Amara (Bradytus) dissimilis Tschitscherine , 1894

Kavanaugh, David H., Hieke, Fritz, Liang, Hongbin & Dong, Dazhi, 2014, Inventory of the carabid beetle fauna of the Gaoligong Mountains, western Yunnan Province, China: species of the tribe Zabrini (Coleoptera, Carabidae), ZooKeys 407, pp. 55-119 : 78-81

9. Amara (Bradytus) dissimilis Tschitscherine, 1894 Figs 5 b–c, 5e, 6b, 17, 22a, 24b, 27-30

Amara (Bradytus) dissimilis Tschitschérine, 1894: 404. Type material: Holotype male in ZIN. Type locality: China, Gansu, Ponggartang ("Thibet sept., Amdo, village Ndàmi”). [Note: The holotype was erroneously labeled "Brad. dissors Tschit. 1894 typ!" by Hieke (1999a: 165).

Amara (Bradytus) emmerichi Baliani, 1932: 14. Type material: Holotype male ( “type”) and one paratype in CBAL, additional paratypes in DEI ( Döbler 1975: 112), NMPC and ZMHB. Type locality: China, Sichuan, Kangding ( “Tatsienlu-Chiulung”). Synonymized by Hieke (1999a: 165).

Amara (Bradytus) lama Baliani, 1934b: 110. Type material: Holotype female and 1 paratype in BMNH, 2 paratypes in MCSNG. Type locality: Tibet, Rong Tö Valley, 4000-7000 ft. Synonymized by Hieke (1997: 225).

Amara (Bradytus) komala Jedlička, 1934b: 116. Type material: Holotype female in NMPC, 1 paratype female in CMEY. Type locality: China, Yunnan, Longchuan Jiang ( “Soling-ho” Valley). Synonymized by Hieke 1995: 297.

Amara (Bradytus) mera Jedlička, 1934b: 116. Type material: Holotype female and 1 paratype female in NMPC. Type locality: China, Yunnan, “Yunnan-fou”. Synonymized by Hieke (1995: 297).

Diagnosis.

Adults of this species (Fig. 17) can be distinguished from those of all other species in the region by the following combination of character states: body length 7.7-8.7 mm; dorsal surface dark brown to black, without or with only very faint metallic green reflection, at least femora and outer antennomeres dark (piceous to black); elytral microscuplture comprised of distinctly isodiametric meshes in both males and females (more deeply impressed in females than in males); pronotum (Fig. 17a) dis tinctly narrowed anteriorly, with anterior margin clearly narrower than the hind margin, lateral margins more or less evenly rounded from apical to basal angle, anterior angles slightly projected anteriorly beyond anterior margin, posterior angles obtusely angulate and slightly denticulate, basal impressions broadly and deeply foveate, outer basal impression distinctly delimited laterally by a broad convexity; elytra without evident sub-basal depressions, pore puncture absent, elytral striae distinct throughout and deeply impressed; medial protibial spurs simple; metatibiae of males with a brush-like patch of setae medially in the apical half; tarsomere 5 of hind tarsi with two or (in a few specimens) three pairs of setae ventrally (Fig. 6b); last abdominal sternite of male with one pair (Fig. 5e) and female with two pairs (Fig. 5c) of setiferous punctures near hind margin.

Habitat distribution.

Specimens of this species were collected in daytime from under stones and other cover in open roadside areas (Fig. 24b) and other waste areas (Fig. 22a) around human settlements with scattered grasses and shrubs, at the edges of meadows and agricultural fields, and on open rocky banks of streams, and in these same habitats at night, when beetles were found active on bare substrate. Members of this species were found at elevations ranging from 1500 to 3611 m (most abundantly between 1500 and 3150 m), and syntopic with adults of Amara birmana , Amara chalciope , Amara latithorax , Amara lucidissima , Amara pingshiangi , Amara sikkimensis and Amara silvestrii at one or more sites.

Geographical distribution within the Gaoligong Shan.

Fig. 17d. We examined a total of 14 specimens (7 males and 7 females) from the following localities: Fugong County: Lumadeng Township (7.5 km below Shibali on Yaping Road, 27.14627°, 98.81559°, 2030 m, 3 May 2004, H.B. Liang & M. Xie collectors [1 female; IOZ]). Gongshan County: Bingzhongluo Township (Gongdong, 27.99858°, 98.61933°, 2506 m, P.E. Marek collector [1 female; CAS]); Cikai Township (27.74939°, 98.66453°, 1515 m, 25 September 2002, H.B. Liang & W.D. Ba collectors [1 male and 1 female; IOZ]), (Pula He just above Nu Jiang Road, 27.74861°, 98.66675°, 1440m, 23 October 2004, D.H. Kavanaugh & H.B. Liang collectors [1 female; IOZ]); Dulongjiang Township (0.6 km N of Dizhengdang village on Dulong Jiang, 28.08442°, 98.32652°, 1880m, 29 October 2004, D.H. Kavanaugh, D.Z. Dong & G. Tang collectors [2 males; CAS, IOZ]), Dulongjiang Township (S of Dizhengdang village at Sialong He, 28.07654°, 98.32603°, 1890 m, 30 October 2004, D.H. Kavanaugh, D.Z. Dong & G. Tang collectors [1 female; CAS]), (2.3 to 3.3 airkm S of Longyuan village on Dulong Jiang, 28.00532°, 98.32145°, 1685-1720 m, 2 November 2004, D.H. Kavanaugh, D.Z. Dong & G. Tang collectors [2 females; CAS, IOZ]); Heiwadi (16.8 km W of Cikai on Dulong Valley Road, 27.79584°, 98.58443°, 2150 m, 4 October 2002, H.B. Liang, W.D. Ba & C.G. Jin collectors[1 male; IOZ]; 10 October 2004, D.H. Kavanaugh, P.E. Marek & H.B. Liang collectors [1 male; CAS]). Longyang County: Nankang Yakou (24.83167°, 98.76667°, 2130 m, 4 November 1998, D.H. Kavanaugh collector [1 males; CAS]). Lushui County: Luzhang Township (Fengxue Yakou at Pianma Road, 25.97228°, 98.68336°, 3150 m, 11 October 1998, D.H. Kavanaugh collector [1 male; CAS]).

This species was recorded from all but one Core Area (Core Area 5) in the Gaoligong Shan region. In the southern half of the study area, it is restricted to only the highest elevations, where members are found mainly on the passes over the crest of the mountain range.

Overall geographical distribution.

Fig. 27. This species has been recorded from Gansu, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces and Xizang Autonomous Region in China. Its occurrence in the study area represents the southern limit of its known geographical range.