Geocharis barcorabelo Serrano & Aguiar

Serrano, Artur R. M. & Aguiar, Carlos A. S., 2011, Two new species of the genus Geocharis Ehlers, 1883 and new data on Anillina species from Portugal (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Zootaxa 3116, pp. 33-46 : 35-36

Geocharis barcorabelo Serrano & Aguiar , new species

( Figs 3 , 5 a–5b, 6a)

Type material: Holotype, Ƌ, Portugal, Folgosa (Peso da Régua) (U.T.M. coordinate: 29TPF1357), 29.IV.2009, (A. Serrano leg.). Paratypes, 13 Ƌ and 9 Ƥ (2Ƌ, 1Ƥ gold coated), same locality of holotype, 29.IV.2009, (A. Serrano leg.).

Diagnosis. Anophtalmous; body slightly depressed, brown with integument microreticulated. Sparce pubescence mainly on pronotum and elytra. Elytron with vestigial striae, humeral region strongly punctured, disk with one anterior seta and a posterior one. Male forelegs with the first tarsomere dilated. Males and females without a median tooth on the internal margin of the metafemora. Mesotibiae with dense pubescence in both margins. Hind tibiae more or less right. Aedeagus as in Figs 5 a–5b.

Description. Length of holotype: 1.9 mm. Length of paratypes: 1.7–2.0 mm (males), 1.8–2.0 mm (females).

Head ( Fig. 3 a) more or less as long as wide [length: 0.30–0.37 mm (males), 0.32–0.37 mm (females); width: 0.33–0.38 (males), 0.36–0.40 mm (females)], microsculpture distinct. Cephalic chaetotaxy (fixed setae of right side): L3+C1+F1+SA1+SP1+ V1 +O2+P0+G2. Frontal and clypeal setae inserted in two large and two small sulci, respectively. Antennae light brown, antennomeres 1–2 longer than the others, the latter subpyriform, the third and the fourth are the shortest ones and subpyriforms, antennomeres 5–10 gradually longer and oval-shaped, the last one acuminate. Mouth-parts ( Fig. 3 b) show the general pattern of the genus.

Pronotum cordiform ( Fig. 3 c), transverse, about 1.2 times wider than long [length: 0.35–0.43 mm (males), 0.38–0.44 mm (females); width: 0.45–0.52 mm (males), 0.48–0.53 mm (females)]; anterior angles not produced, widely rounded off, lateral channel not recurved inside of anterior angles; disk slightly convex, depressed between the two basal pits, with a superficial central sulcus which does not reach the anterior margin; this margin and posterior margin slightly straight; lateral margins with two or three denticles just before the posterior angles, which are straight and dentate. Vestiture (pubescence): surface covered with scattered erect pubescence; one seta on the lateral margin in the broadest part of the pronotum, another one near the posterior angle; two additional setae inserted near the anterior angles.

Elytra ( Figs. 3 d–3e) 1.6–1.8 times longer than wide [length: 1.03–1.15 mm (males), 1.07–1.17 mm (females), width: 0.59–0.69 mm (males), 0.63–0.71 mm (females)], slightly convex, parallel and oval posteriorly. Tegument microsculptured, disk with traces of striae, strongly punctured in the shoulders, punctures sparser and less conspicuous to apex ( Figs. 3 e–3f); lateral margin narrow, finely serrated from the humeral angles, which are rounded, until the seventh seta of the umbilicate series. Vestiture (pubescence): part of the pubescence of the disk is arranged in six irregular lines, these setae are erect and slightly directed anteriad ( Fig. 3 e); umbilicate series follows the pattern of the genus. The longest setae of this series are the 2nd, the 6th and the 9th with the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 8th, more slightly inserted within the elytral margin; besides these setae there are one parascutellar basad, two discal (one anterior and one posterior) and one apical seta ( Figs 3 d–3f).

Last abdominal ventrite with one pair of medium sub-marginal setae in males, two pairs of medium sub-marginal setae in females ( Figs 3 g–3h).

Male legs with protarsomere 1 dilated; tarsomere 1 in all legs more pigmented (light brown) than the others; mesotibiae with a strong pubescence on both margins; hind femora (males and females) without any median tooth on the internal margin ( Figs. 3 g–3h).

Male genitalia ( Figs 5 a–5b) with median lobe arcuate (lateral view), apex sharp (lateral view), straight in the right side and broadly sharp in the left side (dorsal view), basal lobe with apophysis slightly prominent and bent down, basal edge straight; internal sac as in figures 5a–5b; left and right parameres with 2 apical setae, left paramere with dorso-basal edge expanded ( Fig. 5 a).

The female genitalia follows the general pattern found on the other species of the genus (e.g., Zaballos & Jeanne 1987, Zaballos 1998, Zaballos, 2005). Female genitalia ( Fig. 6 a) shows the gonocoxite IX sickle-shaped, and has a long ensiform seta in the middle region of the external margin, one ensiform seta in the middle dorsal region and a single nematiform seta in the internal margin near the beginning of the apical third. Gonosubcoxite IX without special features; laterotergite IX with a variable number of setae (more or less 14–15). Internal genitalia (not shown) with spermathecal duct short (length: 0.04 mm), enlarged near the bursa copulatrix, a subspherical spermatheca (width: 0.024 mm), duct of spermathecal gland short and thin, gland fusiform (lenght: 0.08 mm), middle region membranous, apical portion sclerotized.

Etymology. The specific epithet, barcorabelo , is used as a noun in apposition (invariable) on the names barco rabelo, a typical boat used in former times to transport the internationally prestigious Porto wine along the Douro River between the vineyards and Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto, the riverine cities where Porto is stored and traded until today. Nowadays this type of boat is used in touristic and popular festival events.

Figures

FIGURE 3. SEM photographs of structural features of Geocharis barcorabelo n. sp., (a), head (latero – dorsal view); (b), head (ventral view); (c), pronotum (dorsal view); (d), elytra (dorsal view); (e), right elytron (latero-dorsal view); (f), anterior half of elytra (dorsal view); (g), thorax and abdomen (male, ventral view); (h), thorax and abdomen (female, ventral view).

FIGURE 5. Geocharis barcorabelo n. sp. aedeagus, (a), median lobe and left paramere in lateral view; (b), apex of median lobe in dorsal view. Geocharis antheroi n. sp. aedeagus, (c), median lobe and left paramere in lateral view; (d), apex of median lobe in dorsal view.

FIGURE 6. SEM photographs of female genitalia in ventral view: (a) Geocharis barcorabelo n. sp.; (b) Geocharis antheroi n. sp.