Pterostichus (Wraseiellus) pseudandrewesi, Chen & Yin & Shi, 2024

Chen, Jia-Heng, Yin, Wen-Qi & Shi, Hong-Liang, 2024, On the Pterostichus subgenus Wraseiellus from China: descriptions of five new species and supplementary notes on taxonomy (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Zootaxa 5447 (4), pp. 451-472 : 454-456

Pterostichus (Wraseiellus) pseudandrewesi sp. nov.

Chinese vernacular name: fDzaeữfflm

Figures 1 , 9A , 10A

Type materials. Holotype ( IZAS): male, body length = 15.1 mm, “ CHINA: Sichuan prov. Butuo county, Juesa vill., Pukui Mt. , alpine meadow, 3218m, N27.4661 E102.7741 ”// “ 2015.VII.25 D, under stone, Shi HL., Liu B & Ma YL, lgt. BJFU exp, 2015”// “HOLOTYPE Pterostichus (Wraseiellus) pseudandrewesi sp. nov., det. Chen & Shi. 2024” [red label] ; Paratypes: 2 males ( IZAS), “ Sichuan Province, Ya’an City, Shimian County, Liziping National Natural Reserve , 102.982879E, 19.028384N, 1988m, Zhudong Liu , Zhiming Li , Pingzhou Zhu , 2020.5.26 ” .

Diagnosis. Frontal furrows shallow and short, reaching level of anterior margin of eyes; vertex finely and sparsely punctate; temporae well-developed (TL/EYL 0.59–0.63). Maximum width of pronotum a little before middle; lateral margins evidently sinuate before posterior angles; posterior angles distinct, nearly rectangular, forming a prominent denticle; pronotal base and lateral sides densely punctate, punctate area reach anterior threefifths of pronotum; area between inner and outer basal foveal grooves shallowly convex, ridge between outer groove and lateral margin distinct; three mid-lateral setae present on each side of pronotum. Apical lamella of aedeagus short (AL/AW 1.09); in lateral view, apical lamella thickened on extreme apex, turned dorsally; in dorsal view, apex truncated; ventral surface of apical lamella with sharp ridge along the apical and right margins ( Fig. 10A ); right paramere short, laminar with rounded apex.

Comparisons. The new species is most similar to P. andrewesi . Both species are different from other andrewesi - group species by the combination of following characters: (1) frontal furrows relatively shallow and short, just reaching level of anterior margin of eyes; (2) pronotum strongly cordiform, posterior margin narrower than or subequal to the anterior margin; (3) area between inner and outer basal foveal grooves not convex; (4) median lobe of aedeagus with apical lamella short and apically truncate, not bent to the left in dorsal view; (5) right paramere short with rounded apex. Comparing to P. andrewesi , P. pseudandrewesi sp. nov. is different in the following important aspects: (1) pronotum with three mid-lateral setae on each side (versus only single seta in P. andrewesi ); (2) pronotal lateral margins abruptly sinuate before posterior angles (versus more gradually sinuate before posterior angles in P. andrewesi ); (3) ventral surface of apical lamella of aedeagus not concaved but present a sharp ridge along the apical and right margins (versus distinctly concaved, without a ridge in P. andrewesi , ( Fig. 10D ).

P. pseudandrewesi sp. nov. can be easily reminiscent of P. comatus , both of which have more than two mid-lateral setae on each side of pronotum. But the new species can be distinguished from the latter by: (1) tempora more developed, TL/EYL 0.59–0.63 (versus 0.31–0.38 in P. comatus ); (2) supraorbital setae placed forwardly, near anterior and posterior margin of eyes respectively (versus the front one placed near mid-length of eyes, and the hind one behind posterior margin of eyes in P. comatus ); (3) apical lamella of aedeagus much shorter and broadened, only weakly bent to the left (versus apical lamella very slender and strongly bent to the left in P. comatus ).

