Orthogonius similaris Tian, Deuve & Felix

Tian, Mingyi, Deuve, Thierry & Felix, Ron, 2012, Orthogonius species and diversity in Thailand (Coleoptera, Caraboidea, Orthogoniini), a result from the TIGER project, ZooKeys 164, pp. 51-90 : 55-56

Orthogonius similaris Tian, Deuve & Felix sp. n. Figures 418

Diagnosis.

A peculiar species with following aspects: medium sized; densely punctate on whole surface; ligula small, but quadrisetose at apex; shape of abdominal ventrite VII in male very similar to that of Hexachaetus taylorae Tian & Deuve, 2006.

Length: 14.0 mm; width: 6.0 mm. Habitus as in Figure 4.

Description.

Dark brown or black, but antennae, expanded pronotal margins, palpi, legs and underside surface reddish brown.

Upper surface densely punctate, pronotum with transverse striae, elytra with dense and very short, transverse and granular wrinkles (esp. near base); underside surface smooth and glabrous, polished.

Microsculptural meshes densely isodiametric.

Head stout, as long as wide, eyes very large, and strongly prominent; frons and vertex strongly convex, frontal impressions small and fovea-like, clypeus bisetose, surface even, labrum sexsetose, sides rounded, middle portion slightly emarginate; ligula small and narrow, quadrisetose at apex; palpi slender, subcylindrical, maxillary palpomere 4 longer than 3, palpomere 3 glabrous, except several setae at apex; maxillary palpomere 4 with very short setae; labial palpomere 3 as long as palpomere 2, palpomere 3 with a few setae at base; labial palpomere 2 bisetose in inner margin, and with two or three additional setae at subapex and apex; palpiger asetose, mentum and submentum each with one pair of setae; mentum without median tooth. Antennae moderate, extended to basal 1/4 of elytra; pubescent from basal 1/3 of antennomere 4; antennomere 3 slightly shorter than antennomere 4.

Pronotum transverse, widest at about basal 1/3, PW/PL=1.74, disc slightly and evenly convex, both fore and hind angles broadly rounded, both basal and fore margins beaded, lateral expanded margins rather wide, even and hardly reflexed; fore and hind transverse impressions faint, basal foveae not well marked.

Elytra elongate ovate, EL/EW=1.64; moderately convex, basal border complete, shoulders broadly square; sides more or less parallel at middle, widest at about middle; striae deep, punctate-striate, intervals distinctly convex; intervals subequal in width in middle; apex quite broadly truncate, inner angle nearly rectangular; interval 3 without setiferous pore, interval 7 simple, without pore.

Prosternal process well bordered at apex. Middle and hind coxae smooth and glabrous. Apical margin of abdominal ventrite VII of male deeply and widely emarginate at apical margin, then strongly sinuate at sides behind paramedial setae.

Legs stout. Fore tibia with apical outer angle nearly rectangular, not protruded or pointed; outer margin distinctly serrate; middle tibia evenly curved, gradually dilated towards apex, in lateral view, while slender in dorsal view; hind tibia slender, apical spurs moderate long, sword-like, tarsomere 1 as long as 2, tarsomere 3 longer than 4, tarsomere 4 bilobed; fore tarsi much wider than middle and hind tarsi (which are slender); all tarsal claws strongly pectinate.

Male genitalia (Figure 18): Median lobe of aedeagus quite stout, less expanded at middle portion; apex broadly blunt; dorsal opening wide and long; in dorsal view apical lamella small and sharp.

Female. Unknown.

Remarks.

This new species is peculiar in its surface extraordinarily densely punctate, the shape of abdominal ventrite VII, and aedeagal structure. It is similar to Hexachaetus taylorae Tian & Deuve, 2006, but differs with the latter by: (1) ligula narrow, quadrisetose (wide and sexsetose in Hexachaetus taylorae ); (2) pronotum and elytra with dense punctures (sparsely punctate in Hexachaetus taylorae ); and (3) the apical lamella of aedeagus shorter and broader (longer and narrower in Hexachaetus taylorae ).

Material examined.

Holotype: male, "Thailand: Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang NP: Gang Wang Nam Yen, 750 m, 16°36.587'N, 100°53.395'E; 17-24.v. 2007, Pongpitak Pranee & Sathit leg. T2080", in QSBG

Paratypes: 1 male, "Thailand: Loei: Phu Kradueng NP, mixed deciduous forest, south of Na Noy Forest Unit, 16°49.099'N, 101°47.624'E, 275 m, 14.xi.2006-18.xi.2006, Litter sample, Suthin Gong-Lasae leg., T1064"; 1 male, "Thailand: Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang NP, Gang Wang Nam Yen, 16°36.587'N, 100°53.395'E, 753 m, 24-31.v.2007, Malaise trap, Pongpitak Pranee & Sathit leg., T2083"; 1 male, "Thailand: Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang NP, Gang Wang Nam Yen, 16°37.531'N, 100°53.745'E, 721 m, 7-14.vi.2007, Malaise trap, Pongpitak Pranee & Sathit leg., T2091"; 2 males, "Thailand: Phitsanulok: Thung Salaeng Luang NP, moist evergreen, 16°50.641'N, 100°52.894'E, 557 m, 11.viii.2006-18.viii.2006, Malaise trap, Pongpitak Pranee leg., T566"; 1 male, "Thailand: Phetchabum, Thung Salaeng Luang NP, Gang Wang Nam Yen, 16° 37.178N, 100°. 53.504E, 706 m, Malaise trap, 17-24.v.2007, Pongpitak Pranee & Sathit leg. T2081"; 1 male, "Thailand: Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang NP, pine forest; Gang Wang Nam Yen, 16°36.284'N, 100°53.128'E, 749 m, 20-21.vi.2007, Pan traps, Pongpitak & Sathit leg., T2056"; 1 male, "Thailand: Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang NP, pine forest, 16°35.789'N, 100°52.769'E, 732 m, Malaise trap,15-22.vi.2007, Pongpitak Pranee & Sathit leg., T2059", in QSBG, MNHN, SCAU and CRF, respectively.

Etymology.

The name of this new species refers to its similarity to Hexachaetus taylorae .

Distribution.

Thailand. Known only from the type locality and other nearby sites in Thung Salaeng Luang NP.