Pristosia championi

Schmidt, Joachim & Hartmann, Matthias, 2009, Pristosia Motschulsky, 1865 from the Nepal Himalaya: Taxonomy and Biogeography (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Sphodrini), Zootaxa 2009, pp. 1-26 : 4-5

The Pristosia championi species group

Diagnosis: Medium sized dark brown species from Western Himalaya. Pronotal shape Calathus -like ( Figs. 4 , 14, 15 ; synapomorphy with remaining Western Himalayan species?). Aedeagal median lobe in lateral view remarkable elongate, strongly curved just behind basal bulb, but straight over about 2/3 of length toward apex ( Figs. 17, 19 ), and in dorsal view with sides parallel or subparallel ( Figs. 16, 18 ). Aedeagal internal sac with a sail-shaped fold near median lobe apex, and with an elongated fold on right side of median lobe besides other complicated folding on median lobe middle ( Figs. 16, 18 ). These male genital characters are derived and unique within Pristosia .

Description: Body length: 10–11 mm.

Head: Averaged in general form, convex on disc, and with eyes moderately protruded laterally. Mandible normal. Collar constriction distinctly developed. Eyes moderately small, temporae distinctly developed, about half of eye diameter, seen dorsally. Antennae averaged in length, with antennomere IX extending beyond the basal border of pronotum; antennomeres I–III almost smooth apart from primary apical setation.

Pronotum: Slightly transverse, distinctly wider than head across eyes, widest somewhat anterad to middle, width of base slightly larger than anterior margin, disc convex. Front angles shortly rounded, slightly protruding, hind angles rectangular or slightly obtuse. Base almost straight in middle, slightly bent anteriorly toward hind angles. Anterior marginal bead broadly interrupted in middle, posterior marginal bead completely reduced. Lateral gutter flat and narrow, somewhat extended behind middle of pronotum. Laterobasal impressions relatively long, moderately deep, smooth. Both lateral and basolateral setae present, with lateral setae located slightly anterior to maximum pronotal width and beside the internal border of the lateral gutter, and with basolateral seta located directly at lateral edge.

Elytra: Oval or elongate oval, with maximum width near the middle, distinctly broader than pronotum, humerus rounded, disc convex. Basal groove concave, forward bent toward scutellum and humerus as well. Striae deep, impunctate, intervals more strongly convex in male than in female. Parascutellar pore present, third interval with two setigerous pore punctures behind middle, umbelicate series with 15–16 pore punctures.

Hind wings: Reduced to small scales.

Ventral side: Prosternal process with lateral bead reduced to very short and shallow furrows. Metepisterna short, nearly as wide as long. Abdominal sternum VII in male and female with one pair of setae near apical margin.

Legs: Relatively stout. Metafemur with two setae on ventral surface, one near base and one beyond middle of femoral length. Tarsi smooth or almost smooth dorsally and laterally, tarsomere V with four or five pairs of setae underneath, claws pectinate.

Male genitalia: Aedeagal median lobe in lateral view strongly curved just behind basal bulb, but straight over about 2/3 of length toward apex; apical lamella with a longer terminal hook curved upwards and a smaller tooth curved downwards ( Figs. 17, 19 ). Form of median lobe in dorsal view slender, with sides parallel or subparallel ( Figs.16, 18 ). Internal sac in dorsal view with three rather conspicuous folds: 1) a sailshaped fold on right side of median lobe ostium which is more strongly sclerotized at its inner corner, 2) an elongated fold on right side of median lobe middle, and 3) a more complicated folding structure on left side of median lobe middle, that is more strongly sclerotized throughout ( Figs.16, 18 ).

Species included: P. championi ( Andrewes, 1934) from Kumaon Himalaya, and P. nepalensis sp. n. from Western Nepal.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Pristosia spp., habitus. Fig. 1, P. crenata (Putzeys, 1873), non-type, male, Nepal, Dailekh. Fig. 2, P. amaroides (Putzeys, 1877), non-type, female, India, Darjeeling. Fig. 3, P. glabella sp. n., Paratype, female. Fig. 4, P. nepalensis sp. n., Paratype, male. Scale bar = 5 mm.

FIGURES 5 – 15. Pristosia spp., pronotum. Fig. 5, P. dahud polita ssp. n., Paratype, male. Fig. 6, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, male, Rara Lake. Fig. 7, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, male, Maharigaon. Fig. 8, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, male, Khari Lagna (transitional form). Fig. 9, P. dahud Morvan, 1994, non-type, male, Khari Lagna (typical form). Fig. 10, P. similata sp. n., Paratype, male. Fig. 11, P. glabella sp. n., Paratype, male. Fig. 12, P. amaroides (Putzeys, 1877), non-type, female, India, Darjeeling. Fig. 13, P. a t re m a (Andrewes, 1926), Holotype. Fig. 14, P. nepalensis sp. n., Paratype, male. Fig. 15, P. championi (Andrewes, 1934), Holotype. Scale bar = 2 mm.

FIGURES 16 – 23. Pristosia spp., aedeagal median lobe, dorsal view (Figs. 16, 18, 20, 22) and left lateral view (Figs. 17, 19, 21, 23, with exception of P. crenata, the internal sac is figured only in dorsal view). Figs. 16, 17, P. championi (Andrewes, 1934), Holotype. Figs. 18, 19, P. nepalensis sp. n., Paratype. Figs. 20, 21, P. crenata (Putzeys, 1873), nontype, Nepal, Dailekh. Figs. 22, 23, P. amaroides (Putzeys, 1877), non-type, Nepal, Deorali to Sheldoti. Scale bar = 1 mm.