Harpalus potanini Tschitschérine, 1906

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 : 18

Harpalus potanini Tschitschérine, 1906

( Figs 54–55 )

Harpalus potanini Tschitschérine, 1906: 255 . Type locality: Xiaojin Valley, Sichuan, China (here restricted).

Type material. Lectotype (present designation): ɗ, labelled "Syao-Chzhin-kho (= Xiaojin) Valley, 27.VII.93, Potanin" [in Cyrillic], " Potanini m., typ, Tschtscherin det.", “ Lectotypus, Harpalus potanini Tschit., Z. Mlynář det. 1976" ( ZISP). Paralectotypes: 3 ɗ, 2 Ψ, same data as lectotype ( ZISP); 5 Ψ, "Fu-byan-kho (= Fubian) Valley, 31.VII.–1.VIII.93, Potanin" [in Cyrillic] ( ZISP).

Additional material examined. China. SICHUAN: 1 ɗ, Luding Co., 12.VIII.1981, Shang Jinwen leg. ( IZB); 1 ɗ, Kangding Co., 1800 m, 18.VIII.1981, Shang Jinwen leg. ( IZB); 2 ɗ, 1 Ψ, same data but 1500 m ( IZB); 1 ɗ, Kangding Co., 1980 m, 22.VI.1989, Wang Shuyong leg. ( IZB).

Distribution. This species has originally been described from the series collected in two localities of the Central Sichuan, both to north of Kangding (Xiaojin Valley and Fubian Valley). According to the new examined material, H. potanini seems to be endemic to the central Sichuan.

Remarks. H. potanini is very remarkable species and due to the rather flat body with mat dorsum, widely rounded basal angles of pronotum and rather slender legs slightly similar in appearance to some species of the genus Calathus Bonelli belonging to the fuscipes group. The species was described without comparison with any known species and we did not find additional information about its taxonomy or geographical distribution published since the original description. In our opinion, H. potanini is indeed dissimilar to any known species of the genus and seems to represent a separate species–group within Harpalus s. str. with the following most important distinctive character states: the body length 10.8–14.0 mm; the coloration dark, without metallic tinge on dorsum; the head, pronotum, elytra, abdominal sternites and tarsi dorsally glabrous; the pronotal basal margin not ciliate; the elytral basal border glabrous; the elytral preapical sinuation rather deep, with traces of obtuse denticle at its base; the elytral third interval at most with one discal pore; the wings completely reduced; the metepisterna wider than long; the legs comparatively long and slender, with long and narrow, almost parallel–sided metatarsomeres; the protibia with one ventroapical spine and three preapical spines on outer margin isolated from spines on ventral surface; the median lobe of aedeagus with rather long terminal lamella, with oblique horseshoe–shaped apical capitulum and distal orifice shifted to left; the internal sac of aedeagus with two large separate teeth, with a small left spiny patch medially and a larger right spiny patch apically ( Figs 54–55 ). Based on the external morphology and especially the male genitalia with characteristic structure of the internal sac, H. potanini probably belongs to the honestus phylogenetic stock (lineage) which includes in addition to the honestus, atratus, aeneipennis , laevipes and major groups distributed in the East Palaearctic (Kataev in Kryzhanovskij et al. 1995: 140) also some species groups endemic to the West Palaearctic. Within this phylogenetic stock, H. potanini seems to be related to the aeneipennis group which includes two apterous species from the West Caucasus: H. aeneipennis (Faldermann) and H. chrysopus Reitter. The species of the aeneipennis group share with H. potanini almost all the distinctive characters of the latter listed above, differing mainly in the smaller and more convex body, the shorter legs and the presence of prominent humeral denticle on elytra. The widely separated distributions of these taxa seem to reflect their relict character. It is known that the species of the aeneipennis group live mainly in deciduous broad–leaved forest that is unusual and probably relict feature for Harpalus most representatives of which occur on open territories. Unfortunately, there is no available information about ecology of H. potanini .

Figures

FIGURES 54 – 55. Harpalus potanini (Sichuan, Xiaojin Valley, lectotype), median lobe of aedeagus. 54, lateral aspect; 55, dorsal aspect. Scale = 1.0 mm.