Nebria (Epinebriola) retingensis, C.Huber & J.Schmidt, 2017

Huber, Charles & Schmidt, Joachim, 2017, Notes on the Nebria subgenus Epinebriola K. DANIEL, 1904 with the description of Barbonebriola subgen. nov. and 13 new species from the Himalaya-Tibet orogen (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Nebriini), Contributions to Natural History 36, pp. 1-85 : 55-59

Nebria (Epinebriola) retingensis sp. nov. ( Fig. 28 )

Holotype ♂: Tibet, side valley S Reting , 30°15'57" N, 91°32'04" E, 4500–4800 m, 1.8.2015, leg. J. Schmidt ( cSCHM).

Paratypes: 1 ♂ 12 ♀, same data as holotype ( NMBE, cSCHM)

Body length 9–11 mm. Colour dark brown to black. Appendages of the head, antennae, tibiae and tarsi brownish lightened.

Head: Labrum finely punctate with anterior margin straight, bearing six setae. Clypeus with anterior margin straight. Frons transversally wrinkled. Eyes large, protruding, temples very long. One supraorbital seta. Head with a faint collar constriction. Vertex impunctate. Antennae long and slender extending at least to the middle of the elytra. Antennal scape thickened, cylindrical, shorter than the eye's diameter (or as long as the diameter), basally narrowed, with one dorsal seta. 2 nd antennomere with one seta ventroapically, rarely with an additional dorsoapical seta (asymmetrically in the holotype male and in one paratype female). Maxillar palpomeres short. Maxillary stipes laterally straight, with 5–6 setae. Penultimate labial palpomere trisetose. Ligula spiny, with two lateral setae. Mentum with bifid medial tooth. Submentum with a row of 6–10 setae. Vertex impunctate. Microreticulation of the head isodiametric.

Pronotum slender, ratio width/length of the pronotum = 1.23. Lateral margin faintly convex, slightly narrowed basally (ratio apical width/basal width = 1.12), faintly rounded to the anterior and hardly rounded to the posterior angles, straight in front of the posterior angles ( Fig. 31G ). Lateral groove very narrow, also apically, broadened basally. Anterior angles faintly acuminate, slightly protruding, margined only at apex. Posterior angles acute, slightly protruding backwards. Basal margin medially straight, in front of the posterior angles weakly sinuate. Pronotal disc weakly convex. Basal fovea deep, anterior transverse impression weak, posterior transverse impression distinct, median line shallow. Lateral groove and anterior transverse impression impunctate; basal fovea and posterior transverse impression sparsely punctate. Apical margination of the pronotum restricted to lateral one-fourth, merging with the apex of the anterior angle. Base of the pronotum not margined. Basolateral seta present. One midlateral seta in the apical half of the pronotum, inserted within the narrow lateral groove; outline of the lateral margin at the insertion site of the seta weakly disturbed. Pronotum impunctate on disc, microreticulation isodiametric. Proepisternum craniad coarsely and shallowly punctate. Prosternal process laterally distinctly margined, apex margined or bulging.

Elytral silhouette slender, long-ovoid, with the lateral margin almost straight in the middle, widest at apical third behind the middle. Ratio length/width of the elytra = 1.69. Distinctly wider than the pronotum, ratio elytral width/pronotal width = 1.71. Elytral apex acutely rounded, apical carina faint or even absent. Basal margination straight, at right angles with the elytral suture, obliquely merged with the lateral margination. Humeral carina present. Striae distinct, deep, reaching the apex, striae coarsely punctate; lateral striae obliterate towards the apex. Intervals flat or slightly convex. Interval 3 with 2–4 setae adjoining stria 3, intervals 5 and 7 asetose. Scutellar seta absent. Microreticulation isodiametric. Mesepisterna sparsely punctate.

Sternum 2 laterally coarsely punctate. Sternum 3 medially unisetose or bisetose. Sterna 4–6 posteriorly each with 3–6 paramedial setae; sterna laterally with shallow impressions. Anal sternum with two paramedial setae in the male, with 2–4 setae in the female. Metepisterna twice as long as wide, sparsely punctate. Metacoxa basally with 2–5 setae, apically unisetose.

Legs long and slender. All tarsomeres dorsally glabrous. Protarsus of male stoutly built with tarsomeres 1–3 distinctly broader than in the female, and ventrally with pads of adhesive setae. Ventroapical tooth of the metatarsomere 4 markedly projected. Meso- and metatarsomeres 2–4 ventroapically with long setae. All tarsomeres 5 ventrally with two rows of 3–4 short setae. Metatarsomere 5 as long as the metatarsomeres 3+4.

Male genitalia: Edeagus ( Fig. 20F ): Base of the median lobe small, with small basolateral lobes; the base decreasing abruptly to the thin mid-shaft. Mid-shaft strongly curved at base on inner side as well as on outer side; moderately curved to the apex. Apex straight, faintly deflected to the left, in front of the short tip on the ventral side faintly convex. Mid-shaft of the endophallus asetose.

Female genitalia: Gonocoxa ( Fig. 10J , 34A ): Gonocoxite 2 very long, as long or longer than gonocoxite 1, slender, curved dagger-like, broad at base, distinctly narrowing near base, parallel sided in median part. Apex acuminate, slightly arcuate dorsally, apex dorsally not grooved. Ventral preapical insertion furrow small, short-oval, with two nematiform setae. Gonocoxites ventrally unjointed and continuously sclerotized, dorsally separated by a membranous area.

