Heptodonta halensis, Görn, Sebastian, 2020

Görn, Sebastian, 2020, Revision of the Oriental tiger beetle genus Heptodonta Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Zootaxa 4875 (1), pp. 1-62 : 12-14

Heptodonta halensis sp. nov.

Figs. 23–29

Type localities. Philippines: Leyte ; Luzon; Panaon; Samar.

Type material. Holotype: ♂ in JWCW, labelled: “ Philippines, / 26. - 30. 5. 2005, / Leyte Island, / Mt. Balo- caue, 600 m, / C. Pottgens leg.” [yellow, printed] // “ Heptodonta / analis analis / ( FABRICIUS, 1801) / det. J. Wiesner 2006 ” [printed]. Paratypes (18): 3 ♂♂ 4 ♀♀ in JWCW, 1 ♂ in SGCH, 1 ♂ in SMNS: “ Philippines, Leyte, / v.2014, / Noel Mohagan leg.” [yellow, printed] // “ Heptodonta / analis analis / ( FABRICIUS, 1801) / det. J. Wiesner 2014” [printed]. 1 ♀ in JWCW: “ Philippines, Leyte Prov. / Reg. VIII, Marplag, Barangay / Mt. Bulocaue, 600 m / leg. F. Mohagan jr.” [yellow margin, printed] // “ Heptodonta / melanopyga / SCHAUM, 1862 / det. J. Wiesner 2005” [printed]. 1 ♂ 1 ♀ in PSCH: “ PHILIPPINES, North Luzon / Ifugao, Banaue, / July 2016 / local collector” [printed]. 1 ♂ in PSCH: “ PHILIPPINES, Samar, / Central Visayas, Lope de Vega / July 2016 / local collector” [printed]. 1 ♂ in ZSM: “Panaon / Philippin” [printed]. 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ in MNB: “ Philippinen / Panaon” [handwritten] // “ Heptodonta / melanopyga (Schaum) / Museum f. Naturkunde / Berlin” [printed]. All type specimens labelled: “ HOLOTYPE (or PARATYPE respectively) / Heptodonta / halensis sp. nov. / ded. Sebastian Görn 2020” [red, printed].

Diagnosis. This species has been confused with H. analis and H. melanopyga , but it is immediately distinguishable from H. analis by the smooth, silkyshining pronotum, and from H. melanopyga by the mediolateral and anteroapical elytral impressions (from dorsal view appearing dark and iridescent, respectively). From H. nigrosericea it differs by the iridescent green dorsal colouration. There might be some confusion between bluish-green H. halensis sp. nov. specimens and rather pale bluish-yellow H. nigrosericea specimens, but females of H. halensis sp. nov. are clearly characterized by a testaceous labrum, in contrast to the black to dark-brown female labrum of H. nigrosericea . It is also similar to H. abasileia sp. nov., but black apical colouration expands over less than one quarter of the profemora (best seen from lateral view). The aedeagus dorsoapically has a considerably protruding crown-shaped sclerite (best seen in right lateral aspect), aedeagal apex a little less bent ventrally and aedeagal base more steeply sloping than in to H. abasileia sp. nov.

Etymology. This beautiful species is dedicated to my lovely hometown, Halle (Saale).

Description. Body size: Length 11.8–12.9 mm (without labrum), width 3.4–4.0 mm ( Figs. 23–24 ).

Head with dorsal surface greenish, with more or less expanded bronze colouration on frons and occiput, temples blue. Frons transversely to irregularly grooved, crumpled wrinkles in transition to vertex. Vertex median with parallel longitudinal striation that converge in transition to the orbital plates. Orbital plates with fine, convex to parallel converging striae, and with two setae on each side. Occiput with transverse grooves, anteromedian irregularly rugose. Genae glabrous and shallowly grooved, violet-blue with iridescent green anterior apex. Clypeus glabrous, iridescent blue-green with an anteromedian bronze spot and two anterior blue spots. Labrum testaceous, with four setae, five apical teeth, and one lateral tooth on each side, three median teeth acute, third apical teeth reduced, shape variable, male labrum rectangular and short (0.52–0.61 mm long, 1.43–1.55 mm wide, Fig. 25 ), female labrum antero-triangular or three median teeth protruding (0.90–1.03 mm long, 1.47–1.65 mm wide, Fig. 26 ). Mandibles testaceous, teeth dark rufous-brown to black. Labial and maxillary palpi testaceous with dark-brown to black terminal palpomeres, in female pre-terminal maxillary palpomere dark-testaceous. Antennae slender, extending back over the first quarter of the elytra, metallic black, pedicel testaceous at base, scape with a single apical seta, antennomeres 3–4 with few scattered setae, antennomeres 5–11 finely and evenly pubescent.

Thorax entirely glabrous. Pronotum iridescent green with more or less expanded bronze areas, blue lateral margin, median line moderately pronounced with blue margin, proportions variable, pronotal length (2.29–2.66 mm) and width (2.18–2.60 mm) nearly identical, shallow transverse grooves, pronounced anterior and posterior sulci, anterior lobe wider than posterior, lateral margins of the median lobe moderately converging to the base. Episterna violet-blue, metepisternum and anterior proepisternum with bluish-green lustre. Sterna and epimera violet-blue with iridescent green lustre.

Elytra elongate, length 7.2–8.1 mm, slightly dilated laterally to almost parallel, maximal width posterior, green with yellow-bronze lustre, lateral margin violet, apex blue to bluish-green; juxtahumeral, discal, mediolateral, anteroapical, and apical impressions considerably pronounced, impression on posterior declivity moderate or lacking, posterior gibbosity significant, basodiscal convexity moderate, blue punctures slightly decreasing in size from base to apex, punctures fused to transverse lines, converging to apex on anteroapical impression; irregularly punctured basally and apically.

Coxae dark-testaceous with iridescent blue-green lustre, pro- and mesocoxae anteriorly, metacoxae laterally densely covered with long white setae, mesocoxae posterior with few white setae. Trochanters and femora testaceous. Femoral distal apices, tibiae, and tarsi metallic-black. Claws black proximally and rufous-testaceous distally.

Abdominal sternites glabrous (apart from few long setae at posterior margins), dark-brown with violet-blue reflections, anal sternite with dark-testaceous apical margin ( Fig. 27 ).

Aedeagus arched, length 2.62–2.66 mm, dorsal and medioventral regions convex, apex slightly bent ventrally, with round tip and convex dorsal aspect, aedeagal base comparatively steeply sloping. Inner sac in left lateral aspect medioventral with elongate vertical sclerite and medially with short horizontal sclerite; in right lateral aspect with a spiny dorsoapical sclerite protruding from the apical orifice ( Figs. 28–29 ).

Distribution. Northern and eastern PHILIPPINES (Leyte, Luzon, Panaon, Samar).

Figures

FIGURES 23–29. Heptodonta halensis sp. nov.: 23, 25, 27–29—♂, holotype, Philippines, Leyte, Mt. Balocaue (JWCW): 23—habitus, 25—head, 27—lateral body, 28—aedeagus in left lateral aspect, 29—aedeagus in right lateral aspect; 24, 26—♀, paratype, Philippines, Leyte (JWCW): 24—habitus, 26—head. Scales: 23–27 = 1 mm, 28–29 = 0.5 mm.