Thopeutica (s.str.) wiesneri, Anichtchenko & Medina, 2020

Anichtchenko, Alexander & Medina, Milton Norman, 2020, Contribution to the knowledge of three species of the genus Thopeutica Schaum, 1861 from the Philippines (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae), Zootaxa 4748 (2), pp. 389-395 : 391-395

Thopeutica (s.str.) wiesneri sp. nov.

Type material. Holotype, male: “ Philippines, Mindanao, New Bataan, Cagan , 7˚24’23.68”N, 126˚13’34.81”E, 1785 m, April 23, 2019, light trap, M.N. Medina leg.” ( DUBC) . Paratypes: same labeled as the holotype (1 female in cJW, 1 male and 1 female in UMCRC); “ Mindanao, Davao City , IV.2019 ” (1 male, 1 female in cRS), “Mindanao, Panamokan, Bukidnon, VIII.2014 ” (1 female in cRS); “Mindanao, Panamokan, Bukidnon, VII.2014 ” (1 female in cRS); “Mindanao, Cabanglasan, Bukidnon, VII.2014 ” (1 female in cRS); “Mindanao, Lanao del Sur, Wao, VII.2018 ” (1 male in cRS); “Mindanao, Surigao del Sur, Bugak, Lingig, VII.2018 ” (1 female in cRS); “Mindanao, Davao del Sur, M. Apo, VI.2014 ” (1 male in cRS) .

Diagnosis. The new species belongs, like T. (s. str.) rolandmuelleri Cassola, 2000 to the stem 3 sensu Cassola & Ward (2004). Similar to T. angulihumerosa in body size and elytral pattern, but easily distinguished by the half sized discal mirror on elytra in females, by entirely metallic, dark violet tibiae and tarsi, and by relatively small aedeagus, dorsally regularly arcuate inflated from basal to apical part, with apex slightly bent down, while in T. angulihumerosa the aedeagus is larger, narrow in basal part and with stronger downturned apex. Endophallus of the new species with almost indistinct basal shield (bs) (Figs. 5–6), while in T. angulihumerosa basal shield is large and well sclerotized.

nov.; 4— paralectotype of T. (s.str.) angulihumerosa .

FIGURES 5–9. Structure of aedeagus of Thopeutica spp.: 5–6— Holotype of T. (s.str.) wiesneri sp. nov.; 7–8— paralectotype of T. (s.str.) angulihumerosa ; 9— holotype of T. (s.str.) juergenwiesneri syn. nov.; 5, 7, 9—left view; 6, 8—right view.

Description. Body length 7.5–8.5 mm. Basic coloration of dorsal side dark bronze, with green, blue, and violet hue on head and pronotum. Elytra dark bronze, exterior sides and all elytral pores greenish, dorsal maculation of elytra white, humera of female shiny green around white humeral spot ( Figs. 13–14 ).

Head. Glabrous, dorsal surface dark bronze, dull, with very fine microreticulation,; lateral areas, genae, clypeus and area above antennal insertion with stronger metallic green and blue lustre; surface of frons with minute semicircular, concentrically arranged rugae, vertex strongly reticulated, sublateral areas and juxta-orbital areas striaterugose; two orbital setae on each side of the head. Labrum from goldish green to dark blue and violet coloration; transverse, lateral margins subparallel, median portion broadly protruding in males and females; with 6–10 setae in apical margin ( Figs. 12 a–b). Mandibles dark brown, with green metallic luster and with white baso-lateral spot; narrow, long, with arcuate lateral margins. Palpi elongate and slender, apical joints moderately and gradually dilated towards apex, light yellow except green apical palpomeres. Antennae long, in male reaching the apical fourth of elytra; scape with coppery-green lustre; pedicellum concolorous, antennomeres three and four black with violet lustre, the rest of antennomeres black.

Thorax. Pronotum as long as wide in females, and slightly narrower in males; anterior and posterior sulcus well pronounced, with metallic-green lustre, posterior sulcus doubly bowed each side curved towards the fine median line of pronotum; disc of pronotum dull, with strong microreticulation and shallow wrinkles; lateral edge of pronotum coppery, anterior and posterior angles with a group of white curved setae; proepisterna coppery-green, with fine vermiculate wrinkles, ventral half, anterior and posterior margin with long white setae, prosternum setose. Mesepisterna slightly rugose on ventral half, with metallic green lustre; thoracic segments entirely setose with dense, white setae, except mesosternum and central area of metasternum.

Elytra. Elongate, subparallel with well-pronounced humeri in males, and with strongly hooked humeri in females; slightly dilated laterally with apical angles rounded towards and a very small and blunt apical sutural tooth; apical margin with microserrulation; dorsal surface with fine microreticulation, dull, finely and shallowly punctate of green punctures, slightly greenish iridescent towards lateral margin; elytral maculation consisting of a yellow humeral dot, white roundish posthumeral, sublateral-median, slightly smaller discal and anteapical dots and a curved apical lunule not reaching suture nor subapical angle ( Figs. 13–14 ). Females with large green posthumeral mirror spot, and with relatively small, black diagonal mirror on the disc of elytra. Scutellum metallic green with gold luster.

Legs. Trochanters yellow; femora with bronze and green lustre, apices rufescent, with violet lustre; tibiae violet, basally green; tarsi dark violet.

Abdomen. Ventrites black with coppery-green lustre, covered by white setae.

Aedeagus. (Figs. 5–6) short, dorsally regularly arcuate inflated from basal to apical part, apex slightly bent ventrally. The endophallus structure is typical for Thopeutica s.str., with a long coiled flagellum; basal shield of endophallus small and weakly sclerotized.

Etymology. Named after the famous German Tiger-beetle specialist and our friend Jürgen Wiesner.

Notes on ecology. The recently described species was collected near the slow moving fluvial system covered with secondary Dipterocarp species between 800 and 1300 masl. They tend to rest among moist bryophytes fully or partially shaded. This species is very hard to catch opportunistically but attracted to light between 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

Figures

FIGURES 13–14. Habitus of Thopeutica (s.str.) wiesneri sp. n.: 13—holotype, male; 14—paratype, female.

FIGURES 10–12. Labrum of Thopeutica spp. (a—males, b—females): 10—paralectotype of T. (s.str.) angulihumerosa; 11— holotype of T. (s.str.) juergenwiesneri syn. nov.; 12—holotype and paratype of T. (s.str.) wiesneri sp. nov.