Scotomedes alienus sikkimensis van Doesburg, 2004

Wyniger, Denise, 2008, New records of Scotomedes alienus sikkimensis (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Velocipedidae) from Nepal, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 48 (2), pp. 367-369 : 367-369

Scotomedes alienus sikkimensis van Doesburg, 2004

Material examined. NEPAL ( Fig. 1 ): Kosi, Num , 27°33′N 87°17′E, 1550 m a.s.l., 8/ 11.vi.2001, 1 ♀ ( NHMB), det. D. Wyniger 2007 ; Kosi, Num Khola , 27°33′N 87°18′E, 900-1000 m a.s.l., 8/ 10.vi.2001, 1 J ( Fig. 2 ), 1 ♀ ( NHMB), det. D. Wyniger 2007 ; Kosi, Chichila s/ Ahale , 2200 m a.s.l., 24.iv.1984, 1 ♀ ( MHNG), lgt. I. Löbl & A. Smetana, det. P. Kment 2007 .

Three of the specimens were collected during the expedition of the Natural History Museum in Basel ( NHMB) to eastern Nepal in 2001, and one was collected earlier in the same area by I. Löbl and A. Smetana; the latter specimen is deposited in the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève ( MHNG).

Scotomedes alienus sikkimensis is now known from north-east India (Sikkim; West Bengal: Darjiling, Kalimpang), Bhutan (VAN DOESBURG 2004), and from central and eastern Nepal ( KMENT & ŠRÁMEK 2005, this paper) ( Fig. 1 ).

The NHMB material was collected in an open secondary forest at a river bank. The specimens were taken with a sweep net from low herbaceous vegetation. The material discussed here therefore agrees with the current evidence that the Velocipedidae are forest floor dwellers found in forests at high altitudes ( COBBEN 1978, VAN DOESBURG 2004).

Figures

Fig. 1. Records of Scotomedes alienus sikkimensis from Nepal.Empty circles: specimens from NHMB; black circle: specimen from MHNG; black square: record in KMENT & ŠRÁMEK (2005).

Fig. 2. Right paramere of Scotomedes alienus sikkimensis van Doesburg, 2004 from Nepal: Kosi env. A – lateral view; B – caudal view.