Trechepaphiama Deuve, 2016

Deuve, Thierry, Kavanaugh, David H. & Liang, Hongbin, 2016, Inventory of the Carabid Beetle Fauna of the Gaoligong Mountains, Western Yunnan Province, China: Species of the Tribe Trechini (Coleoptera: Caraboidea), with Descriptions of Four New Genera, One New Subgenus and 19 New Species., Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (12), pp. 341-455 : 429

Genus Trechepaphiama Deuve and Kavanaugh, gen. nov.

TYPE SPECIES.— Trechepaphiama gaoligong sp. nov.

DERIVATION OF GENUS GROUP NAME.— The genus group name (masculine) is a combination of two other trechine genus group names, Trechus and Epaphiama .

DIAGNOSIS.— Adults of this genus ( Fig. 34a ) can be recognized by the following combination of character states: size large (BL = 4.2 mm), apterous; body color reddish brown, dorsum shiny, slightly iridescent, dorsal surface glabrous except for isolated fixed setae typical for trechines, eyes also glabrous, small, only slightly convex; tempora glabrous; right mandible ( Fig. 16h ) with premolar tooth fused with retinaculum, anterior tip of retinaculum enlarged to form a distinct tooth and displaced distally, posterior tip of retinaculum reduced, nearly flattened; mentum and submentum not fused; mentum with median tooth simple with apex rounded; submentum [probably] with six setae [only five setae visible in unique female holotype of type species]; pronotum slightly convex, disc glabrous, basal foveae only slightly distinct, median basal area delimited laterally by oblique furrows, basal margin slightly curved medially, slightly sinuate and oblique laterally; elytra broadly rounded, more narrowed apically than basally, humeri broad, disc convex with striae finely impressed, slightly punctate, lateral striae attenuated, recurrent stria deeply impressed, its anterior end straight, almost continuous anteriorly with the apex of stria 5; no discal setae present, preapical seta present, inserted next to stria 2.

COMMENTS.— This genus, known from only a single female specimen, belongs to the “ Epaphiopsis Complex” of genera as evidenced by the dentition of the mandibles. Its members can be distinguished from those of other genera of this lineage by the absence of elytral discal setae, which is exceptional among trechines, and by their markedly convex, dorsally inflated elytra, imparting an appearance similar to that of Epaphiama Jeannel (1962) members — short and convex. In contrast, Trechepaphiopsis members are similar in habitus to small Epaphiopsis members while those of Epaphiotrechus are more similar in habitus to large Trechu s members. A better understanding of phylogenetic affinities of this new genus must await discovery of a male and study of its genital structure and/or comparative molecular study.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.— This genus currently is known only from the type species, which is known only from the southcentral part of the Gaoligong Shan region of western Yunnan Province, China .

Figures

FIGURE 34. Trechepaphiama gaoligong sp. nov.; a. Dorsal habitus (CASENT1001926). b. Map of locality record (red circle) for T. gaoligong in the Gaoligong Shan region. Scale lines a = 0.5 mm, b = 100 km.

FIGURE 16. Trechine right mandibles, ventral aspect. a. Agonotrechus xiaoheishan sp. nov. b. Trechus indicus Putzeys with dentition enlarged. c. Trechus gongshanensis sp. nov. d. Trechus shibalicus sp. nov. e. Pseudepaphius gonggaicus Deuve with dentition enlarged (China, Sichuan Province, Moxi Township, NE slope of Gongga Shan). f. Trechepaphiopsis uniporosa sp. nov. with dentition enlarged. g. Epaphiotrechus fortipesoides sp. nov. with dentition enlarged. h. Trechepaphiama gaoligong sp. nov. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.