Harpalus parasinuatus, Kataev, Boris M. & Liang, Hongbin, 2007

Kataev, Boris M. & Liang, Hongbin, 2007, Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Harpalus in China, with description of new taxa (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalini), Zootaxa 1604, pp. 1-20 : 9-11

Harpalus parasinuatus sp. n.

( Figs 17–24 )

Type material. Holotype: ɗ, China, Sichuan, Garzê Co., 3650 m, 11.VII.1983, Chen Yuanqing leg. ( IZB).

Paratypes: SICHUAN: 6 ɗ, 6 Ψ, same data as holotype but Chen Yuanqing & Wang Shuyong leg. ( IZB, ZISP); 1 ɗ, same locality, 3400 m, 29.VI.1983, Chen Yuanqing ( IZB); 1 Ψ, same but Wang Shuyong leg. ( IZB); 1 Ψ, Barkam Co., 2700 m, 7.VIII.1983, Wang Ruiqi leg. ( IZB); 1 ɗ (teneral), Dêgê Co., 3100–3250 m, 4.VII.1983, Zhang Xuezhong leg. ( IZB); 2 ɗ, Dêgê Co., 3200 m, 6.VII.1982, Nin Chunlai leg. ( IZB); 1 Ψ, same locality, 3100–3300 m, 4.VII.1983, Nin Chunlai leg. ( IZB). QINGHAI: 1 Ψ, Yushu Co., Baitang Township, 4200–4500 m, 26.VI.1964, Wang Shuyong leg. ( IZB); 1 ɗ, same locality, 4100 m, 13.VI.1964, Wang Shuyong leg. ( IZB).

Description. Body length 6.2–8.7 mm, width 2.7–3.8 mm.

Colour: Dark brown to black, weakly shiny on dorsum; tarsi slightly paler; first antennomere, apices of other antennomeres, and apices of palpomeres reddish brown. Pronotum usually not translucent at sides.

Head: Medium–sized (WHmax/WPmax = 0.62–0.65 in male and 0.62–0.67 in female; WHmin/WPmax = 0.53–0.55 in male and 0.53–0.58 in female), with rather weakly convex eyes (WHmax/WHmin = 1.14–1.22), separated from buccal fissure ventrally by distance notably shorter than width of first antennomere. Tempora short and flat. Dorsal microsculpture visible throughout, fine, consisting of isodiametric meshes. Mental tooth distinct, moderately wide, acute at apex. Antennae comparatively short, with apex slightly extending beyond elytral base.

Pronotum ( Figs 17–18 ): Relatively large, 1.40–1.56 times as wide as long, widest before middle (WPmax/ WPmin = 1.04–1.12), comparatively weakly narrowed basad, with one lateral seta on each side. Apical margin weakly emarginate, bordered only laterally. Apical angles weakly protruding and widely rounded. Basal margin more or less straight, throughout bordered, notably wider than apical margin; basal edge glabrous. Sides more or less clearly sinuate in basal half. Disc moderately convex, slightly obliquely depressed at basal angles. Basal foveae narrow, usually more or less deep and touching base of pronotum, with several coarse punctures inside; often few sparse and coarse punctures present also outside of basal foveae, mainly at basal angles and along sides in basal half; area between basal foveae convex, usually impunctate. Microsculpture throughout distinct, consisting of more or less isodiametric meshes.

Elytra: Moderately convex, 1.33–1.44 times as long as wide, 2.28–2.44 times as long and 1.12–1.20 times as wide as pronotum, widest slightly behind middle, widely rounded at sides. Base of elytra slightly wider than pronotal base. Humeri angulate, obtuse, each with a small acute denticle visible dorsally. Preapical sinuation distinct, but not deep, without denticle at its base. Sutural angle acute, rather sharp at apex. Basal edge glabrous, sinuate laterally, forming a distinct, almost right angle with lateral margin. Striae impunctate, throughout superficial or slightly impressed apically. Scutellar striole long, with a basal pore. Intervals weakly convex basally and slightly more strongly convex apically, sometimes intervals almost flat. Third interval with a small discal pore in apical third. Fifth and seventh intervals lacking rows of pores before their apices. Series umbilicate irregular, not interrupted medially. Microsculpture very distinct throughout, isodiametric, nearly granulate.

