Amphiops mater Sharp, 1873

Fenglong, J. I. A., 2014, A revisional study of the Chinese species of Amphiops Erichson (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Chaetarthriini), Journal of Natural History 48 (17), pp. 1085-1101 : 1092-1096

Amphiops mater Sharp, 1873

( Figures 3A–E , and 5G,H )

Amphiops mater Sharp, 1873: 62 (specific rank confirmed by Balfour-Browne 1939: 304). – Type localities: Japan, Honshu (Hyogo), Kyushu (Nagasaki).

Amphiops pedestris Sharp, 1890: 354 . – Type locality: Sri Lanka, Colombo N. Syn.

Amphiops mater ssp. pedestris Sharp ; Balfour-Browne, 1939: 304.

Amphiops annamita Régimbart, 1903: 62 . – Type locality: Vietnam, Annam. N. Syn. Amphiops mater ssp. annamita Régimbart ; Balfour-Browne, 1939: 304.

Amphiops gibbus var. mater Sharp ; Zaitzev, 1908: 399.

Amphiops pedestris var. varians d’ Orchymont, 1922: 629 .

Material examined

Tianjin. 1 male ( IZCAS: IOZ (E) 1381438), Tianjin, 2.5.22 ?; 1 spec., Peiping (Beijing), seriously damaged, with a label “ A. pedestris ”; Jiangsu : 1 male, Wuxi , with a label “ A pedestris ” ; 2 spec., Suchow ( Suzhou ), with a label “ A. pedestris ”; Shanghai: Jiangwan Univerisity campus, 6 June 1956 ; 2 spec., Shanghai , 5 August 1950, with a label “ Amphiops pedestris Rég. ” and another label “ A. pedestris ”; Zhejiang : 1 spec., Hangzhou , with a label “ A. pedestris ”; Jiangxi : 4 spec., Jiujiang , Duchang county, Linshan village, 15–20 July 2010, Yan Mei leg. ; 12 spec., Jiulianshan Mountain ., 20 April 2009, Fenglong Jia leg. ; 2 spec., Yongxin county , 19 August 1974 ; 12 spec., Jingu county , 22 August 1974 ; 3 spec., Nanchang , 26 August 1963, Zhelong Pu leg. , each with a label “ A. pedestris ”; 13 spec., Ji’ an, 13 August 1974 ; 2 spec., Wuzhou , 16–18 August 1974, each with a label “ A. pedestris ”; Guangxi : 2 spec., Shiwandashan Forest park, 267 m, in light trap, 9 July 2011, Keqing Song leg. ; 1 male, 1 unsexed spec., Yangshuo , 1985, in light trap ; 14 spec., Nanning , 19 June 1977, Zhihe Huang leg. , each with a label “ A. pedestris ”; 2 spec., Shangsi , 24 June 1977, Zhihe Huang leg. ; 18 spec., Longlin , 22.v.1977, Zhihe Huang leg. , each with a label “ A. pedestris ”; Guangdong: 2 spec., Canton , with a label “ Amphiops pedestris varians Orchymont” and another label “ Amphiops pedestris ” ; 1 male, 7 unsexed spec., Guangzhou , Kangle, iv.1957, Ping Lin leg. ; 5 spec., Lianjiang , 25 September 1985, Wu Wu leg. ; 42 spec., Xingning , Luofu, Tieshan, 1 July 2004, Fenglong Jia leg. ; 15 spec., Zhuhai , Qi’ ao island, 12 July 2005, Fenglong Jia leg. ; 1 spec., Shaoguan , Yingde, 4 August 1962, Ping Lin leg. ; 27 spec., Zhanjiang , Chikan, 25 September 1985, Zhihe Huang leg. ; 3 spec., Lianjiang Shiling , 12 September 1985, Zhihe Huang leg. ; 19 spec., Dinghu , 10 May 1994, Fenglong Jia leg. ; 1 spec., Dinghushan , 1 June 1963, Dexiang Gu leg. ; 3 spec., Dinghushan , 17 July 1964, Tongxu Peng leg. ; 1 male, Shantou , 15 May 1964, Tongxu Peng leg. ; 8 spec., Xuwen , 27 September 1985 ; 39 spec., Huaxian (Huadu), Dabuling, 26 August 1983, Zhihe Huang leg. ; 1 spec., Xinyi , 7 June 1960, Zhelong Pu leg. ; 1 spec., Lechang , 12 August 1962, Ping Lin leg. ; 2 spec., Sihui , 1 November 1994, Fenglong Jia leg. ; 15 spec., Heshan , 18 March 1994, Fenglong Jia leg. ; 7 spec., Fengkai , Heishiding, 10 April 1985, Wu Wu leg. ; 2 spec., Fengkai , Heishiding, 6 July 1986, Wu Wu leg. ; 17 spec., Guangzhou , Sun Yat-sen Univerisity campus, July 1985 ; 2 spec., Guangzhou , Sun Yat-sen University campus, 15 April 1958, Yujia Hu leg. ; 1 spec., Guangzhou , August 1938, Zhelong Pu leg. ; 1 spec., Guangzhou , Shuzhugang, 3 May 1957, Zhelong Pu leg. ; 1 spec., Guangzhou , Luogang, 20 April 1958, Zhelong Pu leg. ; 5 spec., Guangzhou , June 1955, Chaoyang Li, Huifang Qi, Yongqiang Zhang and Lizhen Zeng leg. ; 7 spec., Guangzhou , Shipai, 28 June 1955, Desheng Liu, Meizhen Mao, Pinzhen Jiang, Xiefang Tang, Zhenlun Xie, Qiyan Wang and Xuehai Luo leg. ; 1 spec., Guangzhou , Henan (southern Pearl river), 1 April 1958 ; 1 spec., Guangzhou , Baiyunshan, 21 April 1958 ; 2 spec., with label “ Guangzhou ”, August 1938, Zhelong Pu leg. ; 1 spec., Dongguan , Chang’ an town, 19 April 2004, Fenglong Jia leg. ; 1 spec., Danxiashan Mountain , 26 August 2012, Fenglong Jia and Keqing Song leg. ; 2 spec., Danxiashan Mountain , plant nursery ; 3 spec., Danxiashan Mountain , Yangyuanshan, Huiyuanchi pool, 21 April 2012, Fenglong Jia and Junlei Liao leg. ; 13 spec., Danxiashan Mountain , 16–20 May 2009, Fenglong Jia leg. ; Fujian : 3 spec., Xiamen (with another label “ Amor ”) ; 1 spec., Xiamen (Amor), with a label “ Amphiops mater Sh. ” and another label “ A. pedestris ”; Hainan : 1 spec., Sanya , 24 December 1963 ; 7 spec., Lingshui , Diaoluoshan Mountain., 25 November 1963, Jincai Bao leg. ; 1 spec., no locality and date data; 1 spec., Jianfengling , 22 November 1983, Zhihe Huang leg. ; Hunan : 1 male, Yizhang , 1941, Zhelong Pu leg. ; 3 spec., Huaihua , 15 August1982, Zhihe Huang leg. , each with a label “ A. pedestris ”; 2 spec., Nanyue (Hengshan Mountain), 4 September 1941, Zhelong Pu leg. ; Yunnan : 25 spec., Hekou , 8 June 1977, Zhihe Huang leg. ; 6 spec., Mengla , Wangguancun Nature Reserve, in light trap, 22 July 2011; Mengla Natural Reserve, 4–5 August 2007, Jiahui Li leg. ; Sichuan : 2 spec., Dakang , 24 August 2001, Ling Zhao leg. ; Guizhou : 7 spec., Guiyang , 15 July 1982, Zhihe Huang leg. ; 1 spec., Fanjingshan , Huguosi temple, 14 August 2001, Hong Pang leg. ; Hubei : 2 spec., Wuchang , June 1958, Jieyu Hu leg. ; 1 spec., without any locality and date data, with a label “ Amphiops pedestris varians Orchymont”. VIETNAM: Tonkin , Hoa-Binh, A. de. Cooman leg.