Body ratios: hea.w/fro.w = 1.50±0.012 (1.48–1.51); prm.w/hea.w = 1.15 (1.13–1.17); prm.w/prp.w = 1.52 (1.51–1.53); pra.w/prp.w = 1.12 (1.11–1.13); ely.w/prm.w = 1.71 (1.66–1.74); prm.w/prm.l = 1.23 (1.22–1.25(; ely.l/ely.w = 1.69 (1.66–1.73).

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the type locality.

Diagnosis: N. retingensis sp. nov. is closely related to N. delicata sp. nov. due to the resemblance in the shape of the median lobes ( Figs 16F, H ). N. retingensis sp. nov. differs from the similar N. delicata sp. nov. by the labrum with six setae (eight setae in N. delicata sp. nov.), by the finely punctate labrum (impunctate in N. delicata sp. nov.), by large and protruding eyes with long temples (small eyes, not protruding, temples shorter in N. delicata sp. nov.), by the lateral margin of the pronotum which is straight towards the posterior angles (with a faint concave sinuation in front of the posterior angles in N. delicata sp. nov.), and by hanging shoulders (accentuated in N. delicata sp. nov.).

Distribution ( Fig. 41 ): Known only from the type locality in the Transhimalaya (Gangdise Shan) near the famous Reting Monastery immediately south of the river Reting Zhangbo. N. retingensis sp. nov. is one of the two Epinebriola species (in addition to N. delicata sp. nov.) known to inhabit the central part of the Transhimalaya.

Habitat ( Fig. 29 ): All specimens were collected alongside a melt water stream in the lower alpine zone.

Figures

Fig. 28: Nebria (Epinebriola) retingensis sp. nov. Holotype. Scale bar = 5 mm.

Fig. 31: Left part of the pronotum of Epinebriola species. A: Nebria (Epinebriola) triseriata sp. nov.; B: N. (E.) rupina sp. nov.; C: N. (E.) montisanimae sp. nov.; D: N. (E.) impunctata sp. nov.; E: N. (E.) tuberculata sp. nov.; F: N. (E.) numburica sp. nov.; G: N. (E.) retingensis sp. nov.; H: N. (E.) delicata sp. nov.; I: N. (E.) incarinata sp. nov.; Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 20: Male edeagi of new Nebria species of the subgenus Epinebriola K. DANIEL, 1904. A: Nebria (Epinebriola) triseriata sp. nov.; B: N. (E.) rupina sp. nov.; C: N. (E.) montisanimae sp. nov.; D: N. (E.) impunctata sp. nov.; E: N. (E.) numburica sp. nov., with parameres; F: N. (E.) retingensis sp. nov.; G: N. (E.) incarinata sp. nov.; H: N. (E.) delicata sp. nov.; I: N. (E.) incarinata sp. nov., apex in dorsal view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 10: Right gonocoxae of Epinebriola species, in ventral view. A: Nebria (Epinebriola) triseriata sp. nov.; B: N. (E.) rupina sp. nov.; C: N. (E.) montisanimae sp. nov.; D: N. (E.) impunctata sp. nov.; E: N. (E.) tuberculata sp. nov.; F: N. (E.) numburica sp. nov.; G: N. (E.) numburica sp. nov. in lateral view with the distale gonocoxite 2 dorsally grooved (arrow); H: N. (E.) christinae HUBER & SCHMIDT, 2007; I: N. (E.) pseudorestias sp. nov.; J: N. (E.) retingensis sp. nov.; Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 34: Right gonocoxa, in ventral view. A: Nebria (Epinebriola) retingensis sp. nov. (= Fig. 10J); B: N. (Eonebria) kurentzovi LAFER, 1989; C: N. (Eonebria) gemina LEDOUx, ROUx & WRASE, 1996; D: N. (Eonebria) amabilis LEDOUx, ROUx & SAWADA, 1991. Scale bar = 0,5 mm.

Fig. 16: Locations with occurrences of Nebria (Barbonebriola sp. nov.) species. 1: Lac de Gangabal, Kashmir Himalaya of India (N. barbata ANDREWES, 1929). 2: Lac de Gadsar, Kashmir Himalaya of India (N. barbata ANDREWES, 1929). 3: Sonamarg, Kashmir Himalaya of India (N. barbata ANDREWES, 1929). 4: Babussar Pass, Kashmir Himalaya of Pakistan (N. barbata ANDREWES, 1929). 5: Rama Lake, Kashmir Himalaya of Pakistan (N. barbata ANDREWES, 1929). 6: Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh, India (N. ganeshi LEDOUx, 1984). 7: Badrinath, Uttarakhand, India (N. restricta LEDOUx & ROUx, 2005). 8: South slope of Api Himal, Ghusa, Nepal (N. tenuisulcata sp. nov.). 9: East slope of Saipal Himal, Sankha La, Nepal (N. rubostipes sp. nov.). 10: South slope of Kanjiroba Himal, Kagmara La, Nepal (N. kagmara sp. nov.).

Fig. 41: Locations with occurrences of Nebria (Epinebriola) species from the Central and Eastern Himalaya and from South Tibet.

Fig. 29: Habitat of Nebria (Epinebriola) retingensis sp.nov.: The specimens were collected on melt water rivulets in stone fields in the lower alpine zone (4800 m a.s.l.) of the Gangdise Shan near the Reting Monastery. Photo: Joachim Schmidt.