Geocharidius antigua, Sokolov, Igor M. & Kavanaugh, David H., 2014

Sokolov, Igor M. & Kavanaugh, David H., 2014, The integripennis species group of Geocharidius Jeannel, 1963 (Carabidae, Bembidiini, Anillina) from Nuclear Central America: a taxonomic review with notes about biogeography and speciation, ZooKeys 443, pp. 61-118 : 75

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Carabidae

Geocharidius antigua sp. n. Figs 12G, 19 A–D, 20A, 21A, 22, 23

Type material.

HOLOTYPE, a male, in KUNHM, point-mounted, dissected, labeled: \ GUATEMALA: Sacatepéquez: 5km SE Antigua, 14.52779 -90.68971 ± 200m, 2350m, 10-VI-2009, ex. sifted leaf litter, oak forest LLAMA09 Wm-B-08-2-all \ KUNHM \ HOLOTYPE Geocharidius antigua Sokolov and Kavanaugh 2014 [red label] \. PARATYPES: 1 female, dissected, labeled same as holotype (deposited in KUNHM).

Type locality.

Guatemala, Sacatepéquez, 5 km SE of Antigua.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition and refers to the city in the vicinity of which the type series was collected.

Recognition.

Adults of this new species are practically indistinguishable in body shape from those of other Guatemalan species of Geocharidius with small body size; but the smooth pronotum and presence of microsculpture on the proepisternum form a basis for distinguishing adults of Geocharidius antigua from those of sympatric Geocharidius minimus and allopatric Geocharidius balini , described below. Males and females of Geocharidius antigua are distinguished from those of the other members of the integripennis species group by the structure of the median lobe and the shape of spermatheca, respectively.

Description.

Size. Medium for genus (SBL range 1.26-1.29 mm, mean 1.28 ± 0.019 mm, n=2).

Habitus. Body form (Fig. 12G) moderately convex, elongate ovoid, general proportions (WE/SBL 0.39 ± 0.009) and proportions of head (WH/WPm 0.71 ± 0.002) and pronotum (WPm/WE 0.78 ± 0.020) average for group.

Color. Body brunneorufous, appendages testaceous.

Microsculpture. Mesh pattern of irregularly isodiametric sculpticells present over all dorsal surfaces of head and elytra. Pronotum smooth. Proepisternum with evident microsculpture.

Prothorax. Pronotum moderately wide (WPm/LP 1.28 ± 0.011), with lateral margins slightly constricted posteriorly (WPm/WPp 1.29 ± 0.004). Posterior angles slightly obtuse (100-110°). Width between posterior angles greater than between anterior angles (WPa/WPp 0.95 ± 0.022).

Elytra. Moderately convex, slightly depressed along suture, moderately wide (WE/LE 0.67 ± 0.015), without traces of striae. Humeri broadly rounded, in outline forming right angle with longitudinal axis of body. Lateral margins convex, evenly divergent at basal third, evenly rounded to apex in apical third.

Male genitalia. Median lobe of aedeagus (Fig. 19A) with long subparallel shaft, and small rounded apex. Ventral margin almost straight. Dorsal sclerites of internal sac in form of a long fig, tapered apically as a long flagellum, and abruptly widened basally as a nearly circular complex of structures near basal orifice (Figs 19 A–B). Right paramere with short and narrow apical constriction (Fig. 19D). Left paramere with long and narrow apical constriction (Fig. 19C). Ring sclerite with handle triangular, slightly asymmetrical, pointed apically (Fig. 20A).

Female internal genitalia. Spermatheca sclerotized, bulb-shaped, straight, and very wide, with cornu short and nodulus swollen (Fig. 21A). Length of spermathecal gland greater than length of spermatheca. Spermathecal duct loosely coiled.

Geographical distribution.

This species is known only from the type locality, situated on the northern slopes of volcano Agua in the volcanic chain of the Guatemalan Cordillera (Fig. 22, yellow quadrangle).

Way of life.

Specimens were collected by sifting oak forest litter at an elevation of 2350 m.

Relationships.

The shape of dorsal sclerites of the internal sac (Fig. 19 A–B) suggests that this species is closely related to the Honduran Geocharidius disjunctus (Fig. 19Q, T), described below.