Description. BL 15.1mm; dorsal surface dark brown, elytra somewhat reddish, without metallic luster ( Fig. 1A ). Head. Frons finely and sparsely punctate, relatively densely in frontal furrows; frontal furrows short and shallow, just reaching level of anterior margin of eyes; vertex finely and sparsely punctate; temporae well-developed (TL/EYL 0.59–0.63), distinctly swollen behind eyes; paraocular grooves deep, impunctate and nearly straight, reaching posterior margin of eyes; antennomere 3 without accessory setae. Pronotum strongly cordiform (PW/PL 1.31); anterior and posterior margins almost straight, lateral margins evenly curved from anterior angles to posterior third, abruptly sinuate before posterior angles; anterior margin slightly wider than posterior margin; anterior angles obtusely rounded, not projecting; posterior angles nearly rectangular, apex sharp and forming a prominent denticle; discal area glabrous, with faint transverse wrinkles; basal fovea relatively short and deep, densely punctate, area between inner and outer grooves rugose and flat, mid-basal area between two basal foveae densely punctate, ridge between outer groove and lateral margin distinct; some fine and sparse punctures also present in lateral channel and pronotum side area; three mid-lateral setae and one basal-lateral seta present on each side. Elytra oblong (EL/ EW 1.49), lateral margins subparallel before middle, slightly expanded behind middle; humeral teeth very small; intervals slightly convex; striae moderately deep, without punctures; parascutellar stria joined to stria 1, angular base of stria 1 free; umbilicate series on interval 9 composed of approximately 16–19 pores, sparse in middle and dense in anterior and posterior areas; males with microsculpture typically transverse on basal half, gradually turned to isodiametric towards apex. Ventral side. Proepisterna and metaepisterna densely and coarsely punctate; sternite VII of males with a lunate transverse ridge at about anterior third, median region of sternite VII shallowly depressed posterior to the ridge. Legs. Tarsomere 5 with three or four pairs of setae beneath; apical half of metatibiae slightly curved in males. Male genitalia ( Figs 1B–D , 10A ). Median lobe of aedeagus relatively stout, tapered to apex; in lateral view, ventral margin almost straight near middle, apex not bent ventrally, apical orifice large, slightly turned to the left side, apical lamella thickened apically and turned dorsally; in dorsal view, apical lamella short and wide (AL /AW 1.09), apex truncated, not twisted or bent to the left; ventral surface of apical lamella with a sharp ridge along apical and right margins, surfaces of both sides of the ridge not concaved ( Fig. 10A ). Right paramere very short, laminar, apex rounded. Endophallus of male genitalia not studied. Female genitalia unknown.

Etymology. The name “ pseudandrewesi ” is the combination of the Greek epithet “ pseud -” [false] and the species name “ andrewesi ”, referring to the similarity of this new species with P. andrewesi Jedlička.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality, Pukui Mountain, Butuo County, in the southwest part of Sichuan Province.

Habitat. The holotype of the new species was collected under rock or dead wood in alpine grassland with sparse stumps. The grassland is probably formed by historical logging.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype of Pterostichus pseudandrewesi sp. nov. (A) habitus; (B) median lobe of aedeagus, left lateral view; (C) median lobe of aedeagus, dorsal view; (D) right paramere. Scale bars = 5.0 mm for A, = 1.0 mm for B–D.

FIGURE 9. Pronotum posterior angle and basal area of Pterostichus (Wraseiellus) spp. (A) P. pseudandrewesi sp. nov.; (B) P. leishanensis sp. nov.; (C) P. strumatus sp. nov.; (D) P. idiopterus sp. nov.; (E) P. hemichlorus sp. nov..

FIGURE 10. Apical portion of aedeagus of Pterostichus (Wraseiellus) spp., left lateral view and ventral view. (A) P. pseudandrewesi sp. nov.; (B) P. leishanensis sp. nov.; (C) P. strumatus sp. nov.; (D) P. andrewesi Jedlička.