Parena plagiata

Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the genus Parena Motschulsky, 1860 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini, Metallicina), Zootaxa 5286 (1), pp. 1-144 : 133-134

14. Parena plagiata species group

This species group contains three species distributed in the Sub-Saharan African mainland. This group is characterized by: postgenae without suborbital setae; elytra not metallic, uniformly reddish brown or with large dark patches; elytral apices subtruncate, apical margin evenly curved, sutural angles not pointed ( Fig. 5A ); elytra with shallow isodiametric microsculpture; antennomere 1 with the ventroapical seta shorter than half length of the dorsoapical one; male genitalia with apical lamella small, LL much shorter than LW, apex slightly bent dorsally; gonocoxite II of ovipositor subulate, strongly pointed near inner apical angle.

In P. africana , the most widespread and common species of this group, the elytra color pattern shows pleomorphism: some individuals have the typical dark elytra pattern while a few others are evenly yellowish brown. In other species of this group, elytral pleomorphism may occur as well, but more material from Africa is required to prove this.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Elytral apex (left) of Parena spp. A P. (Parena) africana (Alluaud), Cameroon. B P. (Parena) ruficornis sp. n., Central Africa, paratype. C P. (Parena) valeriae Facchini, holotype. D P. (Parena) madagascariensis (Alluaud), Madagascar. E P. (Bothynoptera) tesari (Jedlička), Taiwan. F P. (Bothynoptera) heteronycha sp. n., Laos, paratype. G P. (Bothynoptera) kurosai Habu, Japan. H P. (Bothynoptera) dorsigera (Schaum), Yunnan. I P. (Bothynoptera) dorsigera (Schaum), Beijing. J P. (Bothynoptera) dorsigera (Schaum), Japan. Scale bars = 0.5mm