Omophron axillare, CHAUDOIR, 1868

Valainis, Uldis, 2010, A review of genus Omophron Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Palearctic fauna and distribution, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 10 (2), pp. 105-128 : 109-110

OMOPHRON AXILLARE CHAUDOIR, 1868

Description: lenght: 6 – 7 mm, width: 3.6 – 3.9 mm. Colour testaceous, shiny; sterna and base of venter piceous; sides and back of head, a broad transverse patch along base of prothorax, occupying two-thirds of the area, reaching at sides to marginal channel, and prolonged narrowly in front to a point at middle of apex, and an elytral pattern of a rather bright green (sometimes bluish).

Head is rather coarsely punctate at sides and back, smooth at sides of front and along middle line, clypeus nearly smooth but with some faint cross-striation, bisetose, unbordered.

Prothorax transversely depressed along base, rather coarsely but not very closely punctate, the punctures large and confluent at sides of base, which is bisinuate on each side, sides, very slightly rounded, marginal channel very shiny, nearly smooth, front angles rather shortly produced, though acute, hind angles right, median line fine, not nearly reaching either base or apex.

Elytra oval, convex, base unbordered, sides moderately widened behind shoulders; 15 punctate striate, punctures large and clear, intervals smooth, nearly fiat on disk, convex at sides. A fine but vague microsculpture is present. The elytral pattern is as presented in Fig. 1.4.

Comparisons: As to the body size and structural features, as well as to the form of aedeagus, this species is similar to O. rotundatus Chaud. The most peculiar difference is the rather great and massive dark pattern on the pronotum. This species is known only from mountaineous regions.

Distribution: PAR: AF; PA; IN: HP, UP, UTH; ORR: IN: PJ; BG

Processed material: India: Himachal Pradesh, Shimla District, Kotkhai, 5500 ft., 10.05.1924 (1 Female, Beeson leg.) (BMNH); Kangra District , Baijnath 3300 ft. (1 Female, Champion leg.) (BMNH) ; Uttarakhand, Almora District, Swal R Basin (1 Male, 1 Female, Champion leg.) (BMNH); Uttarkhand, Kumaon , Sarju Valley , 5000 ft., (3 Males, 11 Female, Champion leg.) (BMNH); Uttarkhand, Kumaon, Haldwani District (1 Female, Champion leg.) (BMNH); Uttarkhand, Kumaon, W Almora District , (1 Female, Champion leg.) (BMNH); Uttarkhand, Kumaon, Almora, 01.1920 (1 Male) (ETHZ); Dehradun district , Mussoorie (2 Males, 1 Female) (ETHZ) ; Afganistan: Nurestan, 20 km SW Waygal, 1500 m, 14.07.1972 (1 Female, 2 Males, Kabakov leg.) (ZIN); SW Chapa – Dara , 1300 m, 03.06.1974 (1 Female, 2 Males, Kabakov leg.) (ZIN) ; Kunar province, Dara-I-Pech, 2000 m, 24.05.1972 (1 Male, Kabakov leg.) (ZIN) .

Type locality: „ North India ” (holotype is deposited in Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France) .

References: Andrewes, 1926; Andrewes, 1929; Chaudoir, 1868; Gestro, 1892; Hurka, 2003; Kryzhanovskij, 1982

OMOPHRON BRETTINGHAMAE PASCOE, 1860

= laevigatum Gestro, 1888

Description: lenght: 3.5 – 4 mm, width: 2.4 – 2.6 mm. Colour very dark metallic green, shiny; sterna piceous, clypeus and middle of front dark red; labrum, palpi, antennae, side margins of prothorax (wider at apex than at base) and elytra, apex of venter, and legs testaceous.

Head sparsely punctate, smooth in middle, clypeus smooth, bisetose, suture with an angle at middle, mentum with rounded lobes, rather sharp at apex, subocular ridge deep, extending well beyond buccal fissure, surface between it and eye coarsely punctate.

Prothorax rather finely and not very closely punc-tate, base bisinuate on each side, sides very gently and evenly rounded, margin smooth, a little refiexed, median line obsolete.

Elytra oval, convex, base unbordered, sides a little widened behind shoulders, margin narrowly refiexed; 15-striate-punc-tate. The 13 th and 14 th elytral striae are almost reduced, there are only some first punctures visible. The elytral pattern is as presented in Fig. 1.5.

Comparisons: O. brettinghamae Pasc. is similar to O. gemmeum Andr. In comparison with O. brettinghamae Pasc. , the side margins of pronotum and elytra of O. gemmeum Andr. do not merge into one line. The side margins of pronotum and elytra of O. gemmeum are narrower; punctation on the pronotum is coarser. O. gemmeum has a visible middle segment of the elytra pattern, but in the case of O. brettinghamae it is almost reduced.

Distribution: PAR: NP (new locality); ORR: MY; BG; VT

Processed material: Nepal, Narayani Prov., Sauraha Ufer Rapti River, 180m, 27ŗ34’80’’N, 84ŗ29’49’’E, 18.04.2000, (1 Female, A. Skale leg.) (BMNH). During the research 9 specimens from the Oriental region (including the holotype) were processed as well .

Type locality: „ Dacca ” (holotype is deposited in BMNH) .

References: Andrewes, 1929; Gestro, 1888; Pascoe, 1860