Apophylon pangu Gueorguiev & Sciaky

Gueorguiev, Borislav & Sciaky, Riccardo, 2015, A new genus and two new species of Pterostichini from China, with " sphodrine-like " parameres (Coleoptera, Carabidae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 62 (2), pp. 225-237 : 228-232

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Carabidae

Apophylon pangu Gueorguiev & Sciaky sp. n. Figs 11-16, 17-21

Type material.

Holotype ♂, well-preserved, no part missing, "CHINA, NW-Hunan 1993 Wulingyuan, N Dayong Zangjiajie, 30.10., 450m leg. Schillhammer (4)" [printed, white] / "HOLOTYPE Apophylon gen. nov. pangu sp. nov. Guéorguiev & Sciaky des. 2015" [printed, red]. Paratypes 3♀♀, each one supplied with a first label as that of the holotype, and with a second label: "PARATYPE Apophylon gen. nov. pangu sp. nov. Guéorguiev & Sciaky des. 2015" [printed, red]. The holotype and one paratype are preserved in NMW, while the other two paratypes are deposited in NMNHS and cRS, respectivelly. The genitalia of the holotype are preserved in Euparal on a separate piece of plastic pinned under the card on which the specimen is mounted.

Diagnosis.

See Table 1.

Description.

Habitus (Fig. 11). Elongate, subparallel, slightly convex. Tegument. Dorsally smooth, but head, pronotum and elytra with micropunctures visible at higher magnification. Measurements and ratios. See Table 2. Color. Body rufous to black dorsally and ventraly, antennomeres 2-11, palpomeres and tarsomeres lighter. Microsculpture. Isodiametric to slightly transverse-mesh on head and pronotum, distinctly transverse-mesh on elytra and abdominal sterna. Lustre. Body throughout moderately shiny. Head (Fig. 12). Longer than wide, narrower than pronotum; disc moderately convex; eyes as long as 1.1 times length of antennomere 3, tempora minute, ca. 1/4 of length of eye; frontal furrows narrow, with micropunctures; vertex without large punctures; clypeal suture present, fine; mandibles pointed and hooked at apex. Thorax. Pronotal disc slightly convex, with micropunctation throughout and several longitudinal wrinkles between basal impressions; anterior angles rounded, slightly protruded; posterior angles obtuse, slightly protruded outside (Fig. 12). Elytra with sides narrowed towards base, widened towards apex; shoulders completely rounded; striae well-impressed, wide and somewhat grooved; stria 7 with two setiferous punctures, a larger preapical and a smaller apical, as latter on very end of stria (Fig. 13); intervals smooth, with scattered micropunctation, subconvex; intervals 2 and 8 divided apically by stria 7; umbilicate series mostly with 16 pores (sometimes 15 or 17), humeral group of seven pores, apical group of nine pores. Hind wings present. Prosternal process with posterior margin nearly straight. Legs moderately long and slender; metatarsomeres 1-2, and sometimes metatarsomere 3, setose medioventrally, in addition to lateroventral setae. Abdomen. Sternite 6 in both sexes bisinuate and bordered marginally, in males flat and smooth with two large marginal setiferous punctures, in females impressed and rugose apically with four punctures (Fig. 17); postabdominal sternite 7 of female short, consisting of two chitinized plates closely connected with a tight membrane each to other, each plate proximally with well-developed ramus (Fig. 18). Male genitalia (Figs 14-16). Median lobe of aedeagus long, ventrally bent at an angle lesser than 90˚, dorsally slightly curved to right apically, with apical lamella somewhat narrowed before tip, thereupon widened and rounded at tip. Inner sac of aedeagus without chitinized structures. Left paramere conchoid, without transverse apophysis, with apical denticle on ventral margin (Figs 14-15, a). Right paramere broken, but clearly falcate, with apical part shortly attenuate, medial part strongly broadened and a hasp at subbasal position (Figs 14-15, b). Female genitalia (Figs 19-21). Laterotergite subtriangular, with round, protruding apophysis anteriorly and group of 10-12 trichoid setae posteromedially; gonocoxite 1 relatively narrow, elongate, nearly twice as long as gonocoxite 2, with four long trichoid setae on ventral surface; gonocoxite 2 rather wide, about two and a half times longer than wide, with sides narrowed distally, apex widely rounded, two broad ensiform setae, one dorsomedial and one dorsolateral, ensiform setae slightly shorther than both nematiform setae and trichoid setae of laterotergite and basal gonocoxite, preapical sensory furrow on ventral surface, with furrow peg bearing two very long and thin nematiform setae, and numerous pit pegs on both surfaces (some larger pit pegs more or less regularly arranged along dorsal edge spreading between two ensiform setae).

Etymology.

A noun in the nominative for the Chinese deity Pangu or Pan Gu, who is the first living being and the creator of everything in some versions of Chinese mythology.

Type locality and habitat.

The field notebook of Harald Schillhammer (personal communication) indicates the following data about the site and time when the type series of Apophylon pangu sp. n. was collected: "Zhangjiajie For est National Park, Suoxiyu Nature Reserve, Wulingyuan section (ca. 30 km N Zhangjiajie City); ca. 2 km downstream of Shuiraosimen; small branch of Jinbian Xi, ca. 1-2 m wide, slowly flowing, with riffle areas and pools; 30.X.1993; leg. Schönmann, Schillhammer & Ji; [4]". According to Harald Schillhammer (personal communication), the altitude of the site of collecting is ca. 450 m and approximate GPS coordinates are 29°21.10'N, 110°29.06'E. This site is located near Wulingyuan Town, Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie Prefecture, north-western part of Hunan Province, China (Fig. 22).

The rivers of Shuiraosimen and Jin Bian Xi flow into the basin of the Lishui River (or Li River), which is one of the main tributaries of Yangtze River in Hunan. Most probably, as its congener, the species is a hygrophilous lowland dweller that lives adjacent to water.

Note.

We note that the description of Apophylon pangu is based on teneral specimens. Hence, some observations, such as micropunctation, microsculpture, color and luster, structure of internal sac of aedeagus, may differ in fully sclerotized adults.