Clypeuspinus validus ( Andrewes, 1936 ) Balkenohl, 2021

Balkenohl, Michael, 2021, Revisiting the Oriental genus Syleter Andrewes, 1941 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Clivinini), Revue suisse de Zoologie 128 (2), pp. 357-374 : 370-372

Clypeuspinus validus ( Andrewes, 1936) comb. nov.

Figs 3 , 6 , 31, 32

Psilus validus Andrewes, 1936: 202 .

Syleter validus . – Lorenz, 1998: 138. – 2005: 148. – Balkenohl, 2001: 30. – Balkenohl, 2021a: in press.

Type material examined

Holotype: BMNH; ♀, with labels and data: white, handwritten in black ink “ Battaramulla W.P. Ceylon 7-V-30”, white, handwritten in black ink “3520”, white, black printed “Brit. Mus. 1936-628”, white, circle, red framed and black printed “Type”, white, handwritten in black ink “ Psilus validus Andr. Type H. E. Andrewes det.”, white, handwritten in blue ink “ Oxygnathus validus Andr. det. K. Kult 47”. The two apical tarsomeres of the left mesotibia and the right hind tibia with tarsomeres are missing. The holotype is the only available material.

Redescription

Measurements: Body length 4.81 mm; width 1.46 mm; ratio length/width of pronotum 0.98; ratio length/width of elytra 1.75.

Colour: Dorsal and ventral surface glossy; piceous with fuscous tinge; clypeus, wing of clypeus, supraantennal plate, and mandible fuscous, other mouthparts, antenna and legs paler yellowish-fuscous.

Head ( Fig. 3 ) with dorsal surface smooth, with scattered micropunctures. One third narrower than pronotum, conspicuously elongated. Clypeus with middle part narrower than labrum, with straight and anteriorly sloping margin, with indistinct clypeal suture, wing of clypeus moderately wide, conspicuously lobatelike projecting anteriorly, separated from clypeus by obtuse emargination, clypeal setigerous punctures situated in deep frontal furrows (setae rubbed off but the setigerous punctures are visible). Supraantennal plate vaulted, elongated, anteriorly separated from clypeal wing by indistinct notch, reflexed margined in posterior half. Frons elongated anteriorly, moderately convex. Supraorbital furrow deep, wide, converging at middle of eyes, bilaterally with two supraorbital setae situated at posterior eye- and posterior gena-level. Supraorbital carina blunt. Frontal furrow wide, well impressed. Neck constriction nearly complete, composed of bigger punctures. Eye of regular size, somewhat flattened in dorsal view but moderately convex in lateral view. Gena broad, conspicuously elongated, surface with few irregular rugae. Antenna not elongated, reaching to middle of pronotum, antennomere two slightly longer than three, attached eccentrically to scapus, scapus with indistinct irregular reticulation, with the seta situated dorso-frontally at apical quarter. Labrum slightly pointed anteriorly, five-setose, with indistinct irregular reticulation. Mandible conspicuously elongated, falcate, bend slightly dorsally, scrobe visible in dorsal view. Apical segment of maxillary palpus slender, moderately elongated, slightly securiform. Segment two of labial palpus bisetose. Ligula pointed, deeply embedded. Mentum with lobes carinate, moderately wide, convex anteriorly, epilobe narrow, with pointed central tooth projecting as far as lateral lobe, surface with rough rugae. Pronotum: Outline longitudinal pentagon-like, flattened on disc (lateral view), moderately convex in frontal view. Anterior angle projecting. Posterior angle marked by a distinct tooth which interrupts the lateral channel and projects laterally. Reflexed lateral margin straight in anterior half, diverging posteriorly, gently convex posteriorly to posterior angle, reaching from anterior angles up to base. Marginal channel distinctly widened between the two lateral setigerous punctures, foveolate. Lateral anterior setigerous puncture situated in distinct fovea in the channel, posterior one slightly removed from channel. Reflexed margin narrow, with indistinct notches. Proepisternum just visible posteriorly in dorsal view. Anterior transverse line deep, composed of punctures, joining with median line. Median line deep, moderately wide, distinctly joining base. Surface with distinct transverse wrinkles, with scattered micropunctures, with isodiametric reticulation in basal third, at base vaulted laterally. Flange narrow, carinate, as wide as basal constriction.

Elytron: Outline subelongate, flattened on disk in anterior half (lateral view). Lateral margin nearly straight in anterior half, slightly contracted to base and regularly convex in apical half, maximum width slightly behind middle. Humerus distinct, with distinct humeral tooth. Base convex. Reflexed lateral margin smooth, marginal channel with uninterrupted series of setigerous punctures. Stria one with setigerous tubercle at base of first stria, with distinct tubercle at base of third interval. Scutellar stria moderately developed. Striae moderately deep, punctato-striate; stria one joining basal tubercle, stria two and three free at base. Striae one and seven reaching apex, two to six ending apically at vault of interval seven. Intervals convex, convexity more evident laterally, eighth carinate from humerus nearly up to apex, seventh carinate at humerus. Third interval with three setigerous punctures on the left and with four punctures at the right elytron, all approaching more or less third stria, setae upright, of moderate length. Surface of intervals with indistinct isodiametric reticulation, slightly more distinct at outer intervals.

Hind wings: Fully developed.

Ventral surface: Proepisternum indistinctly isodiametrically reticulated, with transverse rugae. Last four tergites with two accessory setae at middle, with transverse reticulation, terminal segment with the two apical setigerous punctures widely separated.

Legs: Protibia with the three terminal spines long, slender, curved distinctly laterally; movable spur nearly as long as spine, turned slightly ventrally, surface with slight sulcus and isodiametric to longitudinal reticulation. First tarsomere of front leg longer than tarsomeres two to four together. Intermediate tibia with long protuberance preapically furnished with seta ( Fig. 6 ). Tarsomeres of front and intermediate leg not widened.

Male genitalia: Unknown.

Female genitalia: With coxostylus one and two nearly completely fused ( Fig. 32 ), moderately broadened at base, slightly curved in apical half, dorsally with nine long and slender and one distinctly elongated and robust nematiform setae in the middle part, ventrally with six smaller setae, no subapical setose organ. Laterotergite with four long nematiform setae.

Variability: The number of setigerous punctures on interval three of the elytra is different (three and four setae).

Distribution: Known from the type locality in Battaramulla, Western Province of Sri Lanka.

Figures

Figs 1-3. Head, dorsal view. (1) Syleter paradoxus (Putzeys, 1868).(2) Parasyleter doriae (Putzeys, 1873) comb.nov.(3) Clypeuspinus validus (Andrewes, 1936) comb. nov.

Figs 4-6. Right mesotibia. (4) Syleter paradoxus (Putzeys, 1868) showing the small preapical protuberance and its seta inserted apically (arrow). (5) Parasyleter doriae (Putzeys, 1873) comb. nov. with no tubercles at all. (6) Clypeuspinus validus (Andrewes, 1936) comb. nov. showing the long protuberance and its seta inserted laterally (arrow).

Figs 31-32. Clypeuspinus validus (Andrewes, 1936) comb. nov., holotype. (31) Habitus. (32) Female coxostyli with laterotergite.