Omophron (Omophron) capense isolatum, Anichtchenko & Valainis, 2023

Anichtchenko, Alexander & Valainis, Uldis, 2023, Revision of the subgenus Omophron (s. str.) Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Carabidae Omophron) of the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 5284 (2), pp. 201-246 : 226

Omophron (Omophron) capense isolatum ssp. n.

Material examined. Holotype, ♁: TANZANIA: Mts Uluguru Mgeta , river bank, 1000 m, 23.07.1971, L. Berger, N. Leleup, J. Debecker leg. [-7.044622, 37.569428] ( MRAC) ; Paratypes, 3 ♁, 2 ♀, idem ( MRAC) .

Differential diagnosis. Similar to O. muellerae sp. n. in body color pattern, but differ in having the elytral striae less punctate, form of elytral pattern different, and venter paler and less punctate.

Description. Body length 5.25–5.33 mm; width 3.39–3.44 mm. Habitus ( Fig. 34 )

Color: head, pronotum, elytra, and venter brown, legs and antennae light brown. Mandibles dark brown. Pattern on head, elytra and pronotum dark green, with purple tinge.

General taxon characteristics correspond to those given in the description of the nominate subspecies. Distinguishing features are indicated in the differential diagnosis and key.

Head (HW: 1.54–1.60 mm).

Pronotum (PL: 1.32–2.36 mm, PW: 2.72–2.79 mm).

Elytra (EL: 3.42–3.51 mm, EW: 3.39–3.44 mm.) moderately convex, elongate, sides moderately rounded at the shoulders and near the apex, with relatively wide border. Elytral pattern broad, with isolated pale spot near humerus in the area of intervals 8–9. Elytral striae deep, weakly punctate, punctures small and shallow, evanescent in the anterior two-thirds of the elytra but extended to the apex. Intervals flat on the disc, moderately convex on sides.

Venter ( Fig. 38 ). Metasternum, metepisternum and metepimeron sparsely and unevenly punctate; elytral epipleura smooth.

Metacoxa bisetose.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 45 ). Ventral side of median lobe moderately arcuate from base to apex. Apex truncate, strongly downturned in lateral view. Apical lamella long, sides of aedeagus taper sharply towards the top, forming the shape of a “bottle neck”. Endophallus is typical for the species: with two groups of medium sized spines. One is large and situated in distal part tubular formation, extended to basal orifice of median lobe, and covered with scales. The second group of spines is much smaller, located more apically and to the left of the first and extended apically beyond the first group by about half its length ( Fig. 51 ).

Etymology. The adjectival species epithet isolatum signifies the geographic isolation of this subspecies, which is distributed in the region of the Uluguru mountain range in eastern Tanzania.

Distribution. Tanzania (Map. 3).

Figures

FIGURES 27–34. Habitus of subspecies of O. (O.) capense. dorsal view: 27—O. (O.) capense s.str. (Type); 28—O. (O.) capense s.str. (f. suturale); 29—O. (O.) capense s.str. (inland form, RSA); 30—O. dominicense Chaudoir, 1868 syn. n. (Type); 31—O. (O.) capense congoense stat. n. (Paratype); 32—O. (O.) capense pumilum ssp. n. (Paratype); 33—O. (O.) capense kmecoi ssp. n. (Holotype); 34—O. (O.) capense isolatum ssp. n. (Paratype). Scale bar 5 mm.

FIGURES 35–38. Habitus of subspecies of O. (O.) capense. ventral view: 35—O. (O.) capense s.str.; 36—O. (O.) capense pumilum ssp. n. (Paratype); 37—O. (O.) capense kmecoi ssp. n. (Paratype); 38—O. (O.) capense isolatum ssp. n. (Paratype). Scale bar 5 mm.

FIGURES 39–45. Aedeagus structure. a—right lateral view; b—apex, dorsal view:: 39—O. (O.) capense s.str. (RSA); 40— O. dominicense Chaudoir, 1868 syn. n. (Type); 41—O. (O.) capense s.str. (f. suturale); 42—O. (O.) capense kmecoi ssp. n. (Holotype); 43—O. (O.) capense congoense stat. n. (Paratype); 44—O. (O.) capense pumilum ssp. n. (Paratype); 45—O. (O.) capense isolatum ssp. n. (Paratype). Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 46–51. Endofallus structure of subspecies of O. (O.) capense. dorsal view: 46—O. (O.) capense s.str. (f. suturale); 47—O. (O.) capense kmecoi ssp. n. (Holotype); 48—O. (O.) capense congoense stat. n. (Paratype); 49—O. (O.) capense pumilum ssp. n. (Paratype; Angola: Kangube); 50—O. (O.) capense pumilum ssp. n. (Paratype; Namibia: Caprivi); 51—O. (O.) capense isolatum ssp. n. (Paratype). Scale bar 1 mm.