Parena (Parena) scutata ( Alluaud, 1917 )

Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the genus Parena Motschulsky, 1860 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini, Metallicina), Zootaxa 5286 (1), pp. 1-144 : 131-132

[42] Parena (Parena) scutata ( Alluaud, 1917) , status resurrectus

Habitus: Fig. 76E .

Alluaud, 1917: 87 (original: Crossoglossa africana scutata ; type locality: Senegal, Sedhiou; lectotype in MNHN); Basilewsky, 1961: 213 (synonymized with Parena plagiata Motschulsky ) .

Type material examined. Crossoglossa africana scutata Alluaud : Lectotype (MNHN, Fig. 76E ), designated herein: female, body length = 9.6 mm, pin mounted, " Sedhiou ", "TYPE" [red label], "MUSEUM PARIS / Coll. Ch. ALLUAUD" [blue label], " Crossoglossa / africana A / subsp. scutata / allua. / alluaud deter ". Paralectotype: 1 female (MNHN), "FORT-SIBUT / Haut-Chari / Congo Francais / COLLECTION LE MOULT", " Coll. X " [green label], "ex Typis" [red letters], " scutata ", "MUSEUM PARIS / Coll. Ch. ALLUAUD" [blue label].

Notes on types. The original description mentioned three specimens from " Sedhiou " and " Fort Sibut ", but no holotype was fixed. In the collection of MNHN, we found two females perfectly in accord with the original description. We herein designated the one with Alluaud's handwriting label as the lectotype .

Comparisons. P. scutata can be readily distinguished from other African species of Parena by its unique elytral color pattern: elytra largely black with well defined central red patch before middle, occupying inner four or five intervals.

This species is most similar to P. africana and P. plagiata , also having their elytra are all largely black. In addition to the presence of the elytra red patch, P. scutata also differs from these other two species in having the elytral apices slightly truncate, sutural angles forming small denticles, elytra without microsculpture, and body size generally slightly larger. Similar shape of the elytral apices and absent of elytral microsculpture suggest that this species is closer to P. valeriae than to the above mentioned species, but it differs from P. valeriae in having the antennae distinctly bicolor, elytral sutural angles less pointed; and a different elytra color pattern.

Description. Body length 9.6–9.8 mm. Dorsum reddish brown, moderately polished, elytra largely black, apical sixth reddish brown, with a large central red patch inside black area, occupying the inner four or five intervals; antennae distinctly bicolor: basal four antennomeres reddish brown, apical ones nearly black; scutellum reddish brown; venter reddish brown; legs uniformly reddish brown. Vertex with sparse fine punctures; postgenae without suborbital setae; mentum with a pair of median setae which shorter than terminal labial palpomere; antennae barely extended to pronotal base. Pronotum sub-quadrate, PW/PL = 1.50, slightly wider than head, PW/HW = 1.10; widest at anterior third, lateral margins evenly rounded before middle, weakly sinuate before posterior angles; posterior angles rounded-obtuse, not prominent; lateral explanations slightly wide; disc finely wrinkled aside median line. Elytra slightly dilated to apex; without microsculpture; striae very shallowly incised, with fine puncture rows; intervals faintly convex, almost flat on apical half, with sparse fine punctures; discal depressions sub-triangular, occupying intervals 3 to 6; apices slightly truncate, rounded at outer apical angles, and gradually straighten to suture; sutural angles weakly pointed, forming very small denticles.Apex of abdominal sternite VII straight, with two setae on each side in females. Ovipositor not studied. Male unknown.

Distribution ( Map 13 , red). Only known by the types from Senegal and Central African Republic.

Remarks. Basilewsky (1961) proposed the synonymy of P. scutata and P. plagiata without detailed explanation. From our study of the types of P. scutata and non-type materials of P. plagiata from South Africa, we found that these two species are quite different: (1) P. scutata has a well defined red central patch on elytra, but this patch is vague in P. plagiata ; (2) the red apical margin on the elytra is much wider in P. scutata ; (3) P. scutata has no microsculpture on the elytra, but isodiametric microsculpture is evident on the elytra of P. plagiata ; (4) in P. scutata , the elytral apices are more distinctly truncate with sutural angles slightly denticulate, but in P. plagiata , the elytral apices are subtruncate with sutural angles not pointed. Although the male genitalia of P. scutata is unknown, these above external differences indicate that P. scutata and P. plagiata are two distinct species.

Furthermore, P. scutata is considered to be closer to P. valeriae than to P. plagiata or P. africana , although the latter two species share with it similar elytra patterns, because P. scutata and P. valeriae both have truncate elytra apices, denticulate sutural angles, and elytra without microsculpture. The following species, P. ruficornis sp. n,. shows some intermediate characters between these two species (detailed discussions are provided below).

Figures

MAP 13. Distributions for species in the Parena (Parena) scutata group

FIGURE 76. Habitus of Parena (Parena) scutata species group. A Lectotype of Parena madagascariensis (Alluaud). B Holotype of Parena alluaudi Jeannel [= Parena madagascariensis (Alluaud)]. C P. madagascariensis (Alluaud), female from Madagascar. D Holotype of Parena valeriae Facchini. E Lectotype of Parena scutata (Alluaud). F Holotype of Parena ruficornis. Scale bars = 2 mm.