Nebria (Falcinebria) niohozana Bates, 1883

Sasakawa, Koji, 2020, Taxonomic studies of the ground beetle subgenus Falcinebria Ledoux & Roux, 2005 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Nebria) from Honshu, Japan, ZooKeys 902, pp. 37-60 : 37

Nebria (Falcinebria) niohozana Bates, 1883 Figs 8-10 , 22-26 Japanese name: Chûbu-hime-marukubi-gomimushi

Nebria reflexa var. Niohozana : Bates (1883): 218 (original description), type locality: “Niohozan” (originally stated), changed to "Mikuni-toge Japan" through lectotype designation by Ledoux and Roux (1992: 42).

Nebria (Paranebria) reflexa niohozana : Habu and Baba (1972): 3 (part).

Nebria reflexa : Uéno (1985): 56 (part).

Nebria reflexa niohozana : Ledoux and Roux (1992): 42, fig. 7b (lectotype (♂) designation); Nakane (1963b): 19, plate 10 fig. 1a (part).

Nebria (Orientonebria) reflexa niohozana : Farkač and Janata (2003): 94.

Nebria (Falcinebria) reflexa niohozana : Ledoux and Roux (2005): 831, plate-fig. 626; Yoshitake et al. (2011): 32 (part); Huber (2017): 50; Yoshimatsu et al. (2018): 37 (part).

Notes.

This species was originally described as a variety of N. reflexa and was later treated as a subspecies. Although specimens described by Bates (1883) are from “Niohozan” (meaning Mount Nyohô of Nikkô in Tochigi Prefecture), the male specimen designated as the lectotype by Ledoux and Roux (1992) is from “Mikuni-toge” (the Mikuni Pass on the border between Niigata and Nagano prefectures), which is far from “Niohozan” (Fig. 1 ). Thus, the designated type locality differs between the original description and the lectotype designation. Comparative male genital morphology and macroscale distributions show that populations from “Niohozan” and “Mikuni-toge” should be regarded as the same taxon. Here, the taxon N. r. niohozana is upgraded from a subspecies of the species N. reflexa to a distinct species, based on marked differences in endophallus morphology and confirmed and putative sympatry with other related species. The confirmed distribution of N. niohozana is wide, ranging from Mount Chôkai in the north to Mount Hakusan in the west. The species may be collected with other, related species in areas near Mount Gassan, and Hakusan and the Asahi and Iide Mountains. Nebria niohozana can be distinguished from similar species by a larger body size, smaller PPW/EL, and endophallus shape (in particular, Y-shaped lateroapical lobes). The morphological features of the male lectotype (Fig. 3 ) well match those of the specimens treated here as N. niohozana with respect to all macromorphological features, body length (10.18 mm), and PPW/EL (0.296).

Description.

Body length: ♂, 9.45-11.30 mm (mean ± SD: 10.49 ± 0.39 mm, n = 37); ♀, 11.04-12.19 mm (mean ± SD: 11.44 ± 0.36 mm, n = 16). PPW/EL: ♂, 0.281-0.334 (mean ± SD: 0.303 ± 0.013, n = 37); ♀, 0.273-0.317 (mean ± SD: 0.296 ± 0.014, n = 16). Ventral surface of aedeagal apex not concave. Dorsobasal lobe absent. Dorsomedian lobe small or rudimentary, or sometimes absent. Dorsoapical lobe cylindrical, with the apex in an almost ventral direction; slightly curved anteriorly from a lateral view and left-laterally from a posterior view. Right laterobasal lobe small, with the width from a ventral view narrower than the width of the gonopore protrusion from a lateral view. Left laterobasal lobe small, with the width from a ventral view narrower than the width of the gonopore protrusion from a lateral view. Right lateroapical lobe bifurcated at the middle in a Y shape, with one apex directed posterolaterally and the other directed anterolaterally; the posterolateral apex smaller than the anterolateral apex; the anterolateral apex larger than right laterobasal lobe. Left lateroapical lobe bifurcated at the middle in a Y shape, with one apex directed posterolaterally and the other directed anterolaterally; the posterolateral apex similar in size to right laterobasal lobe. Ventrobasal surface with a pair of swelling adjoining each laterobasal lobe; swellings unconnected; ventrobasal swelling small, shaped as a gently sloped mountain from a lateral view.

Materials examined.

