Pericalus (s. str.) obscuratus, Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2018

Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2018, Revision of genus Pericalus from China, with descriptions of four new species (Carabidae, Lebiini, Pericalina), ZooKeys 758, pp. 19-54 : 39-42

Pericalus (s. str.) obscuratus sp. n. Figs 13, 14, 18, 28, 36, 44, 55, 60

Type material.

Holotype (IZAS): male, body length = 11.1 mm, board mounted, genitalia dissected and deposited in micro vial pinned under specimen, "CHINA, Guizhou Prov., Jiangkou county, Fanjingshan Mt. S. slope, 4500 steps (Huixiangping) to 5300 steps (ropeway tower); N27.90180 E108.70372 - N27.90784 E108.70052; 1778- 1973 m, 2012.VIII.24, night, on tree trunk, broadleaf forest; SHI Hongliang, HUANG Xinlei, LIU Yizhou leg., Inst. of Zoo., CAS"; "HOLOTYPE ♂ Pericalus obscuratus sp. n., des. SHI & LIANG 2018" [red label]. (Fig. 18) Paratypes (10 ex.): Guizhou: 1 male, 2 females (IZAS): same data as holotype. 2 females (IZAS): same data as holotype but date 2012.VIII.25. 1 female (IZAS), "CHINA, Guizhou Prov., Jiangkou county, Fanjingshan Mt. S. slope, 5300 steps to upper ropeway station); N27.90784 E108.70052 - N27.91027 E108.69846; 1973-2078 m, 2012.VIII.25, night, on dead log, broadleaf forest; SHI Hongliang, HUANG Xinlei, LIU Yizhou leg., Inst. of Zoo., CAS". 2 males and 1 female (CCCC), "China, Guizhou prov., Fanjingshan mt., Huixiangping, N27.9018, E108.7037, 1775 m, 2009.VI.22, Lin W.S. lgt."; Guangxi: 1 female (CCCC), "CHINA, Guangxi, Jinxiu, Dayaoshan, Fenzhanshan, 1050m, 2017.IV-13, J.-T. Zhao leg. CCCC".

Diagnosis.

Medium size, body length 9.9-11.5 mm; dorsal surface black, elytra with very faint cyan hue; anterior patch zigzag, three to five intervals in width, when widest, in the third to seventh intervals; posterior patch separate, composed of four small spots, in intervals 2-3, 4-5, 6, and 7; pronotum transverse, PW/PL 1.60-1.75; lateral margins barely sinuate before posterior angles; elytral outer apical angles rounded, sutural angles blunt; third interval with three setigerous pores; median lobe of aedeagus a little dilated.

Comparison.

This new species is very similar to P. obtusipennis . It can be distinguished from the latter species by: (1) all elytral yellowish patches smaller than P. obtusipennis , most of patches equal or shorter than the interval width in P. obscuratus sp. n., usually longer than the interval width in P. obtusipennis ; (2) elytra with very faint cyan metallic hue; with faint cupreous hue in P. obtusipennis ; (3) pronotum usually wider (PW/PL = 1.60-1.75) than in P. obtusipennis (PW/PL = 1.55-1.60); (4) pronotal lateral margins barely sinuate before posterior angles (versus slightly but distinctly sinuate); (5) in P. obscuratus sp. n., median lobe of aedeagus only a little dilated, in lateral view total length / greatest width approximately 4.8 (Fig. 36); strongly dilated in P. obtusipennis , total length / greatest width approximately 3.7 (Fig. 35). In spite of the above characters, these two species are almost identical, but their different male genitalia support that they are distinct species.

Description.

