Amara (Curtonotus) gigantea (Motschulsky, 1844)

Li, Yihang, Li, Haoyuan & Shi, Hongliang, 2024, Revision of the macropterous subgenus Curtonotus from east China, with the description of a new species (Carabidae, Zabrini, Amara), ZooKeys 1190, pp. 39-73 : 39

Amara (Curtonotus) gigantea (Motschulsky, 1844)

Fig. 2

Leirus gigantea Motschulsky, 1844: 173. (type locality: “O.-Siberia” [= east Siberia]; syntypes in ZMUM); Bates 1873: 290; Lewis 1879: 188; Andrewes 1928: 22; Matsumura 1929: 194; Kryzhanovskij 1975: 94; Sasakawa 2010: 358.

Amara herculeana Tschitschérine, 1894: 381 (type locality: "Chingan mer" [in northern China]; syntypes in ZRAS); synonymized by Kryzhanovskij 1975: 94.

Specimens examined.

1 male (CLYH), China, Beijing, Changping district, Hedi Road , 40.138031°N, 116.313659°E, 40 m, 2022.06.14, Yihang Li leg. ; 1 male (CLYH), China, Beijing, Yuhuangmiao Village , 40.515125°N, 115.895570°E, 556 m, 2022.08.06, Yihang Li leg. ; 1 male (CLHY), China, Hebei, Saihanba Forest Park, 1650 m, 2021.06, Sikai Du leg. ; 1 male (CLYH), China, Henan, Baotianman Eco-tourist Area , 2020.07, Haoyi Liu leg. ; 4 males, 1 female, China, Inner Mongolia, Tongliao, Horqin Left Rear banner, Jinbaotun Town , 43.372914°N, 123.545808°E, 2022.06, Hongliang Li, leg. ; 15 males, 15 females (CLHY), China, Jiangsu, Yangzhou, Jiangdu District, Heping Road , 32.377533°N, 119.574815°E, 119 m, 2023. 04, Wang leg. ; 2 males, 1 female, (CBJFU), China, Jilin, Qianjin County, Jiaohe Forest Station , 43.9555°N, 127.6971°E, 397 m, 2018. 08.31-09.01, Hongliang Shi leg. ; 1 male (CBJFU), China, Shaanxi, Yangxian, Huayang township , 2017.VIII.4, Weifeng Yan leg. ; 1 male (CLHY), China, Zhejiang, Zhoushan, Shengsi county, Caiyuan town , 30.709870°N, 122.462928°E, 52.78 m, 2023.06.17, Haoyuan Li leg.

Chinese common name.

巨暗步甲.

Diagnosis.

The largest Chinese species of the subgenus, BL = 16.0-25.0 mm; dorsum black, legs dark brown to black; head strongly thickened, only a little shorter and narrower than pronotum maximum width; head with one or two supraorbital setae. Pronotum cordate (Fig. 2B ), finely and densely punctate through mid-anterior, basal and lateral regions; lateral margins strongly sinuate before posterior angles; posterior angles nearly rectangular, slightly laterally protruded. Elytra elongated; lateral sides of abdominal sternites smooth. Male mesotibiae projection composed of one large denticle and two small denticles (Fig. 2C ): proximal denticle widely triangular, with a row of setae, two distal denticles present between the proximal one and tibiae distal apex. Male genitalia with the apical lamella of aedeagus strongly elongate (Fig. 2F ), gently declined to right, a little attenuate to tip. Gonocoxite 2 (Fig. 2G ) of ovipositor elongated, length ~ 1.5 × greatest width, a little widened to apex, apex widely rounded.

Distribution.

China (Beijing, Hebei, Gansu, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shanghai, Shandong, Henan*, Zhejiang, Taiwan), Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Russia (Far East, east Siberia), Oriental Region.

Amara (Curtonotus) tumida species group

Five species distributed in eastern China belong to this species group. They are characterized by the head with only one supraorbital seta each side and the pronotum lateral setae absent. These two distinctive features make them easily differentiated from all other Amara Curtonotus species known from eastern China.

Figures

Figure 2. Amara (Curtonotus) gigantea A dorsal habitus, male (Fengning, Hebei, taken by Xiaoran Yang) B pronotum posterior angle (taken by Xiaoran Yang) C male mesotibia (taken by Xiaoran Yang) D lateral view of aedeagus E right paramere F apical lamella G female gonocoxite (Tongliao, Inner Mongolia). Scale bars: 5 mm (A); 1 mm (B-E); 0.5 mm (F, G).