1♂ (NARO), Fushiogamidake, Mount Chôkai, Yuza-machi, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, 23.vii.1970, K. Shirahata leg.; 1♀ (NARO), Mount Chôkai, alt. 1700 m, Yuza-machi, Yamagata Prefecture, 20.viii.1957, K. Shirahata leg.; 2♂ (NARO), Mount Gassan, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, 20.viii.1959, K. Shirahata leg.; 2♂ (NARO), Mount Gando, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, 6.vi.1954, S. Kimata leg.; 1♀ (KS), Ichimaiishi-sawa, alt. 1375 m, Mount Zaô, Shichikashuku-machi, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan (38.117581N, 140.425892E), 11.ix.2004, K. Sasakawa leg.; 1♂2♀ (NARO), Ôtori-ike, alt. 1000 m, the Asahi Mountains, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, 23.vii.1959, K. Baba leg.; 1♂ (NARO), Mount Kitamata, the Iide Mountains, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, 15.viii.1964, K. Baba leg.; 1♂ (NARO), Mount Monnai, alt. 1800 m, the Iide Mountains, Niigata Prefecture, 28.vii.1957, K. Baba leg.; 1♂1♀ (NARO), Mount Futastumine, the Iide Mountains, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, K. Baba leg. (1♂, alt. 1600 m, 27.viii.1957; 1♀, 14.vii.1960); 6♂3♀ (KS), Kuratani-sawa, alt. 480 m, Ôaza-Iine, Okugawa, Nishiaizu-machi, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, 22-24.ix.2016, H. Itô leg.; 1♂ (NARO), Mount Ôtaki, Aizumisato-machi, Fukushima Prefecture, 15.vii.1950, Y. Kurosawa leg.; 1♂2♀ (KS), Makukawa-Onsen, Tsuchuyuonsen-machi, Fukushima-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, 23-24.v.2003, K. Sasakawa leg.; 1♂ (NARO), “Egawamura” [a part of Shimogou-machi], Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, 2.vi.1951, Y. Kurosawa leg.; 2♂, Mount Ôjôgo, the Asahi Mountains, Niigata Prefecture, 21.vii.1959, K. Baba leg.; 1♂ (NARO), Sandogoya-Onsen, Nasushiobara-shi, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, 22.viii.1963, S. Ueno leg.; 2♂ (NARO), Yumoto, Nikkô-shi, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, K. Tanaka leg. (1♂, 21.vi.1963; 1♂, 22.vi.1963); 2♂, Oze (NARO), on the border between Hinoemata-mura, Fukushima Prefecture and Katashina-mura, Gunma Prefecture, 24.vii.1954, A. Habu leg.; 1♂1♀ (NARO), Shimizu Pass, alt. 1450 m, on the border between Uonuma-shi, Niigata Prefecture and Minakami-machi, Gunma Prefecture, 1.x.1969, K. Baba leg.; 1♂ (NARO), Doai, Minakami-machi, Gunma Prefecture, 2.x.1942, T. Takei leg.; 1♂ (NARO), Mount Tanigawa, Minakami-machi, Gunma Prefecture, 24.x.1955, K. Baba leg.; 4♂3♀ (KS), Mount Naeba, Sakae-mura, Nagano Prefercture, Japan (4♂2♀, 30.vi.2003, W. Toki leg.; 1♀, 3.viii.2003, J. Ogawa leg); 2♀ (NARO), Mount Korenge, Itoigawa-shi, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, 25.vii.1961, K. Baba leg (1♀, no data for altitude; 1♀, alt. 2500 m).; 1♂ (NARO), Renge-Onsen, Mount Shirouma, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, 24.vii.1961, K. Baba leg.; 3♂, Mount Hakusan (NARO), 1300-2000 m, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, 20.vi.1972, K. Tanaka & H. Ohira leg.; 1♂ (NARO), Keimatsudaira, Mount Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, 1.viii.1961, A. Uchimura leg.

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution of 10 species previously classified as Nebria reflexa in Honshu. Only records with unambiguous identities (i. e., collection sites of type materials and records based on specimens identified by the endophallus) are presented. 1 N. reflexa Bates, 2 N. sagittata sp. nov., 3 N. iidesana sp. nov., 4 N. niohozana Bates, 5 N. furcata sp. nov., 6 N. pisciformis sp. nov., 7 N. kuragadakensis sp. nov., 8 N. dichotoma sp. nov., 9 N. uenoi Nakane, 10 N. chugokuensis sp. nov.  indicates the locality where the sympatric occurrence of N. iidesana and N. niohozana was confirmed. Red letters denote the type localities of each species. The blue letter denotes the locality described as the collection site of cotypes of N. niohozana but was not designated as the type locality in the lectotype designation.

Figures 5 - 16. Habitus dorsal view of Nebria spp. 5 N. reflexa, a male from the type locality 6 N. sagittata sp. nov., holotype male 7 N. iidesana sp. nov., holotype male 8 - 10 N. niohozana males from Mount Chokai (8), Doai, a locality close to the type locality designated for the lectotype (9), and Mount Hakusan (10); 11 N. furcata sp. nov., holotype male 12 N. pisciformis sp. nov., holotype male 13 N. kuragadakensis sp. nov., holotype male 14 N. dichotoma sp. nov., holotype male 15 N. uenoi, a male from the type locality 16 N. chugokuensis sp. nov., holotype male.

Figures 22 - 26. Right lateral (a), ventral (b), dorsal (c), and anterodorsal (d) views of the endophallus of Nebria niohozana males from Mount Chokai (22), Yumoto, a locality close to the collection site of cotypes in the original description (23), Doai, a locality close to the type locality designated in the lectotype designation (24), Renge-Onsen (25), and Mount Hakusan (26). Abbreviations are described in the caption of Figures 17 - 21.

Figures 2, 3. Habitus dorsal views (a) and attached labels (b) of lectotypes of Nebria reflexa (2) and N. niohozana (3).

Figures 17 - 21. Right lateral (a), ventral (b), dorsal (c), and posterodorsal (d) views of the endophallus and the left dorsolateral view of the dorsoapical lobe (e) of Nebria spp. 17 N. reflexa male from the type locality 18 N. sagittata sp. nov., holotype male 19 N. sagittata sp. nov., a paratype male from " Asahi-mura " 20 N. iidesana sp. nov., holotype male 21 N. iidesana sp. nov., paratype male from Mount Kitamata. Abbreviations: da, dorsoapical lobe; dm, dorsomedian lobe; go, gonopore; gp, gonopore protrusion; la, left lateroapical lobe; lb, left laterobasal lobe; ra, right lateroapical lobe; rb, right laterobasal lobe. Asterisk indicates that the gonopore protrusion or lobes are not fully everted.