Harpalus vernicosus, Kataev, Boris M. & Liang, Hongbin, 2007

Kataev, Boris M. & Liang, Hongbin, 2007, Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Harpalus in China, with description of new taxa (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini), Zootaxa 1604, pp. 1-20 : 2-4

Harpalus vernicosus sp. n.

( Figs 1–6 )

Type material. Holotype: ɗ, China, Sichuan, Xiangcheng Co., 3000 m, 21.VI.1982, Zhang Xuezhong leg. ( IZB).

Paratypes: 3 ɗ, 2 Ψ, same data as holotype ( IZB, ZISP); 1 ɗ, 2 Ψ, Sichuan, Xiangcheng Co., 2900 m, 18.VI.1982, Zhang Xuezhong & Wang Shuyong leg. ( IZB); 6 ɗ, 3 Ψ, Tibet, Markam, 3250 m, 12.VIII.1982, Wang Shuyong leg. ( IZB).

Description. Body length 5.4–7.1 mm, width 2.4–3.1 mm.

Habitus: Fig. 4 .

Colour: Body dark brown to black, shiny on dorsum; middle portion of mandibles, labrum externally, very narrow margins of pronotum and elytra often reddish brown; femora dark brown, tibiae and tarsi much paler, mid- to light brown, but tibiae usually infuscated apically; palpi and antennae brownish yellow to brown.

Head: Medium-sized (WHmax/WPmax = 0.65–0.67 in male and 0.64–0.68 in female; WHmin/WPmax = 0.52–0.56 in male and 0.55–0.58 in female), with moderately convex eyes (WHmax/WHmin = 1.17–1.25 in male and 1.15–1.21 in female), separated from buccal fissure ventrally by distance slightly shorter than width of first antennomere. Tempora rather short, flat or weakly convex. Clypeus with one lateral setigerous pore on each side (one of paratypes with an anomalous additional setigerous pore on left side). Dorsal microsculpture visible on areas around supraorbital pores and behind eyes, usually also on vertex laterally, more distinct in female than in male; meshes fine, more or less isodiametric. Labium ( Fig. 1 ) with prominent mental tooth; submentum with one seta on each side; ligular sclerite narrow, weakly widened apically. Antennae short, not reaching pronotal base; antennomeres 5–10 only slightly longer than wide.

Pronotum: Moderately wide, 1.44–1.51 times as wide as long, widest before middle, with unisetose sides roundly or almost rectilinearly converging basad. Apical margin slightly, arcuately emarginate, bordered only laterally. Apical angles weakly protruding, widely rounded. Basal margin usually widely rounded, sometimes almost straight, bordered throughout, wider than anterior margin; basal edge glabrous. Border along sides narrow throughout. Basal angles obtuse, blunt or rounded. Pronotal disc moderately and rather evenly convex, occasionally slightly flattened at basal angles, impunctate. Median line superficial, anterior transverse depression indistinct. Basal foveae very small and shallow. Microsculpture visible throughout, meshes fine, more or less isodiametric, slightly obliterate on disc medially.

Elytra: Moderately convex, 1.34–1.44 times as long as wide, 2.35–2.55 times as long and 1.15–1.23 times as wide as pronotum, widest just behind middle, widely rounded at sides. Base of elytra slightly wider than pronotal base. Humeri angulate, obtuse, each with a small denticle visible dorsally. Preapical sinuation distinct, deeper in female than in male. Sutural angle acute, slightly blunt at apex. Basal border glabrous, weakly sinuate, forming a distinct obtuse angle with lateral margin. Striae impunctate, largely superficial, slightly impressed apically. Scutellar striole long, with a basal pore. Intervals flat, occasionally slightly convex apically. Third interval with a small discal pore in apical third. Fifth and seventh intervals lacking rows of pores before apices. Series umbilicate irregular and not interrupted medially. Microsculpture visible throughout, consisting of fine meshes, isodiametric along margins and weakly transverse on disc.

Wings: Fully developed.

