Anthracus baehri, Auvel, 2016

Auvel, 2016, Two new species of the Anthracus annamensis group from Australia and New Caledonia, and notes on identity and generic placement of Acupalpus angulatus MACLEAY, 1871 and Acupalpus trapezus FAUVEL, 1882 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini, Stenolophina, Pelmatellina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (2), pp. 1295-1312 : 1296-1298

Anthracus baehri nov.sp. ( Figs 1-8 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: 6 (QMB, type no QMT234883) labelled "Mt. Maroon, s. Qld. / 400-700m, Austral. / 13.12.81-30.1.82 / M. Baehr", " HOLOTYPE 6 / Anthracus / baehri nov. sp. / des. B. Jaeger 2016" [red label]. The holotype is in good condition without missing body parts.

Paratypes: 1♀ (cBAE) with same locality label as the Holotype. 16 ( CNC) " AUSTRALIA / Atherton , Qld. / 12.II.1975 / H. & A. Howden ". All paratypes additionally labelled " PARATYPE 6 or ♀ / Anthracus / baehri nov. sp. / des. B. Jaeger 2016" [red label] .

E t y m o l o g y: The species is dedicated to Dr. Martin Baehr, former curator of the Zoologische Staatssammlung Munich and famous expert on Australian Carabidae , who collected a part of the type series during his expedition to Australia.

D e s c r i p t i o n: General appearance as figured ( Fig. 1 ). Body length 3.7-3.8 mm (HT 3.8 mm); width 1.4-1.5 mm.

Shiny, pronotum weakly, elytra moderately iridescent. Head reddish yellow or pale reddish brown, usually darker than pronotum, with clypeus, mandibles (inner margins and apices of the latter blackish), and labrum paler reddish yellow. Pronotum paler to darker reddish yellow, with lateral margins and base sometimes paler. Elytra reddish yellow, with each elytron having a large blackish or blackish brown central macula, expanding laterally to interval 7, and leaving base, apex and first interval reddish yellow. Legs, palpi and first two antennomeres pale yellowish brown, remaining ones moderately to markedly infuscated. Ventral surface paler to darker brown, often prosternum, and sometimes also proepisterna, epipleura, mouthparts and ventrites paler than head, meso- and metasternum.

Head ( Figs 1-3 ) including eyes 0.80-0.82 times as wide as pronotum, with eyes moderately prominent (head 1.56 times as wide as head between eyes). Labrum almost rectilinear at apical margin. Mandibles medium sized, not distinctly prolonged and curved, left mandible moderately obtuse at apex, not thickened or truncate. Antennae 2.46-2.50 times as long as pronotum and 0.80-0.82 times as long as elytra. Microsculpture on labrum almost isodiametric, on clypeus weakly transverse to isodiametric, on anterior half of head with lightly (paratypes) or very lightly (holotype) impressed isodiametric meshes, on posterior half with lightly to moderately impressed isodiametric meshes, becoming weakly to moderately transverse in front of pronotal anterior margin.

Pronotum ( Figs 1-3 ) 1.30-1.34 times as wide as long, 1.21-1.25 times as wide as head, widest in second quarter, lateral seta inserted about at beginning of second quarter. Apical margin weakly concave. Anterior angles narrowly rounded at tips, moderately projecting forward. Sides convex in anterior half, rectilinearly narrowed to posterior angles, which are widely rounded. Basal margin almost rectilinear or weakly arcuate medially, slightly to moderately oblique to posterior angles. Lateral channels evenly narrow or gradually widened in apical half, becoming markedly widened at posterior third, where they are fused with the baso-lateral impressions. Baso-lateral impressions medium sized and somewhat oblique, clearly delimited from pronotal disc and median part of base, flattened to basal and lateral margins. Basal impressions and other surface of pronotum impunctate. Median line fine, disappearing before reaching basal and apical margins. Anterior transverse impression obliterated or at least suggested. Microsculpture on disc partly obliterated, partly with very lightly impressed strongly transverse meshes, at basolateral impressions and in lateral channels with distinctly impressed isodiametric to weakly transverse meshes.

