Amara (Amara) shaanxiensis Hieke, 2002

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 : 66-69

4. Amara (Amara) shaanxiensis Hieke, 2002 Figs 5 b–c, 5e, 6b, 7 c–d, 12, 22a, 25b, 27-30

Amara (Amara) shaanxiensis Hieke, 2002: 663. Type material: Holotype male and 1 paratype in CWRA, 2 male and 2 female paratypes in ZMHB. Type locality: China, Shaanxi, Zhouzi Xian, Pass between Banfangzi and Xingian, 2000 m.

Diagnosis.

Adults of this species (Fig. 12) can be distinguished from those of all other species in the region by the following combination of character states: body length 8.5 -10 mm; base of pronotum slightly flattened at the sides, only the middle part evenly convex, finely punctate; outer basal impressions deep and broadly foveate (Fig. 12a); elytra with parascutellar pore puncture present; 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 median lobe not or only slightly broader in apical one-third than more basally, apical lamella longer, narrowly rounded apically and with sides more distinctly convergent apically (Fig. 12c), sclerites of internal sac with form as in Fig. 7c-d.

Habitat distribution.

Specimens of this species were collected in daytime from under stones and other cover in open roadside areas (Figs 22a, 25b), meadows and marshy areas with scattered grasses and shrubs, at the edges of agricultural fields, including wet and dry rice paddies and on open banks of streams, and in these same habitats at night, when beetles were found active on bare substrate. They were also collected under debris in daytime and on the surface of leaf litter at night in deciduous forests. Members of this species were found at elevations ranging from 1837 to 3000 m, syntopic with adults of Amara birmana , Amara chalciope , Amara davidi , Amara lucidissima , Amara pingxiangi , Amara sikkimensis and Amara silvestrii at one or more sites.

Geographical distribution within the Gaoligong Shan.

Fig. 12d. We examined a total of 88 specimens (36 males and 52 females) from the following localities: Gongshan County: Dabadi (41 km W of Cikai on Dulong Valley Road, 27.79655°, 98.50562°, 3000 m, D.H. Kavanaugh, P.E. Marek, H.B. Liang, D.Z. Dong & X.C. Liang collector [1 male and 4 females; CAS, IOZ]). Longling County: Xiaheishan Forest Reserve (Guchengshan at 1.2 km SSE of Km 23.5 on Route 23.5, 24.82888°, 98.76001°, 2020 m, 25-26 May 2005, D.H. Kavanaugh, C.E. Griswold, H.B.Liang and D.Z. Dong collectors [4 males and 4 female; CAS]). Longyang County: Bawan-Tengchong Road (Km 29-35, 24.92916°, 98.75861°, 2000-2350 m, 12 October 2003, D.Z. Dong collector [1 female; IOZ]), (Km 36-37, 24.93417°, 98.77944°, 2150 m, H.B. Liang & X.C. Shi collectors [2 males and 1 female; IOZ, ZMHB]), (Km 40-41, 24.92694°, 98.75278°, 2404 m, 12 October 2003, H.B. Liang & X.C. Shi collectors [1 female; IOZ]), (Km 41 near yakou, 24.93972°, 98.75333°, 2440 m, 15 October 2003, H.B. Liang & J.J. Yang collectors [1; female; IOZ]), (Km 42 at Sanchawa, 24.94750°, 98.75556°, 2300 m, 13 October 2003, H.B. Liang & X.C. Shi collectors [1 male; CAS]; Luoshuidong area (at Sancha He, 24.94833°, 98.75667°, 2300 m, 30 May 2005, D.H. Kavanaugh & H.M. Yan collectors [1 female; CAS]; 3 June 2005, D.H. Kavanaugh, C.E. Griswold, H.B. Liang, D.Z. Dong & H.M Yan collectors [1 male; CAS]); Nankang Forestry Station (at Km 19.8 on Route S317, 24.82284°, 98.78207°, 2060 m, 23 May 2005, D.H. Kavanaugh, C.E. Griswold, H.B. Liang, D.Z. Dong, H.M. Yang & G. Tang collectors [3 males and 7 females; CAS, IOZ, ZMHB]; Nakang Yakou (24.82587°, 98.76832°, 2148 m, 22 May 2005, H.B. Liang collector [(just N of yakou, 24.83178°, 98.76472°, 2180 m, 22 May 2005, D.H. Kavanaugh, C.E. Griswold & D.Z. Dong collectors [2 males and 2 females; CAS, IOZ]; 25 May 2005, D.H. Kavanaugh & C.E. Griswold [1 female; CAS]). Lushui County: Luzhang Township (Lusai He, 25.96378°, 98.77032°, 1873 m, 20 May 2005, H.B. Liang & D.Z. Dong collectors [5 males; CAS, IOZ]). Tengchong County: Houqiao Township (5.9 airkm NE of Houqiao below Guyong Forestry Station, 25.36562°, 98.31610°, 2030 m, 27 May 2006, D.H. Kavanaugh, R.L. Brett, H.B. Long, D.Z. Dong & Z.C. Liu collectors [1 male and 3 females; CAS, IOZ]); Jietou Township (2.0 km N of Dahetou Ligganjiao on Longtang He, 25.75743°, 98.69457°, 2080 m, 16 May 2006, D.Z. Dong collector [1 male; CAS]), (1.4 km S of Dahetou Ligganjiao along Longchuan Jiang, 25.72717°, 98.69322°, 1960 m, 16 May 2006, H.B. Liang collector [2 males and 3 females; CAS, IOZ]), (Longtang He at Dahetou Lingganjiao, 25.73947°, 98.69630°, 2010 m, 14-20 May 2006, D.H. Kavanaugh, R.L. Brett, H.B. Liang & P. Hu collectors [8 males and 15 female; CAS, IOZ]); Shangying Township (Bawan-Tenchong Road Km 42-46, 24.95361°, 98.74222°, 2290 m, 14 and 17 October 2003, H.B. Liang & X.C. Shi collectors [4 males and 2 females; CAS, IOZ]).

Members of this species were collected in both the northern and southern parts of the study area (Core Areas 2, 5, 6 and 7), but not in the central part (Core Area 3). This gap in distribution is most likely an artifact of inadequate sampling and not a real disjunction.

Overall geographical distribution.

Fig. 27. This species has been recorded from Shaanxi and Yunnan Provinces in China, and its occurrence in the study area represents the southwestern limit of its known geographical range.