Odontotrypes (Odontotrupes) tawangensis, Gupta, Devanshu, Chandra, Kailash & Hillert, Oliver, 2016

Gupta, Devanshu, Chandra, Kailash & Hillert, Oliver, 2016, Odontotrypes (Odontotrupes) tawangensis new species (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India, Zootaxa 4154 (5), pp. 559-566 : 560-565

Odontotrypes (Odontotrupes) tawangensis new species

( Figs. 1–19 )

Type locality. India, Arunachal Pradesh state, Tawang district.

Type material. 18 specimens: holotype male labeled: “ India, Arunachal Pradesh state, Tawang district / Sela / 27.523491N, 92.106493E / 5.x.2010 / collected K. Chandra ” in ZSCI [ZSI Registration Number: 21489/H4A] . Allotype female labeled: “NE INDIA W, ARUNACHAL PR / TAWANG Monastery vicinity / 27°35´30´´N 91°51´E; 2700–3000 m / 19.-27.v. 2004 ” in SJCP . Paratypes: “ India, Arunachal Pradesh state / Tawang district / Sela 27.523491N, 92.106493E / 5.x.2010 / collected K. Chandra ” 1 male in ZSCI [ZSI Registration Number: 21490/H4A]; “NE INDIA W, ARUNACHAL PR / TAWANG Monastery vicinity / 27°35´30´´N 91°51´E ; 2700– 3000 m / 19.-27.v. 2004 ” 1 male in DKCP, 1 male and 1 female in JSCP, 6 males and 4 females in SJCP, 1 male and 1 female in OHCB.

Description of holotype ( Fig. 1 ). Length 20.0 mm, maximum width 9.7 mm, oblong and convex. Dorsally black; vertex and elytra at base with metallic luster; ventral surface black with cuprous tinge especially on mesofemora, metafemora, and anterior part of pronotum.

Head ( Figs. 2, 4 ): Labrum truncate anteriorly. Anterior clypeal margin broadly arcuate, clypeal disc distinctly elevated in middle, clypeal surface slightly rugopunctate near lateral margins, elevated areas smooth; area around frontoclypeal junction distinctly depressed, T-shaped, suture distinct. Median suture on vertex indistinct; eye tubercle blunt and distinctly prominent dorsally, in lateral view angular; eye canthus smooth.

Pronotum ( Figs. 3, 5 ): Transverse, broadest just posteriad of middle; completely bordered (finely at base); lateral margins rounded, not crenulate; anterior marginal carina moderately elevated and widened in middle. Anterior angles blunt, broadly rounded, sides almost straight in anterior third forming a rounded lateral angle; posterior angles bent 45°. Surface completely smooth in middle with few scattered punctures; anterior concavity reduced, simple depression; lateral fovea small with rugopunctation; surface near lateral margins rugopunctate anteriorly and posteriorly.

Scutellum ( Fig. 7 ): Pentagonal, basal margin not bordered, slightly declined inward, surface entirely smooth, yellow border present at each side from meeting point to base.

Elytra ( Fig. 6 ): Humeral umbone weakly prominent; base almost equal in length to pronotum, neither margined nor carinate; surface glabrous. Surface with 7 distinct striae clearly indicated between suture and humeral umbone, which gradually disappear towards apex; intervals 3–7 convex and impunctate; lateral side with a continuous carina from humeral umbone to apex.

Legs ( Figs. 8–9 ): Profemora black, not shiny, completely smooth; mesofemora and metafemora shiny with 2 rows of setose punctures. Protibiae laterally with 5 teeth including 4 distinct anterior teeth, and 1 weak basal tooth ( Fig. 8 ); on ventral side medially with 7 teeth including 3 anterior, sharp, distinct teeth and 4 blunt, reduced teeth ( Fig 9 ).

Macropterous ( Fig. 10 ).

Abdominal ventrites shiny, serrate punctate.

Aedeagus as in Figs. 11–13 (holotype) and 16–17 (paratypes: India, Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang Monastery vicinity, in DKCP).

Measurements (mm): Median length of head (excluding labrum and mandibles) 3.1, distance between frontal tubercles 2.9, anterior margin of clypeus (circumference) 4.1, median length of pronotum (dorsal) 5.3, maximum width 9.6, median length of scutellum 1.3, maximum width 1.7, sutural length of elytra (dorsal) 9.2, maximum width combined 9.7, aedeagus (length) 3.7.

Variation. Length 17.0–20.0 mm, width 8.5–9.7 mm. The female differs from male by the less developed clypeal tubercle and the weaker protibial teeth.

Distribution. Only known from type locality: Sela, Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, India ( Fig. 15 ).

Etymology. The name tawangensis refers to the type locality of this species, the Tawang district of the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Differential diagnosis. Odontotrypes (Odontotrupes) tawangensis new species is distinguished from the closely related species O. (O.) orichalceus (reported from the Tibetan Plateau of Sikkim) by the unique structure of the aedeagus ( Figs. 11–13 , 16–17 ) (right paramere with distinct internal truncate appendix situated subapically and directed inward) and the structure of the elytra (elytral striae are distinct basally, becoming more shallowly apically), and the well-developed metathoracic wings. Based on the keys given by Král et al. (2001) Odontotrypes (O.) tawangensis should be classified in the subgenus Odontotrupes . Species of this subgenus that are distributed in Bhutan and India characteristically have slightly reduced or normal-sized metathoracic wings, namely O. (O.) bhutan , O. (O.) gogona , O. (O.) orichalceus , and O. (O.) tawangensis . According to Král et al. (2001) the distribution ranges of Odontotrypes are relatively small, many of them being endemic to single mountain systems, separated by deep river valleys.

The authors wish to thank the director of the Zoological Survey of India, for providing them with the necessary facilities and for his encouragements. The first author is thankful to Paul Schoolmeesters ( Belgium) for literature, Baiju Lal (former Officer-in-Charge, Coleoptera Section , Zoological Survey of India), Amitava Mujumder, and Joyjit Ghosh. We also thank Marc Miquel (Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom) for editing our English text and review the earlier version of manuscript and Stanley Jákl, David Král, and Jan Schneider for access to the specimens examined.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Distribution map of Odontotrypes (Odontotrupes) tawangensis new species and Odontotrypes (Odontotrupes) orichalceus.

FIGURES 1 – 6. Odontotrypes (Odontotrupes) tawangensis new species (holotype). 1, habitus (male, dorsal view). 2, head. 3, pronotum. 4, eye canthus and tubercle. 5, pronotum (lateral view). 6, elytra.

FIGURES 7 – 13. Odontotrypes (Odontotrupes) tawangensis new species (holotype). 7, scutellum. 8, protibia (dorsal view). 9, protibia (ventral view). 10, wing. 11, aedeagus (ventral view). 12, parameres (dorsal view). 13, parameres (ventral view).

FIGURES 16 – 17. Odontotrypes (Odontotrupes) tawangensis new species parameres (paratype: India, Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang Monastery vicinity, in DKCP).