Theprisa montana (Castelnau)

Liebherr, James K., Porch, Nick, Shaw, Matthew, Sinclair, Bronte E. & Maddison, David R., 2021, Systematic revision of the trans-Bassian moriomorphine genus Theprisa Moore (Coleoptera, Carabidae), ZooKeys 1044, pp. 339-373 : 339

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1044.62335
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8264C999-3201-4A3B-B39C-222790AC0192
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FAC55FB0-5711-5652-9595-116DA0E43957
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Theprisa montana (Castelnau)
status

Treatment

Theprisa montana (Castelnau) Figures 1C View Figure 1 , 3C View Figure 3 , 4C View Figure 4 , 5C View Figure 5 , 6C View Figure 6 , 7C View Figure 7 , 8C View Figure 8 , 9 View Figure 9

Drimostoma montana Castelnau, 1867: 112.

Drimostoma alpestris Castelnau, 1867: 112 (synonymy Sloane 1920: 157).

Phersita montana , Sloane, 1920: 156.

Theprisa montana , Moore, 1963b: 285.

Types.

For Drimostoma montana , lectotype (MGDG), labeled: Dandenong // montana / Cast. (blue label) // TYPUS (red label) // LECTOTYPUS / Drimostoma / montana / Castelnau, 1867 (black-margined red label) // MUSEO GENOVA /Coll. Castelnau ( Straneo 1941). For Drimostoma alpestris lectotype (MGDG), triangular platen mounted female // Drimost. Alpestris / Cast. // typus (red label) // LECTOTYPUS / Drimostoma / alpestris / Castelnau, 1867 (black-margined red label) // MUSEO GENOVA / Coll. Castelnau ( Straneo 1941). Both types have the pronotal lateral margins distinctly sinuate anterad the hind angles, supporting Sloane's, (1920) synonymy of these names. Castelnau (1868: 198) lists the locality of D. montana as "Mountains of Dandenong, Victoria", and the locality of D. alpestris as "Mountains of Victoria" ( Castelnau 1868: 199); these localities designated as type localities by Straneo's, (1941) lectotype designations.

Extended diagnosis

(n = 7). This is a large-bodied species, standardized body length 7.0-8.9 mm, with broadly based subparallel elytra, HuW/MEW = 0.67, and a cordate pronotum; the pronotal lateral margins sinuate before the hind angles (Fig. 1C View Figure 1 ). The eyes are larger than in T. australis , with ocular ratio 1.42-1.50, and 21-24 ommatidia crossed by a horizontal line bisecting the eye. The elytral striae are broad, smooth to slightly wavering along their length, and the discal elytral intervals are broadly convex. The pronotal basal marginal bead is continuous, with the margins posterad the laterobasal depressions only slightly angled forward relative to the median base. The pronotal median base bears 12-14 punctures each side isolated in a glossy surface, and the laterobasal depression is broadly, slightly tuberculate inside the broad lateral marginal depression just mesad the distinct, narrowly upraised lateral marginal bead. The body is dark, with piceous head capsule and pronotum, slightly paler rufo-piceous elytra, piceous ventral surface with only the proepipleuron, elytral epipleuron, and femora dark rufous. The cuticular surface is glossy, with the vertex glossy with indistinct transverse lines in irregular wrinkles across the surface, the pronotal disc with shallow transverse mesh microsculpture, sculpticells elongate, breadth 2-4 × length, and the elytra subiridescent, the surface covered with a fine, elongate transverse mesh. Apical abdominal ventrite of male with two setae each side along margin, female apical ventrite with two setae each side plus a median pair of subapical setae.

Male genitalia (n = 5). Aedeagal median lobe moderately robust, elongate, base broadly open on right side, basal margin heavily sclerotized dorsad basal opening (Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ); median lobe apex rounded apically, but ventral margin straight to slightly recurved in apical half of length, tip extended only slightly beyond ostium, lateral surfaces of apex densely covered with large pits; internal sac bearing a dense field of microtrichia visible in uneverted specimens (Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ), and covering much of right side of internal sac ventrad flagellar complex (Fig. 4C View Figure 4 ); flagellum elongate, robust, with a broad base; right paramere elongate, evenly narrowed in apical half to rounded tip (Fig. 5C View Figure 5 ), bearing 6-17 short setae along ventral margin in apical half, 4-8 setae on dorsal surface near apex, and two longer setae at apex; left paramere broadest in basal half, slightly narrowed to rounded tip, ventral margin glabrous or with a single short seta near apex, dorsal surface with 0-2 setae near apex, and apex with 1-3 short or long setae present; antecostal apodeme of abdominal segment IX rounded distally, lateral arms robust, their distal juncture very broad (Fig. 6C View Figure 6 ).

Female reproductive tract (n = 2). Bursa copulatrix of vase-like configuration, vaginal area constricted relative to broader distal portion of bursa, length subequal to maximum breadth compressed under microslide cover slip (Fig. 7C View Figure 7 ); helminthoid sclerite present, broadly rounded apically, not extended beyond juncture with spermathecal duct; spermathecal duct very thin, elongate, sinuously joining bursa to spermathecal reservoir, length approximately 2.5 × length of annulated spermathecal reservoir; spermathecal gland duct very thin, length half that of spermathecal reservoir which it joins at reservoir base; spermathecal gland comprising sclerotized stem plus membranous reservoir bearing numerous ductules; gonocoxa bipartite, basal gonocoxite 1 with single apical fringe seta, median surface glabrous, membranous ramus present (Fig. 8C View Figure 8 ); apical gonocoxite 2 narrowly subtriangular, base little extended laterally, lateral margin nearly straight basally adjacent to elongate lateral ensiform setae, apex narrowly rounded; two lateral ensiform setae and one dorsal ensiform present; two apical nematiform setae set in fossa at apical 1/4 of apical gonocoxite length.

Distribution and habitat.

Theprisa montana ranges in Victoria from the Dandenong Mountains, southeast to Gunyah and Tarra Valley (Fig. 9 View Figure 9 ). Philip Darlington and family recorded specimens on Mt. Donna Buang at elevations ranging 450-1200 m (MCZ). One specimen was sifted from litter along a stream in Nothofagus forest at 1000 m elevation on Mt. Bullfight in the Yarra Ranges (ZMUC).