Ventral surface: Prosternum glabrous medially. Proepisterna impunctate. Metepisterna ( Fig. 3 ) notably longer than wide, narrowed posteriad. Three apical abdominal sternites glabrous, only with obligatory fixed setae. Anal sternite rounded at apex in both sexes, without pronounced sexual dimorphism.

Legs: Metacoxa without additional setae. Protibia markedly widened apically, without prominent ventroapical tubercle in male, with one ventroapical spine and with three preapical spines at outer margin isolated from spines on ventral surface. Metafemur ventrally with 4–5 setigerous pores along posterior margin and occasionally one pore at anterior margin closer to apex (in addition to an apical pore situated just on anterior margin). Tarsi impunctate and glabrous dorsally. First mesotarsomere in male rather narrow, with two tiny scales apically. Metatarsomeres with sides slightly diverging apicad; first metatarsomere longer than second and shorter than second and third combined together.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 2 ): Hemisternite comparatively wide, with 3–4 short setae distally. Basal stylomere with two setae distally. Apical stylomere arcuate, relatively wide, with 2–5 basal setae on external dorsal margin.

Male genitalia: Median lobe ( Figs 5–6 ) bent before middle, with almost straight ventral margin in its apical half (lateral aspect). Terminal lamella slightly directed dorsad and weakly bent ventrad just at apex, it moderately long (notably longer than wide), almost parallel-sided, narrowly rounded at apex and with very small dorsoapical marginal flange forming an oblique horseshoe–shaped apical capitulum. Apical orifice shifted to left, extending to middle of median lobe. Internal sac with two groups of small spines: a larger dorsolateral group on left side and a smaller ventrolateral group on right side, without any separate large teeth.

Distribution. This new species is known only from northwestern Sichuan and eastern Tibet.

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the shiny dorsum of the new species.

Remarks. The taxonomic position of this new species is not absolutely clear. In appearance, it is very similar to representatives of the tinctulus group sensu Kataev 1997 (= Zangoharpalus Huang), particularly to some specimens of H. pseudotinctulus Schauberger with impunctate base of pronotum, but differs sharply from them in such important characters as the structure of the aedeagus and the presence of ventral adhesive scales at apex of the fist mesotarsomere of the male. In addition, unlike all known members of the tinctulus group, H. vernicosus sp. n. has the median lobe of aedeagus with horseshoe–shaped apical capitulum and without any individual teeth in the internal sac. Based on total combination of the characters of the male genitalia and external morphology, H. vernicosus sp. n. probably belongs to the tardus group sensu Kataev in Kryzhanovskij et al. 1995, and is most closely related, in our opinion, to H. modestus Dejean , H. bungii Chaudoir , H. chasanensis Lafer , H. tangutorum Kataev , and H. praecurrens Schauberger. The new species shares with these species the following distinctive character states: antennae pale, pronotum with glabrous basal edge, protibia with one ventroapical spine and without prominent ventroapical tubercle in male, mesotibia and anal sternite without pronounced sexual dimorphism, three last abdominal sternites glabrous, elytra with only one discal setigerous pore on each third interval and without rows of pores at apex of fifth and seventh intervals, and internal sac of median lobe with several spiny patches medially and without any large separate teeth. H. vernicosus sp. n. is rather distinct within this group and clearly recognized by its small and relatively narrower body, impunctate base of pronotum, finer elytral striae and specific pattern of spiny patches in the internal sac of the aedeagus. A similar pattern of spiny patches is characteristic also of the species of the vittatus group sensu Kataev 1990 which differ, however, in the dark antennae and clearly prominent ventroapical tuberculum of protibia in male.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Harpalus vernicosus sp. n. (Sichuan, Xiangcheng Co.: 1 – 3, paratype; 4 – 6, holotype). 1, labium; 2, hemisternite and stylus; 3, left metepisternum; 4, habitus; 5, median lobe of aedeagus, dorsal aspect; 6, same, lateral aspect. Scales: A = 1.0 mm (Fig. 4), B = 0.5 mm (Figs 1 – 2, 5 – 6), C = 1.0 mm (Fig. 3).