Trichotichnus (Bottchrus) ganeshensis, Schmidt, 2017

Schmidt, Joachim, 2017, Brachypterous ground beetles of the Trichotichnus subgenus Bottchrus Jedlička (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from the Himalaya, with description of fifteen new species, Zootaxa 4323 (3), pp. 301-358 : 328-330

Trichotichnus (Bottchrus) ganeshensis sp. n.

( Figs 69 , 80–86 , 151 , 10 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, “ NEPAL Ganesh Himal Lokil Danda , above Deorali 2000 m, 27°59'18''N 85°04'36''E 22.IV.07 lg. Hirthe & Jäger” (cJS).

Paratypes: 1 ♀, same data as holotype (cJS) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, “ NEPAL Ganesh Himal NNW Trisuli Bazar, Bhalche Kharka 2100–2200 m NN 18.4.99 lg. Ghalé & Gurung” (cJS, ZIN) ; 2 ♀, “ NEPAL Ganesh Himal NNW Trisuli Bazar, Singhen Khola 2400–2500 m NN 19.4.99 lg. Ghalé & Gurung” (cJS) ; 1 ♂, “ NEPAL Ganesh Himal, Pasamcho Danda, 2300–2500 m, ca. 28°01'57''N 85°04'06''E 23/ 24.IV.07 lg. Hirthe & Jäger” (cJS) ; 1 ♀, “ NEPAL Ganesh Himal Kharka S Rupchet 2660 m 10.6.2000 ”, “Expedition Iman Ghalé Santos Tamang, Ram, Santa & Santé Gurung” (cJS).

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 69 . Body length 5.6–6.7 mm, width 2.5–3.0 mm.

Colour: Body piceous, shiny on dorsum, with more or less distinct bluish or greenish tinge on elytra and often also on pronotum; in many specimens, very narrow margins of pronotum and apical portion of elytral margins paler, reddish brown; palpi, antennae and legs brownish yellow, with femora usually more or less distinctly infuscate.

Head: Comparatively large, with wide neck (in males, HWmax/PWmax = 0.67–0.68, HWmin/PWmax = 0.54– 0.56; in females, these indices 0.69–0.72 and 0.57–0.59, respectively). Eyes moderately convex (in males, HWmax/HWmin = 1.21–1.27, and in females, 1.20–1.23), in lateral view wide oval, occasionally slightly elongate. Tempora about one third to half as long as eye, slightly convex, somewhat abruptly sloped to neck. Genae wide, about 1.75 as wide as width of antennomere 1, with few short setae. Lateral margin of head between antenna and eye, like in all the preceding species, slightly protruded laterally, forming an obtuse angle near eyes, distinctly bordered. Area between supraorbital furrow and upper margin of eye approximately as wide as width of antennomere 2 basally. Supraorbital setigerous pore located just behind level of posterior margin of eye, separated from supraorbital furrow by distance slightly more than width of antennomere 3 apically. Labrum slightly or moderately concave anteriorly. Clypeus slightly emarginate along apical margin, convex basally, flatly sloped to apex, with one setigerous pore at each apical angle. Frons and vertex convex. Mentum and submentum completely fused, submentum on each side with one long seta and usually one short seta laterally of long seta. Left mandible not truncate, slightly blunted at apex. Dorsal microsculpture visible laterally behind eyes, consisting of mixture of transverse and almost isodiametric meshes. Antennae in male almost extending to the basal edge of pronotum, with antennomeres 4–8 markedly longer than wide, elongate, in female antennae slightly shorter, with shorter antennomeres.

Pronotum: Moderately wide (PWmax/PL = 1.32–1.39), widest at end of anterior third, slightly to moderately narrowed posteriad (PWmax/PWmin = 1.18–1.25), with one lateral seta inserted slightly before widest point. Sides rounded anteriorly, almost straight or more widely rounded in basal third, slightly sinuate in short distance just before basal angles. Apical margin slightly emarginate, finely bordered laterally. Apical angles slightly protruded, somewhat narrowly rounded at tip. Basal margin in most specimens slightly oblique laterally, occasionally nearly straight, vaguely bordered laterally or almost throughout, markedly broader than apical margin and slightly shorter than base of elytra between humeral angles. Basal angles obtusangular, more or less clearly denticulate at tip, in many specimens with an acute apex projected laterad. Pronotal disc moderately convex, strongly sloped to apical angles and moderately so to basal ones, not depressed basally. Lateral gutter very narrow, slightly or very slightly widened in apical third. Median line very fine, not deepened, ended markedly before apical and basal margins. Basal foveae small, oval or somewhat elongate, superficial or slightly impressed, usually poorly delimited. Surface sparsely, irregularly punctate basally and laterally before lateral seta, in some specimens with few indistinct punctures at anterior margin. Microsculpture very obliterate on disc, usually more distinct along sides, consisting of very fine transverse meshes.

Elytra: In lateral and caudal view convex, in dorsal view oval, moderately wide (in males, EL/EW = 1.32–1.35; EL/PL = 2.34–2.45; EW/PWmax = 1.29–1.23; in females, these indices 1.30–1.39, 2.26–2.42, 1.26–1.29, respectively), widest just behind middle, with somewhat acute apex, convex. Humeri prominent, angularly rounded at tip, with a small denticle at tip visible from behind or at least with its traces. Subapical sinuation very shallow. Sutural angle acutangular, sharp and often slightly toothed at tip. Basal edge evenly curved laterally, forming a sharp, obtuse angle with lateral margin. Elytral striae thin, slightly crenulate, superficial or slightly impressed along entire length; intervals flat or subconvex throughout, weakly narrowed posteriad. Parascutellar setigerous pore large. Parascutellar striole short, at most slightly longer than distance from parascutellar pore to suture, with apex free or connected with stria 1. Interval 3 with a distinct discal setigerous pore at stria 2 behind middle. In some specimens elytra near apex with a short additional stria 9 separated from lateral gutter by distinct convexity. Marginal umbilicate series widely interrupted at middle, with 7–8 pores in anterior group and 8–9 pores in posterior group. Microsculpture strongly reduced, indistinct on disc, very fine transverse meshes visible in very narrow areas along margins.