Body length 9.9-11.5 mm. Coloration. Dorsal surface black, elytra with very faint cyan hue, with yellowish patches; mouthparts, antennomeres 2-11 reddish brown; legs dark brown, tarsi yellowish brown; ventral side black. Elytral anterior patch zigzag, in the third to seventh intervals, pale markings in the third and seventh intervals sometimes faint; pale markings in odd intervals anteriorly placed, those in even intervals posteriorly placed; the zigzag patch narrow and a little oblique, usually subequal to single interval width, pale marking in the fifth interval a little anterior to that in the third. Elytral posterior patch separate, composed of four small spots in intervals 2-3, 4-5, 6, and 7; each spot usually shorter than single interval width; from anterior to posterior, the order of four spots: 6, 4-5, 7, 2-3. Microsculpture faint and isodiametric on vertex and pronotum disc, distinct and linear on elytral intervals. Head densely rugose; three to five shallow wrinkles on each side extending from clypeus to frons; eight to ten fine wrinkles along each side of inner margin of eye, reaching level of posterior margin of eyes; vertex and occiput almost smooth. Eyes strongly prominent; temporae gradually constricted behind eyes. Pronotum strongly transverse, PW/PL = 1.60-1.75, sub-equal to the width of head with eyes (PW/HW = 1.00-1.11); posterior margin close to the width of anterior margin; lateral margins rounded in the middle, very weakly sinuate before posterior angles; posterior angles nearly rectangular, not or weakly projecting laterally, with a seta very close to the posterior angles; lateral expansions wide; disc weakly convex, nearly smooth, with very faint wrinkles, with a pair of very shallow pits on each side; sub-anterior impression barely visible, median line fine, not reaching anterior nor posterior margin; basal fovea shallow, extended medially merged with the shallow sub-posterior impression, extended posteriorly forming very shallow short oblique grooves. Elytra ovate, weakly convex; EW/EL = 0.72-0.74; much wider than pronotum, EW/PW = 1.51-1.63; apical truncation weakly curved; outer apical angles rounded, sutural angles blunt; striae moderately incised, impunctate; third interval with three setigerous pores, the first one at approximately basal eighth, the second at approximately apical two fifth, the third one close to apex; the first one adjacent to the third stria, the other two close to the second stria; intervals slightly convex, the eighth interval tumid apically, the eighth and ninth intervals with sparse fine seta aside of umbilical series; lateral expansions narrowly extended, a little widened near basal third. Male genitalia (Fig. 36). Median lobe of aedeagus a little dilated, total length / greatest width approximately 4.8 (in lateral view), gradually narrowed before apical lamella; ventral margin unevenly curved near middle, dorsal margin evenly curved; apical orifice large, reaching one fourth length of the median lobe, opened left-ventrally; apical lamella small, gradually narrowed to apex, length approximately 1.5 times as basal width; endophallus with fine scales all through length, without spines. Right paramere with apex extended and enlarged, securiform. Female genitalia. Internal reproductive system (Fig. 55): spermatheca pedunculate, inserted on the joint of common oviduct and bursa copulatrix; spermathecal body digitiform, longer than the pedicel, distinctly bent; spermathecal gland inserted on the joint of spermathecal pedicel, apex not dilated (probably spermathecal gland apex missing), nearly same length as spermathecal body. Gonocoxite 2 of ovipositor (Fig. 44) scimitar-shaped, abruptly bent to the outer side at apical fifth; length approximately six times as basal width; outer margin with three dorsolateral ensiform setae, the basal one finer than and a little distant from the rest two; inner margin with one dorsomedial ensiform seta near apex.

Distribution.

Only known from two isolated localities in southern China: Fanjingshan (Guizhou) and Dayaoshan (Guangxi) (see Fig. 60).

Etymology.

This name obscuratus means indistinct, referring to the elytral pattern of this new species which is much narrower than those of all other allied species, almost indistinct.

Habitat.

In Fanjingshan, this species occurs in evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests, with dominant trees of Cyclobalanopsis spp. and Fagaus spp., with an elevational range of 1775 to 2078 m. Adults were collected on or under bark of dead trees during the night.

Remarks.

The new species is closest to P. obtusipennis . Their male genitalia, although different in thickness, are of the same form: somewhat dilated, large apical orifice, and small apical lamella.

Examined material of Pericalus (s. str.) species not recorded from China

Pericalus baehri Fedorenko: 1 male (IZAS), "Gunung Leser National Park, Sumatra, local collector, 2014".

Pericalus cicindeloides Macleay: 22 males and females (IZAS), "Gunung Leser National Park, Sumatra, local collector, 2014".

Pericalus cordicollis Andrewes: 1 male (IZAS), "Borneo: Sabah, Ranau distr., Kinabalu Park, Liwagu Trail, N6.0239, E116.5500, 1704m; Shi H.L. & Liu Y. leg. Dead log, 2016.V.5d".

Pericalus funestus Andrewes: paratype, 1 male (NNML), "Gunung Singgalang, Sumatra’s Westkust, 1800M. VII 192, leg. E. Jacobson.", “Cotype”, " Pericalus funestus Cotype Andr., H.E. Andrewes det.", "Museum Leiden, Pericalus funestus andr., Det Andrewes", “type”.

Pericalus guttatus Chevrolat: syntype, 1 male (OUM), "TYPE COL: 128 Pericalus guttatus Chevr., HOPE DEPT. OXFORD", "Chevrolat Carabidae . Fr.V.d.Poll. Pres. 1909, E. B. Poulton."

Pericalus longicollis Chaudoir: 3 males, 1 female (IZAS), "Gunung Leser National Park, Sumatra, local collector, 2014"; 2 males (IZAS), "Borneo: Sabah, Keningau district, Jungle Girl Camp, N5.4430, E116.4512; 1182m, Shi H.L & Liu Y. leg., light trap, 2016.IV.25N".