Elytra ( Fig. 1 ) 1.58-1.60 times as long as wide, 2.75-2.90 times as long and 1.31-1.37 times as wide as pronotum with sides weakly to moderately widened posteriorly, widest about at middle. Elytral striae distinctly impressed and impunctate, scutellar striole long. Intervals rather flat to weakly convex on disc, becoming narrowed and moderately convex at apex. Basal pore at beginning of scutellar striole present, interval 3 in third quarter with one setiferous pore, adjoining stria 2. Microsculpture on scutellum almost isodiametric, on elytral intervals almost obsolete, only here and there with traces of very lightly impressed transverse lines. Macropterous.

Metepisterna at inner margin about 1.5-1.6 times longer than wide at basal margin. Prosternum medially with 6-7, and in front of apical margin with a row of 6-8 longer setae. Prosternal process posteriorly with 2-4 distinct setae. Ventrites 4-6 with distinct and dense pubescence, in ventrite 4 often reduced laterally. Last visible ventrite of males faintly emarginated and that of females almost rectilinear or very faintly convex at apex, at apical margin with two longer setae in males and four in females.

Protarsomeres 1-4 of males markedly dilated and with distinct, biseriately arranged adhesive hairs on ventral surface. Protarsomere 4 markedly bilobed. Mesotarsomeres 1-4 of males moderately dilated and with adhesive hairs on ventral surface, mesotarsomere 4 moderately bilobed. In females pro- and mesotarsomeres unmodified. Male profemora somewhat thickened in relation to females and with a row of 7-8 closely arranged, long and fine setae at upper inner margin.

Median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 4-8 ) rather large, with general appearance as figured. Apical plateau rather long, with a distinct keel distally. Internal sac composed of two large apical teeth, one very large subapical tooth, and in medial portion with a row of 5-6 large, ventrally arranged teeth, and a row of about 15 medium sized, dorsally arranged teeth.

C o m p a r i s o n s A. baehri belongs to the Anthracus annamensis group and represents the first maculate species of this group from the Australian region. In colour and general appearance, it is similar to various species with maculate elytra from the Oriental region which were recently revised ( JAEGER 2015b, c). However, it differs from all these taxa by the markedly thickened male profemora with a row of 7-8 longer setae at upper inner margin and the peculiar shape of the aedeagus and its internal structures ( Figs 4-8 ). Externally, it differs from most Oriental species also by some body proportions.

Regarding the modified male profemora A. baehri is similar and probably related to A. furvinus DARLINGTON, 1968 from Papua New Guinea and to A. novaecaledonicus n.sp. from New Caledonia. However, A. baehri can be easily distinguished from both species by the different colour of upper surface with head, pronotum and elytra reddish yellow, the latter with a dark macula on each elytron, instead of upper surface more or less uniformly blackish brown with only margins of pronotum and first elytral interval paler reddish brown. Besides, the median lobe of the aedeagus is smaller, with very different external shape and internal structures. From A. furvinus it differs also by the fewer setae on upper inner margin of the profemora, which are more scattered.

From Anthracus exactus ( DARLINGTON, 1968), a member of the A. angusticollis group and the only other species of the genus so far known from Australia, A. baehri can be easily distinguished by the completely different general appearance with pronotal hind angles widely rounded instead of markedly angulate, the unmodified pronotal median line instead of median line markedly widened in posterior third, and smaller and less prominent eyes, shorter mandibles, and shorter and less parallel elytra.

D i s t r i b u t i o n A. baehri is known only from Queensland.

Figures

Figs 1-3: Anthracus baehri nov.sp. Habitus, head and pronotum. (1) Holotype; (2) Paratype, Australia, Mt. Maroon; (3) Paratype, Australia, Atherton.

Figs 4-8: Anthracus baehri nov.sp. Median lobe of aedoeagus, lateral and dorsal aspect. (4-6) Holotype; (7, 8) Paratype, Australia, Atherton.