Trechus stratiotes malikasthana, Schmidt, 2009

Schmidt, Joachim, 2009, Taxonomic and biogeographical review of the genus Trechus Clairville, 1806, from the Tibetan Himalaya and the southern central Tibetan Plateau (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechini) 2178, Zootaxa 2178 (1), pp. 1-72 : 60-61

Trechus stratiotes malikasthana ssp. n.

Type material: Holotype male, with label data “ NEPAL Prov. Seti Distr. Bajura , 15 km S Simikot, N slope W Malikasthan 4100–4200 m, 29°50’42’’N 81°47’25’’E, 07.07.2001 leg. A. Kopetz, stone-debris HF” ( NME).

Paratypes: 20 males, 13 females, with same label data as holotype ( CKOP, CSCHM, NME) ; 16 males, 11 females, with same label data, but: leg. E. Grill & A. Weigel ( CGR, CSCHM, CWG) ; 1 male, Nepal, Prov. Karnali, Distr. Humla, 13 km S Simikot , NE Malikasthan, 3800– 3400 m, coniferous-oak-forest, 8.VII.2001, leg. A. Kopetz ( CKOP) .

Description: Body length: 3.0– 3.6 mm.

Colour and microsculpture: As described in the nominotypical form.

Head: As described in the nominotypical form.

Pronotum: Proportions relatively variable: WP/LP = 1.30–1.42, WP/WPB = 1.35–1.47, WP/WH = 1.26–1.28, WE/WP = 1.44–1.54. Hind angles slightly obtuse or rectangular. In all other characters agreeing with the nominotypical form.

Elytra: Oval, with sides convexly rounded throughout, and with shoulders more indistinct; proportion WE/LE = 1.47–1.53. Outer striae more strongly reduced, with fifth stria hardly visible, and with striae VI and VII completely reduced. In all other characters agreeing with the nominotypical form.

Male genitalia: As described in the nominotypical form.

Etymology: The specific epithet is referring to a village near the type locality (Malikasthan); adjective.

Identification: This subspecies differs from the nominotypical form mainly by the more strongly reduced outer elytral striae, whereas the sixth stria is absent but present although faintly impressed in T. stratiotes s. str. Moreover, the latter subspecies has the pronotal hind angles little more pointed and the elytral sides less convex rounded at the end of the basal elytral third as in T. stratiotes malikasthana ssp. n.

Distribution: Fig. 98 . Higher parts of the mountain range between rivers Humla Karnali in the East and Kuwadi Khola in the west on south eastern macro slope of Saipal Himal, Far Western Nepal: Up to now only known from slopes above Malikasthan.

Habitat: Presumably as in the nominotypical form, see above.

Figures

FIGURE 98. Map of central parts of Tibet and the Himalaya showing distribution of species of the Trechus thibetanus group (white circles), of the Trechus pumoensis group (white squares), of the Trechus rolwalingense group (black circles), and of the Trechus stratiotes group (black squares). 1, T. namtsoensis sp. n. 2, T. dongulaensis sp. n. 3, T. thibetanus Jeannel, 1928. 4, T. glabratus sp. n. 5, T. thorongiensis Schmidt, 1994. 6, T. eutrechoides eutrechoides Deuve, 1992. 7, T. eutrechoides mondaensis Deuve, 1997. 8, T. pumoensis Deuve, 1997. 9, T. tilitshoensis Schmidt, 1994. 10, T. franzianus Mateu & Deuve, 1979. 11, T. muguensis sp. n. 12, T. eremita sp. n. 13, T. aedeagalis sp. n. 14, T. sculptipennis sp. n. 15, T. rolwalingense rolwalingense ssp. n. 16, T. rolwalingense daldunglana ssp. n. 17, T. stratiotes stratiotes ssp. n. 18, T. stratiotes malikasthana ssp. n.