base; elytra very narrow, parallel-sided, with all striae rather deep and punctate; shoulders angulose and with a small but evident tooth. Median lobe of aedeagus with apical portion much longer than basal portion; in lateral view subsinuate before apex, in dorsal view constricted and short, and with a very small tooth on the left side ( Fig. 41 ). Ratios: El/Pl = 2.30; Ew/Pw = 1.33; El/Ew = 1.66.

Distribution. N Yunnan, Haba Shan near Zhongdian.

Material examined: N Yunnan, Haba Shan near Zhongdian , 3800 m: 1 Paratype ♂ ( CS) ; Yunnan, Habashan , 4000–4300 m: 1 ♀ ( CF) .

Figures

FIGURES 13–16. Habitus of: (13) S. facchinii HT (7.9 mm); (14) S. farkaci PT from Yunnan, Hengduan mts., part Baima (9.1 mm); (15) S. gigas PT from Yunnan, Habashan (12.3 mm); (16) S. wrasei HT (12.1 mm).

FIGURES 39–42. Aedeagus in lateral and dorsal view of: (39) S. facchinii HT; (40) S. farkaci PT; (41) S. gigas PT from Yunnan, Zhongdian; (42) S. titanus HT.