Straneostichus Sciaky, 1994

Chen, Jia-Heng, Shi, Hong-Liang & Liang, Hong-Bin, 2022, Taxonomic notes on the Chinese endemic genus Straneostichus Sciaky, 1994 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichini), with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 5182 (3), pp. 247-264 : 248

Genus Straneostichus Sciaky, 1994

Sciaky 1994: 190; Sciaky 1996: 85; Sciaky & Wrase 1997: 1108; Lorenz 2005: 289; Bousquet 2017: 751.

Type-species: Straneostichus vignai Sciaky, 1994 , by original designation.

Generic characters. Body length 9–15mm; dorsal surface usually with metallic lustre which is coppery, green, blue, violet or rarely near black. Vertex smooth or punctate; terminal labial palpomere fusiform, outer-apical end of penultimate labial palpomere with one very short seta; submentum with two setae on each side. Pronotum with one or more mid-lateral setae and one basolateral seta; basal fovea composed of one or two grooves: inner groove long, approximately one-third of the length of pronotum, outer groove short and fused to the inner one or absent. Elytra ovoid, surface with isodiametric microsculpture; scutellar striae present; basal pore present or not; third interval without discal setigerous pores; umbilicate series of pores on interval IX continuous but sparse in middle. Tarsomere Ⅴ of all tarsi setose ventrally. Metaepisternum with length subequal to basal width; hind wings reduced. Abdominal sternite VII unmodified in both sexes, usually with one pair (occasionally two pairs) of setae in males, two pairs in females. Male genitalia with aedeagus slender or a little stout, apical orifice opened to right side; right paramere short, bent at obtuse angle near middle. Gonocoxite II of ovipositor subtriangular, with one or more minute ensiform setae on outer surface; spermatheca heliciform, with spermathecal gland inserted near base.

The infra-generic taxonomy of Straneostichus was not well proposed, but the concept of fischeri -group was mentioned by Sciaky & Wrase (1997). After studying all species of this genus including the three new species hereinafter described, we confirm that two distinct species groups, vignai -group and fischeri -group, within the genus, comprised of four and seven species respectively. These two groups can be defined according to external and male genital features.