Omphra drumonti, Raj & Sabu & Danyang, 2012

Raj, Shiju T., Sabu, Thomas K. & Danyang, Zhao, 2012, The apterous endemic genus Omphra Dejean (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Helluonini) of the Indian subcontinent: taxonomy with notes on habits and distributional patterns, Insecta Mundi 2012 (206), pp. 1-15 : 11-12

Omphra drumonti n. sp.

Figures 8 , 10 , 15

Description. Color. Dorsal and ventral side of the body brownish red; anterior margin of sternites distinctly yellowish red, middle region and posterior margin black.

Head. Large, slightly narrower than pronotum, widest between eyes, moderately setose and punctate. Antenna elongate, filiform, setose, scape elongate, terminal antennomeres of the unique holotype is broken off. Clypeus transverse, anterior margin straight, frontoclypeal suture faintly rounded, with a depression at anterior side, 3 setae on each side, and elevated in the middle. Frons punctate, frontal foveae setose and depressed, middle region and sides elevated and glabrous. Vertex punctate and setose at the sides, glabrous at middle. Eyes big, semicircular, laterally well projected, supraorbital and suborbital region setose and punctate. Occiput strongly convex and glabrous. Labrum transverse and short, brownish red, apical margin emarginate, slightly round, 6 setae along apical margin, outer apical angles rounded with setae. Labial and maxillary palpomeres broken off. Mandibles simple, strongly arcuate, exposed, apex acuminate, slightly asymmetrical. Ligula wide, deeply depressed at sides, with a deep longitudinal central channel, apex rounded and pale red, two pairs of setae on each side of the channel close to apex. Lacinia, galea, glossa and paraglossa not visible. Mentum with one pair of setae on each side of base, median tooth strongly developed and stout, triangular, shorter than lateral lobes, base with one setae on each side, lateral lobes strongly developed and stout, pointed at apex. Submentum transverse, narrow, two setae present near middle. Gula narrow, glabrous, slightly convex, smooth and glossy. Two deep punctures present at the joining of submentum and gula. Genae punctate, smooth and convex.

Pronotum. Strongly convex, large and wide, almost round, widest in middle, apical and basal margin not straight, both apical and basal margins with a dense fringe of short setae, punctures dense on lateral area, lateral margin rounded anteriorly, sinuate close to base, without marginal border, median line well developed and a row of punctures present on both sides, apical and basal line faint and covered with dense punctures; central portion of pronotum glossy and with a few punctures, sides of basal margin emarginated, anterior angles rounded. Lateral margins bordered, sinuate near base, elongate setae present; base narrower than apex, hind angles nearly obtuse. Ventral side of pronotum brownish red, proepisternum densely punctate and pilose, proepimeron impunctate, prosternal process sparsely punctate and with a bunch of elongate setae on the apex.

Scutellum. Asetose, sparsely punctate.

Elytra. Elongate, twice as long as pronotum, lateral margins subparallel; humerus pronounced, setose, rounded, without tooth. Surface glossy and densely punctate. Intervals gently convex, regularly and densely pilose with two rows of short black setae, interval 7 with 2 elongate setae. Lateral margins bordered, with elongate setae; apical margin truncate, without emargination, elongate setae present at apical margin.

Hind wings. Absent.

Legs. Stout and elongate and densely setose, dark red.

Venter. Elongate setae present on lateral margins, anterior margin of sternites yellowish red and posterior margin dark red, 5 th and 6 th abdominal sternite with two elongate setae in the middle.

Genitalia. Male: unknown. Female: genitalia broken off.

Measurements. Female (Holotype), TL = 18.0, TW = 5.6, PL = 3.9, PW = 5.6, EL = 10.0.

Type material (n=1). Holotype, INDIA. Tamil Nadu: Kodicanal (=tropical montane evergreen forest ecoregion of the Western Ghats at Kodaikanal), R. Mus. Hist. Nat. Belg. I.G. 12.595, unknown collector, 1 female ( ISNB). Labial and maxillary palpi and last antennomeres are broken off.

Geographical distribution. South India

Etymology. Species is named for Mr. Alain Drumont (ISNB, Bruxelles, Belgium), whose generous help enabled the present study.

Remarks. Omphra drumonti is most similar to O. atrata having truncate and in lacking an emarginated elytral apex. It is distinguishable from O. atrata by the presence of a strongly convex pronotum, less pronounced elytral humerus and distinct yellowish red anterior margin of the abdominal sternites. Omphra drumonti is distinct from O. complanata and O. rufipes in the absence of emarginated elytral apex; further it differs from O. complanata in the possession of an elongated oval last antennomere and dilated 4 th palpomere in contrast to the oval last antennomere and undilated 4 th palpomere. Omphra drumonti differs from O. rufipes in having a convex pronotum and brownish red legs in contrast to the flat pronotum and bright red legs in O. rufipes .

Figures

Figure 15. Color pattern of sternites of Omphra drumonti n. sp.

Figures 2–8. Habitus of Omphra species. 2) O. hirta syntype. 3) O. pilosa syntype. 4) O. rufipes syntype. 5) O. atrata syntype. 6) O. complanata holotype. 7) O. rotundicollis holotype. 8) O. drumonti n. sp. holotype.

Figures 9–12. Elytral apex. 9) Pointed and not emarginate. 10) Straight and not emarginate. 11) Oblique and weakly emarginate. 12) Straight and deeply emarginate.