Pterostichus (Circinatus) liciniformis Csiki, 1930

Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2015, The genus Pterostichus in China II: the subgenus Circinatus Sciaky, a species revision and phylogeny (Carabidae, Pterostichini), ZooKeys 536, pp. 1-92 : 36-38

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Carabidae

Pterostichus (Circinatus) liciniformis Csiki, 1930 Figures 16, 42, 52, 64, 80, 102, 122

Pterostichus (Circinatus) liciniformis Csiki 1930: 669, replacement name for Steropus licinoides Fairmaire, 1888; Jedlička 1962: 298 ( Pterostichus (incertae sedis)); Sciaky 1996: 224; Bousquet 2003: 488; Lorenz 2005: 280; Allegro and Sciaky 2010: 7.

Pterostichus (Circinatus) liciniformis Synonym: licinoides Fairmaire 1888: 10, (Original: Steropus ; syntype deposited in MNHN?). Junior homonym of Steropus licinoides Motschulsky, 1866: 261; Tschitschérine 1897: 294 ( Feronia ( Pterostichus )).

Type locality.

In the original literature there was no detailed locality indicated, but only “Yunnan” was mentioned. According to our knowledge of the type material of the other Pterostichini species described in the same paper (see Shi et al., 2013: 118 for a detailed discussion) and of the further specimens of Pterostichus liciniformis collected in recent years, we infer that the type locality of this species could be in northeast Dali in Yunnan Province.

Notes on types.

The syntype was in Fairmaire’s collection, and then should have been transferred to the collection of MNHN. But despite a careful examination of the Carabidae collection in MNHN, we failed to find the type.

Non-type material examined

(total 22 specimens). 1 male (CCCC), "China, Lijiang, Laojunshan, 3500 m, 2009.VI.12, ZHU Xiaoyu lgt."; 3 males, 1 female (IZAS), "China, Yunnan, Lijiang, Yulongxueshan, Yunshanping, in dead log, 2006.11.15, 3200 m, LIU Biao"; 2 males, "China, Yunnan, Lijiang, Yulongxueshan, Yunshanping, in dead log, 2006.11.15, 3200 m, ZHAO Yongshuang"; 2 males (IZAS), "China, Yunnan, Lijiang, Yulongxueshan, Yunshanping, in dead log, 2006.11.15, 3200 m, CHEN Jie"; 2 males (IZAS), "China, Yunnan, Lijiang, Yulongxueshan, Yunshanping, in dead log, 2007.03.14, 3205 m, LIU Biao"; 1 female (IZAS), "Yunnan, Lijiang, Yulongshan, 1979.VIII.10, LIU Guoqing, 2700-3300 m"; 1 male (IZAS), "China, Yunnan Prov., Lijiang county, Laojunshan, grassland, N26.64341 E99.76754, 3510 m, 2007.8.19 day, Liang H.B. collector"; 2 males (IZAS), "Yunnan, Lijiang, Yulongxueshan Mt., Maoniuping, 3271 m, 2012.VI.2, pit fall trap, LIU Ye, SHI Hongliang lgt."; 1 male (IZAS), "Yunnan, Lijiang, Yulongxueshan Mt., Maoniuping, 3226, 2012.VI.1, LIU Ye, SHI Hongliang lgt."; 2 males, 1 female (IZAS), "China, Yunnan, Deqen Pref., Zhongdian County, Luoji, pass S. of Jiulong village, 3594 m, N27.67278, E100.02623, 2013.VIII.22, under dead log, SHI Hongliang, LIU Ye & LIU Yizhou lgt."; 1 female (IZAS), "Yunnan, N. of Zhongdian, 3446 m, 2000.VII.23-30, YU Xiaodong lgt."; 1 female (IZAS), "Yunnan, Deqin county, E. slope of Baimaxueshan, 3700 m, 1981.VIII.26, LIAO Subai lgt."; 1 male (NMPC), "China: Yunnan prov., 1.3-2.0, km S of Haba, 17.-20.VI.2007, Haba Xueshan Mts., 2830-, 3000 m, 27°22.1' N 100°08.2' E, J.Hajek & J.Ruzicka leg"; "individually collected on soil surface and on plants and shrubs, sparse mixed forest (with dominant pinus); in/ near the brook".

