Psychristus (Nipponobradycellus) schmidti WRASE & JAEGER, 2007

D. W, Jaeger, B. & H, Rolwaling, 2007, New species of Psychristus ANDREWES 1930 subgenus Nipponobradycellus HABU 1973 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini, Stenolophina) from Nepal, Linzer biologische Beiträge 39 (1), pp. 681-692 : 684-685

Psychristus (Nipponobradycellus) schmidti WRASE & JAEGER nov.sp.

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: " NEPAL Rolwaling Himal , above Simigau village, 2700- 2800 m 1.6.2000 leg. J. Schmidt " (Coll. J. Schmidt, Admannshagen, Germ.).

D i a g n o s i s An apterous species of average size in Nipponobradycellus , dark reddish brown with appendages partly darkened, antennae relatively short for a stenolophine, with pronotum strongly sinuate toward weak-obtuse but sharp posterior angles, and with elytral striae distinctly punctured (habitus see Fig. 1 , for values of measurements and ratios see also Tabl. 1).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 4.6 mm; width 1.9 mm, respectively.

Colour: Head and pronotum dark reddish brown, elytra somewhat darker, piceous with sutural interval a little lighter. Femora and antennomeres 3-6 distinctly darkened, antennomere 2 and the remaining last with a blackish stripe at middle, also tibiae and tarsi slightly to moderately infuscate, palpi yellowish.

Head: Of average size in Nipponobradycellus , narrower than pronotum (0.79 times as wide as pronotum), with eyes moderately prominent. Tempora oblique, of about one sixth of eye diameter. Antennae pubescent from antennomere 4.

Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ): Transverse, cordate (1.23 times as wide as long, 1.27 times as wide as head), widest at about anterior third, lateral seta inserted a little before this. Disc only sligthly convex, median line moderately deeply impressed, becoming shallow almost reaching anterior margin, toward base somewhat deepened and reaching posterior margin; anterior transverse impression almost indistinct, posterior transverse impression indistinct. Anterior margin only weakly emarginate, anterior angles weakly projecting forward, narrowly rounded at tip. Sides slightly curved apicad, from widest point weakly convex and strongly sinuate toward the weakly obtuse-angled posterior angles, sharp at tip, denticle not present. Base somewhat narrower than anterior margin, evenly concave (maximum width 1.53 times as wide as base). Lateral furrows narrow, somewhat before posterior angles vanishing, anterior margin only laterally bordered. Basal foveae somewhat elongately impressed, reaching the basal margin. Base coarsely and moderately sparsely (in and around basal foveae somewhat denser) punctured, puncturation continuing along lateral margin to anterior angles, some irregularly and scattered fine to coarse punctures behind anterior margin.

Elytra ( Fig. 1 ): Short-oval, (1.51 times as long as wide, 1.50 times as wide as pronotum), on disc moderately convex, with humeri weakly developed, broadly rounded, without humeral tooth; toward behind somewhat enlarged, widest at about middle. Basal bead weakly sinuate, arcuately curving inside humerus and with a weak angle turning to lateral margin. Scutellar pore puncture present, scutellar stria normal long. Third interval shortly before middle with a setigerous pore puncture at stria 2. Stria weak, distinctly punctured, intervals flat. Subapical sinuation weak. Last sternite with 2 setae on each side.

Hind wings: Strongly reduced to small scales.

Sterna: Prosternum impunctate, pro- and mesepisternum sparsely and coarsely punctured. Metepisternum ( Fig. 4 ) impunctate, short, ventral margin about 1.3 times as long as anterior margin, moderately narrowed posteriad.

Legs: Male protarsi weakly, mesotarsi very weakly dilated, both with adhesive vestiture ventrally, consisting of not numerous biseriate, elongate hyaline setae difficult to see (in protarsi apically distinctly, in metatarsi weakly widened).

Microsculpture of surface: Strongly reduced (except strong isodiametric meshes on labrum and scutellum), on head and pronotum practically invisible, on elytra microsculpture mesh pattern consisting of strong-transverse meshes weakly impressed, surface of forebody strongly shiny, elytra very faintly iridescent.

Median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 2, 3 ): Arcuate, with apex flattened and somewhat reflexed (lateral view), middle part almost parallel, apicad apruptly narrowed into a long, parallel apical lamella (dorsal view). Internal sac without any larger teeth, but with specific folding pattern.

Female genitalia: Unknown.

C o m p a r i s o n s: Though similar to the second new species P. umbraticornis nov.sp. from Nepal with completely developed elytral striae, described below, in being wingless and having middle antennomeres and femora darkened, P. schmidti nov.sp. differs in having antennomere 2 and the last ones with a blackish stripe at middle, by a different pronotal shape (from widest point weakly convex and strongly sinuate toward the longer, weakly obtuse-angled posterior angles, sharp at tip, in P. umbraticornis nov.sp. almost rectilinearly narrowed toward the short posterior angles), by more strongly developed humeri (with more reduced humeri in P. umbraticornis nov.sp.), and by a different construction of the median lobe (with a long, parallel-sided apical lamella, in P. umbraticornis nov.sp. apical lamella evenly narrowed). Judging from the single specimens in both species, P. schmidti nov.sp. has also a larger body size. See also key.

E t y m o l o g y: Dedicated to our dear friend and colleague Joachim Schmidt (Admannshagen at Rostock), excellent specialist in Carabidae who collected the holotype of this and the other new species from Nepal.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Currently only known from the type locality in the upper Tama Koshi Valley in the Rolwaling Himal in Central-Nepal.

H a b i t a t: The specimen was taken by sifting leaf-litter in the middle cloud forest zone, composed of Abies spectabilis, Quercus semicarpifolia and Rhododendron arboreum.

Figures

Figs 1-4: Psychristus (Nipponobradycellus) schmidti nov.sp. Habitus (1). Median lobe, lateral view (2), median lobe, dorsal view (3). Left metepisternum (4). Scale bars: 1 mm (1); 0.5 mm (2, 3, 4).