Wings: Fully developed.

Ventral surface: Prosternum finely pubescent medially. Proepisterna impunctate. Metepisterna ( Fig. 20 ) longer than wide, notably narrowed posteriad. Three last abdominal sternites glabrous, only with obligatory fixed setae. Anal sternite without pronounced sexual dimorphism, rounded at apex in both sexes.

Legs: Metacoxae finely punctate and pubescent medially. Protibia widened apically, with one ventroapical spine, without prominent ventroapical tubercle in male and with three preapical spines at outer margin isolated from spines on ventral surface. Metafemur ventrally with three, sometimes four, setigerous pores along posterior margin and with one to three pores at anterior margin in its apical portion. Tarsi impunctate and glabrous dorsally. Metatarsus longer than WHmin but shorter than WHmax; metatarsomeres with sides diverging apicad; first metatarsomere slightly longer than second, much shorter than second and third combined together.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 19 ): Hemisternite comparatively narrow, with two short setae distally. Basal stylomere with two setae distally. Apical stylomere evenly arcuate, relatively narrow, with several basal setae on external dorsal margin.

Male genitalia: Median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 21–24 ) comparatively large (LB/LML = 3.45–3.70), arcuate, bent between basal bulb and middle of median lobe. Terminal lamella much longer than wide, slightly widened apicad, with oblique, horseshoe–shaped apical capitulum. Apical orifice shifted to left. Internal sac with very narrow, winding spiny patches on left side and with a very small and short separate spine in apical portion of median lobe.

Distribution. North-western Sichuan and southern Qinghai.

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the close relationship of the new species to H. sinuatus .

Remarks. This new species is very similar in habitus to H. sinuatus Tschitschérine , but clearly distinguished from it by the following character states: coloration darker (pronotum usually not or only slightly translucent at margins), body stouter, eyes less convex (in H. sinuatus , WHmax/WHmin = 1.22–1.31), elytra, on average, relatively shorter and wider (in H. sinuatus , LE/WE = 1.42–1.51, LE/LP = 2.43–2.56, and WE/ WPmax = 1.15–1.20), metepisterna shorter, median lobe of aedeagus relatively larger and less arcuate, bent between basal bulb and middle of median lobe (in H. sinuatus median lobe bent almost in middle and LB/ LML = 4.00–4.35). It should be noted also that the geographical ranges of both species are widely separated: H. sinuatus is distributed to the north of the geographical range of H. parasinuatus sp. n., over southern Siberia from Altai to Amur Province of Russia, also in central and eastern Mongolia (Selenga, Central, Sukhe– Bator, and East aimaks) and the northeastern part of China (Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia provinces). Based on the fact of the geographical vicariance and because the armature of the internal sac is very similar in both species, it is possible that H. sinuatus and H. parasinuatus sp. n. are only subspecies of one species. Now we prefer to treat them as two separate species since the morphological differences between them are distinct and populations with intermediate characters are unknown.

Within the genus Harpalus , H. sinuatus and H. parasinuatus sp. n. constitute a separate species group (the sinuatus group) together with H. nigrans Могawitz which, like H. sinuatus , is widely distributed over southern Siberia, Mongolia and northeastern part of China. The members of this group are very similar in the morphological characteristics to the species of the vittatus group (see Kataev 1990), but distinctly differ from them in having the antennae reddish brown, only weakly infuscate on 2nd–7th antennomeres, the protibia of male without prominent ventroapical tubercle, and the aedeagus with different pattern of spiny patches in the internal sac. H. nigrans is easily distinguished from H. parasinuatus sp. n. and H. sinuatus by the densely and coarsely punctate base of pronotum.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 24. Harpalus parasinuatus sp. n. (17 – 18, 20, 23 – 24, Sichuan, Garzê Co., paratype; 19, 21 – 22, Qinghai, Yushu Co., paratype). 17 – 18, pronotum; 19, hemisternite and stylus; 20, left metepisternum; 21, 23, median lobe of aedeagus, dorsal aspect, 22, 24, same, lateral aspect. Scales: A = 1.0 mm (Figs 17 – 18), B = 0.5 mm (Figs 19, 21 – 24), C = 1.0 mm (Fig. 20).