Amara (Bradytus) elegantula Tschitscherine , 1899

Kavanaugh, David H., Hieke, Fritz, Liang, Hongbin & Dong, Dazhi, 2014, Inventory of the carabid beetle fauna of the Gaoligong Mountains, western Yunnan Province, China: species of the tribe Zabrini (Coleoptera, Carabidae), ZooKeys 407, pp. 55-119 : 81-83

10. Amara (Bradytus) elegantula Tschitscherine, 1899 Figs 5 b–c, 5e, 6b, 18, 26a, 26b, 27-30

Amara (Leiocnemis) elegantula Tschitschérine, 1899: 659. Type material: a male (one of three syntypes) labeled “type” in ZIN acknowledged as holotype ( Hieke 1981: 221). Type locality: Sikkim, Darjeeling, 12000 ft.

Diagnosis.

Adults of this species (Fig. 18) can be distinguished from those of all other species in the region by the following combination of character states: body length 7.0-7.5 mm; dorsal surface dark with distinct metallic blue-green reflection in most specimens, non-metallic black in a few specimens, at least femora and outer antennomeres dark (piceous to black); elytral microsculpture effaced or nearly so in both males and females; pronotum (Fig. 18a) with lateral margins straight or faintly to distinctly sinuate just anterior to basal angles, rounded near middle, less rounded or nearly straight also in anterior one-third in most specimens, anterior angles distinctly and narrowly projected anteriorly beyond anterior margin, lateral explanation narrow throughout, outer basal impressions foveate and distinct from lateral groove, punctation of base not extended anteriorly along sides beyond basal one-third; elytra with parascutellar pore puncture absent; medial protibial spurs simple; tarsomere 5 of hind tarsi with two or (in a few specimens) three pairs of setae ventrally (Fig. 6b); last abdominal sternite of male with one pair (Fig. 5e) and female with two pairs (Fig. 5c) of setiferous punctures near hind margin; male aedeagus with apical third of median lobe about as broad as middle third, apical hook of right paramere smaller and closer to apex (Fig. 8a).

Habitat distribution.

Specimens of this species were collected in daytime from under stones and other cover in open roadside areas near the crest of the mountain range (Fig. 26a), on the rocky heath tundra in areas with scattered vegetation, and on stabilized scree slopes between persistent snow patches in glacial cirques (Fig. 26b). At night, specimens were found in these same areas active on the bare substrate. Specimens were found at elevations ranging from 3350 to 4000 m, the highest sites sampled. The only other Amara species members of which were found syntopic with those of Amara elegantula was Amara chalciope , with adults of both species found together at only one site at an elevation of 3365 m (Fig. 26a), near the lower altitudinal limit of the former and the upper altitudinal limit of the latter.

Geographical distribution within the Gaoligong Shan.

Fig. 18d. We examined a total of 60 specimens (30 males and 30 females) from the following locali ties: Gongshan County: Heipu Yakou (northwest slope along road W of tunnel, 27.77447°, 98.44793°, 3350 m, 13 August 2006, D.H. Kavanaugh & J.A. Miller collectors [2 females; CAS, IOZ]), (southeast slope, 27.77032°, 98.44674°, 3365 m, 11-13 August 2006, D.H. Kavanaugh, J.A. Miller, D.Z. Dong & Y. Liu collectors [15 males and 9 females; CAS, IOZ]); southwest slope of Kawakarpu Shan (on slope NE of Chukuai Lake, 27.98206°, 98.48027°, 3950 m, 20 August 2006, Y. Liu, P. Hu, D.Z. Dong & J. Wang collectors [4 males and 3 females; CAS, IOZ]), (0.9 km N of Chukuai Lake, 27.98981°, 98.47392°, 4000 m, 21 August 2006, D.H. Kavanaugh, J. Xiong & C.H. Li collectors [2 females; CAS, IOZ]), (0.3 km NNE of Chukuai Lake, 27.98393°, 98.47491°, 3745 m, 19 August 2006, D.H. Kavanaugh, J.A. Miller, D.Z. Dong, J. Xiong & C.H. Li collectors [7 males and 8 females; CAS, IOZ, ZMHB]), (0.4 km NW of Chukuai Lake, 27.98231°, 98.47069°, 3808 m, 21 October 2006. D.Z. Dong collector [2 males; CAS, IOZ]), (0.75 km NW of Chukuai Lake, 27.98631°, 98.47069°, 3820 m, 21 August 2006, Y. Liu, P. Hu & J. Wang collectors [1 male and 2 females; CAS, IOZ]), (0.3 km SW of Chukuai Lake, 27.97686°, 98.47799°, 3750 m, 19 August 2006, Y. Liu collector [2 males and 3 females; CAS, IOZ]).

This species was recorded only from the northern part of the study area (Core Areas 1 and 2), where it is restricted to the highest elevations sampled, along the crest of the mountain range and both east and west slopes just below the crest.

Overall geographical distribution.

Fig. 27. This species has been recorded from Bhutan, China (Yunnan Province and Xizang Autonomous Region), India (Sikkim and West Bengal) and eastern Nepal. Its occurrence in the study area represents the southern and eastern limits of its known geographical range.