Pterostichus (Circinatus) miao, Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2015

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 : 19

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Carabidae

Pterostichus (Circinatus) miao sp. n. Figures 14, 30, 100, 121

Type locality.

Guangxi: Maoershan Mt. (N25.87°, E110.41°), altitude 2100 m.

Type material.

Holotype (IZAS): male, body length = 12.5 mm, pin mounted, genitalia dissected and glued on plastic film pinned under specimen, "China, Guangxi Guilin. / Huajiang Gaozhai / Maoershan Nature Reserve"; "2100 m; 2011.VI.3 D / Huang Xinlei Collector. / Inst. of Zoology, CAS / 广西桂林猫儿山保护区”; "HOLOTYPE ♂/ Pterostichus (Circinatus) / miao new species / des. SHI H.L. 2015" [red label]. Paratype, a total of 1 male: 1 male (IZAS): "CHINA: Guangxi Prov. / Mt. Maoershan / Huilong Temple / 25°54'N, 110°27'E / alt. 1650m, 23-VII-2012 / ZHU, SONG & HU leg.".

Diagnosis.

Pronotum with single mid-lateral seta; posterior seta very close to hind angle; hind angle nearly rounded, lateral margin slightly sinuate before hind angle; elytral microsculpture linear and faint; elytral shoulder angle completely rounded; males with two small tubercles on terminal sternum; fifth tarsomeres glabrous beneath. For comparisons between similar species see table 1 under Pterostichus maitreya .

Description.

Body form fairly elongate, body length 12.5 mm; dorsal side blackish, moderately shining, elytron with distinct iridescent shine; mouthparts, antenna, tarsus, tibia, and apex of femur reddish brown; ventral side blackish. Elytral microsculpture very faint, linear. Head. Frons without punctures; antenna reaching elytron basal fifth; gena shorter than length of eye, briefly tumid behind eye. Pronotum a little elongate, lateral margin curved in middle, slightly sinuate before hind angle, widest at approx anterior third; posterior margin a little narrower than anterior margin; PW/PL = 1.12; one mid-lateral seta present, a little before greatest width; posterior seta close to hind angle; hind angle nearly rounded, not forming obtuse angle; basal fovea shallow, faintly defined; inner groove subparallel to median line, not reaching posterior margin; outer groove completely vanished; outer area of inner groove flat; basal foveal area finely punctate along inner groove. Elytron oviform, with basal ridge almost straight; elytral shoulder moderately widened, shoulder angle between basal ridge and lateral margin completely rounded, not forming obtuse angle, without humeral tooth; intervals feebly convex; striae moderately deep, without punctures; scutellar stria short, apex free; third interval with two setigerous pores adjacent to second stria; umbilical pore series on ninth interval sparse in middle, composed of 15 pores (6, 1, 8). Ventral side. Proepisternum and mesepisternum finely punctate near anterior margin, metepisternum heavily punctate; male terminal sternum with two very small tubercles, tubercles indistinctly defined, at approx anterior third of sternum, region between tubercles shallowly depressed (Fig. 121). Legs. Fifth tarsomeres glabrous beneath; males with apical half of mesotibia slightly widened, inner margin crenulate; first two metatarsomeres with distinct carina on outer surface, such carina on basal half of third metatarsomere superficial. Male genitalia. Median lobe of male genitalia bent approx 90 degrees, apex gradually bent ventrally (Fig. 30A); ventral margin slightly curved in middle; dorsal margin gradually curved; apical orifice large, slightly turned to left side, opened on ventral side; in lateral view, apical lamella laminate with base slightly thickened, not sinuate or twisted, its length approx one fifth length of apical orifice; in dorsal view, apical lamella located on right side of aedeagal apex, pointing apical-ventrally, not oriented to left side; apical lamella narrow, longish oviform, slightly widened to apex, apex rounded, its base not grooved on dorsal surface; length of apical lamella approx 1.7 times its basal width (Fig. 30B). Right paramere straight and stout, nearly triangular, apical half slightly enlarged and then narrowed to apex, inner margin slightly sinuate before apex; length approx 2.5 times greatest width; apex obtuse, wider than Pterostichus baenningeri (Fig. 30C). Endophallus not studied. Female genitalia unknown.

Distribution.

This species is known only from Maoershan Mt. in Guangxi Province (Map 1). The altitude range is 1650-2100 m.

Etymology.

This new species is named for its type locality, Maoershan Mt. In Chinese, the mountain name means "mountain of the cat". A cat, as a common pet, is always given the nickname “Miao” in Chinese.

Affinities.

Pterostichus miao sp. n. is close to Pterostichus baenningeri , Pterostichus maitreya sp. n., Pterostichus ailaoicus sp. n., and Pterostichus yan sp. n. because of the similarity of the male terminal sternum and the male genitalia. Among these five species, Pterostichus miao sp. n. is similar to Pterostichus ailaoicus sp. n. in male genitalia; both species have relatively long apical lamella, 1.7 or 2.1 times as long as its basal width (approximately the same length as the basal width in the other three species), and the apical lamella of the aedeagus without a groove on the dorsal side (with a distinct groove near the base of the dorsal side in the other three species). However, based on external characters, Pterostichus miao sp. n. appears to be unique among these five species: the elytral shoulder angle rounded (forming obtuse angle in the other species), and the male terminal sternum with two tubercles located at approximately the basal third (near the middle in the other species).