Tropiorhynchus orientis (Newman, 1838)

(Figs. 1, 5–6, 10, 14, 18, 21–24, 34, 37, 41, 45, 49)

Anisoplia orientis Newman, 1838: 384; Burmeister 1844: 226.

Tropiorhynchus orientis: Blanchard 1851: 176; Arrow 1917: 54, plate 1, fig. 2 (habitus, male); Machatschke 1954: 64, fig. 1b (lateral side of pronotum), fig. 2b (metathoracic leg); 6a–b (frontal view paramere, lateral view aedeagus), fig. 7 (endophallus); Machatschke 1972: 254.

Material examined. India, Himachal Pradesh, North Kanara district, Castle Rock, 2 males, 2 females, 11– 26.x.1916, S. Kemp (ZSCI registration number: 5461/H1 to 5464/H1).

Distribution (Fig. 5). India: Sikkim (Darjeeling and Kurseong), Karnataka (Belgaum, Kanara), Maharashtra (Bombay), and Himachal Pradesh (Shimla). Elsewhere: Baluchistan (Chaman) (Machatschke 1954).

Remarks. The original description of this species (Newman 1838) is short though it includes several diagnostic morphological characters revealing its identity such as head, pronotum, and scutellum rugopunctate and setose, with green and bronze colouration; and elytra deeply striate, striae rugopunctate. Arrow (1917) differentiated this species from T. podagricus by the presence of produced mesosternum, densely setose pronotum, and apically split outer protarsal claw. Thorough examination of all the congeners revealed that produced mesosternum and apically split outer claw of protarsus are species specific characters, which are not found in any other species of the genus. Moreover, the aedeagus in this particular species is unique with the ventral plate having a raised lamina medially (see Machatschke 1954: figs. 6a–b). The aedeagal structure in the specimen we observed (Figs. 45, 49) is identical to the illustrations provided by Machatschke (1954: figs. 6a–b).