Hindwings: Reduced to tiny scales.

Ventral surface: Prosternum and metasternum finely pubescent. Metepisternum ( Fig. 80 ) slightly wider than long, strongly narrowed posteriad. Apex of last visible (VII) abdominal sternite in both sexes rounded at apex, in male ( Fig. 85 ) much more widely than in female ( Fig. 86 ).

Legs: Protibia very finely longitudinally sulcate on dorsal side in basal two-third. Profemur usually with four or five setae on anterio-ventral margin. Tarsi short, metatarsus noticeably shorter than HWmin, with metatarsomeres (particularly 2–4) moderately widened posteriad, metatarsomere 1 approximately as long as metatarsomeres 2+3. Tarsomere 5 with two pairs of ventro-lateral setae. In male, pro- and mesotarsi very moderately widened.

Female genitalia: Laterotergite (hemisternite) symmetrical, with two thick setae apically. Basal stylomere with one preapical spine on external margin. Apical stylomere moderately curved, with a peg-like spine at both ventral and dorsal edges of outer margin.

Male genitalia: Median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 81–84 ) in lateral view rather evenly arcuate, C-shaped, with ventral margin more or less straight in apical half and with terminal lamella angularly bent ventrad; in dorsal view median lobe almost straight, markedly narrowed to apex in distal half. Terminal lamella in dorsal view ( Figs 83–84 ) moderately short, markedly narrowed posteriad and clearly sinuate at sides just before apex. Apical capitulum in lateral view ( Figs 81–82 ) oblique, more strongly prominent dorsally than ventrally, in caudal view ( Fig. 83 ) somewhat semi-oval, narrowly rounded at tip. Internal sac with characteristic pattern of spiny folds, without large spines.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the Ganesh Himal mountain range where the new species occurs.

Comparison. This new species is most similar to T. (B.) pusillus sp. n. in size, general appearance and many other characters including mentum and submentum completely fused, metepisternum wider than long, protibia very finely longitudinally sulcate on dorsal side, humerus with more or less distinct denticle at apex, microsculpture on pronotal and elytral discs markedly reduced, and median lobe of aedeagus markedly bent ventrad in apical third, with middle portion of ventral margin in lateral view almost straight and with terminal lamella moderately long and slightly widened at apex. Trichotichnus (B.) ganeshensis sp. n. distinctly differs from T. (B.) pusillus sp. n. in having median lobe ( Figs 81–84 ) relatively larger, with apical capitulum oblique in lateral view and somewhat semi-oval, more narrowly rounded at tip ( Fig. 83 ) in caudal view. In addition, in T. (B.) ganeshensis sp. n. the pronotal lateral gutter is at most very slightly widened apically and the sutural angle is often slightly toothed at tip.

Distribution ( Fig. 151 , 10 ). South-western slope of the Ganesh Himal, Nuwakot District, Central Nepal, at altitudes of 2000–2660 m.

Figures

FIGURE 151. Distribution of the Himalayan species of Trichotichnus subgenus Bottchrus. 1, T. holzschuhi Kirschenhofer, 1992; 2, T. baglungensis sp. n.; 3, T. parvulus sp. n.; 4, T. bubsaensis sp. n.; 5, T. schawalleri sp. n.; 6, T. obliquebasalis sp. n.; 7, T. panchhaseensis sp. n.; 8, T. siklesensis sp. n.; 9, T. pusillus sp. n.; 10, T. ganeshensis sp. n.; 11, T. minutus sp. n.; 12, T. cyanescens Ito, 1998; 13, T. martensi sp. n.; 14, T. opacus Ito, 1998.

FIGURES 67 – 70. Himalayan species of Trichotichnus subgenus Bottchrus, photographs of habitus. 67, T. pusillus sp. n., paratype, male, from the Bara Pokhari Lekh mountain range; 68, T. pusillus sp. n., paratype, male, from the Dudh Pokhari Lekh mountain range; 69, T. ganeshensis sp. n., paratype, male; 70, T. minutus sp. n., paratype, male.

FIGURES 80 – 86. Trichotichnus (Bottchrus) ganeshensis sp. n. (80 – 81, 85 – 86, paratypes; 82 – 84, holotype). 80, left metepisternum; 81 – 82, 84, median lobe of aedeagus; 83, terminal lamella and apical capitulum; 85, apex of last (VII) abdominal sternite, male; 86, same, female. 80, 85 – 86, ventral view; 81 – 82, lateral view; 83, caudal view; 84, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm (A: Figs 80 – 82, 84 – 86; B: Fig. 83).

FIGURES 5 – 13. Trichotichnus (Bottchrus) holzschuhi Kirschenhofer, 1992 (5 – 7, paratype; 8 – 13, specimens from Sete). 5, terminal lamella of aedeagus; 6 – 8, 11, median lobe of aedeagus; 9, apical capitulum; 10, left metepisternum; 12, apex of last (VII) abdominal sternite, male; 13, same, female. 5, 7, 8, dorsal view; 6, 11, lateral view; 9, caudal view; 10, 12, 13, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm (A: Figs 5 – 8, 10 – 13; B: Fig. 9).