Diagnosis.

Pronotum with single mid-lateral seta; posterior seta distant from hind angle, hind angle completely rounded; elytral shoulder angle completely rounded, without humeral tooth; male and female with similar faint linear elytral microsculpture; fifth tarsomeres glabrous beneath; males with terminal sternum depressed in middle.

This species differs from all other Circinatus species by: body form relatively wide; elytral humeral angle completely rounded; elytral lateral expansion wide and reflexed.

Supplemental description.

Male sternum. Penultimate sternum without special structures; terminal sternum depressed in middle, depression occupying apical half of sternum, finely rugose inside depression, a faint vertical ridge present in middle of depression, frontal- lateral corners of depression forming two indistinct tubercles (Fig. 122). Endophallus (Fig. 42D, E, F) bent to ventral side across left side of aedeagus, major parts of endophallus located on ventral side of aedeagus (in lateral view); gonopore (gp) located at level near aedeagal base, pointing to ventral face, gonopore lobe (gpl) bent in apical direction. Five distinct lobes recognized: basal lobe (bl) close to base of apical lamella, small and rounded; ventral lobe (vl) with a long and strongly chitinized piece, rounded membranous lobe borne on ventral-apical part of chitinized piece; right lobe (rl) rounded and large, shallowly constricted in middle, decorated with fine scales; left lobe I (lf-I) close to base of vl, apex enlarged; left lobe II (lf-II) narrower than lf-I, pointing to left side of aedeagus. Female genitalia. Spermatheca with seminal canal approx 3.5 times as long as receptaculum; receptaculum clavate (Fig. 64), gradually expanded to apex; seminal canal inserted at base of common oviduct, base of seminal canal sclerotized. Stylomere II with two ensiform setae at basal half of outer margin, and one near middle of inner margin; two short nematiform setae located in a furrow near apex. Female sternum VIII (Fig. 80B) with fine setae on posterior margin; posterior margin almost straight, slightly notched in middle; anterior region more weakly chitinized than posterior region, without denser pigmentation, deeply notched in middle; middle transparent region diamond-shaped, with two very narrow oblique extensions adjacent to anterior and posterior notches in middle. Female tergum VIII (Fig. 80A) very short, mainly semi-chitinized with sparse and irregular spots; lateral-anterior region with two chitinized patches; anterior margin not notched in middle, posterior margin evenly arcuate.

Distribution.

This species is relatively widely distributed in northwest Yunnan. So far it has been recorded from several localities in Lijiang, Shangri-La (=Zhongdian), and Deqin (Map 1).

Affinities.

As indicated by Allegro and Sciaky (2010: 7), Pterostichus liciniformis appears to be isolated in the species group. This species could be close to the other two species from north Yunnan, Pterostichus wangjiani sp. n. and Pterostichus dimorphus sp. n. Despite differences in the pronotal hind angle, elytral shoulder angle and microsculpture, these species are very similar in the depressed male terminal sternum and aedeagus. Nevertheless, Pterostichus liciniformis could represent an early branch in the baenningeri -group. A detailed discussion is provided below.

Geographical variation.

We studied males from two localities, Lijiang (Yulongxueshan Mt.; N27.20°, E100.27°) and Shangri-La (= Zhongdian; pass S. of Jiulong village; N27.67°, E100.03°). The specimens from these two localities have no differences in the external or aedeagal (endophallus excluded) characters. However, for the endophallus, we found one difference: in a specimen from Lijiang, the apex of lf-II is distinctly enlarged in dorsal view; in the specimen from Shangri-La, lf-II is smaller than that from Lijiang, and the apex less enlarged in ventral view. (Figs 42, 52)