Note

Balfour-Browne (1939) treated Amphiops pisiformis Fairmaire, 1884 , Amphiops pedestris Sharp, 1890 , Amphiops annamita Régimbart, 1903 , and Amphiops sumatrensis Régimbart, 1903 as subspecies of A.mater based on the morphology of the aedeagus of the complex and the consideration of “well-defined distinctions on geographical distribution”. The specimens in this study show that the ground punctures on the intervals vary in density and size. Some specimens have fewer, sparser ground punctures which are more or less regularly arranged apically, other specimens bear denser and more irregular ground punctures which differ more or less in size apically, and still other specimens have denser ground punctures apically that are irregularly arranged but are more or less similar in size. All of the three forms appear syntopically in the series from Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Hunan. The two specimens I checked from Vietnam have the elytra very similar to the typical A. pedestris . Moreover, the aedeagi show that there is no difference among the three forms and there are many specimens with ground punctation intermediate between the above “subspecies”. Another subspecies, A.mater pisiformis Fairmaire occurring in Indo-China, may also be conspecific with A.mater Sharp , considering its distribution.

d’ Orchymont (1935) and Wu (1936) reported Amphiops annamita Régimbart from Guangdong (Danes Island), A.mater Sharp from Beijing, Fujian (Xiamen), Zhejiang (Hangzhou) and Hubei (Wuchang), and A.pedestris Sharp var. varians Orchymont from Guangdong. These data were used by later entomologists for discussion of the Chinese Amphiops . Gentili et al. (1995) and Hansen (1999) recorded them from China partly based on the Catalogue by d’ Orchymont (1935) and Wu (1936). [Although A.annamita Régimbart and A.pedestris Sharp are recognized as subspecies of A.mater currently, Gentili et al. (1995) treated them as valid species without any explanation or justification for the change in rank.] Actually, A.mater Sharp is widely distributed from southern China north to Beijing.

Distribution

China (Beijing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shanghai, Sichuan, Tianjin, Yunnan, Zhejiang) , Cambodia, India (Tamil Nadu) , Indonesia (Sumatra) , Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Vietnam. New for Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan , Tianjin, Yunnan .

Figures

Figure 3. Amphiops mater Sharp. (A) Habitus, ventral view; (B) elytra (from Guangzhou); (C) elytral apex; (D, E) lateral portion of elytra.

Figure 5. Aedeagi. (A) Amphiops coomani; (B) Amphiops coelopunctatus; (C–F Amphiops mirabilis, from (C) Guangzhou, (E) Hainan and (D, F) Yunnan; (G, H) Amphiops mater from (G) Guangdong and (H) Yunnan.