Trechus sculptipennis, Schmidt, 2009

Schmidt, Joachim, 2009, Taxonomic and biogeographical review of the genus Trechus Clairville, 1806, from the Tibetan Himalaya and the southern central Tibetan Plateau (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechini) 2178, Zootaxa 2178 (1), pp. 1-72 : 35-37

Trechus sculptipennis sp. n.

( Figs. 47, 48 , 86 )

Type material: Holotype male, with label data “ NEPAL Prov. Seti Distr. Bajura, 15 km W Simikot, Dudh Lekh / Dudh Tal , 4650–4800 m, 29°56’09’’N, 81°40’32’’E, 01.07.2001 leg. A. Kopetz HF, stone debris, glacier lake side” ( NME) . Paratypes: 17 males, 8 females, with same label data as holotype ( CKOP, CSCHM, NME) ; 31 males, 10 females, Nepal, Seti Province, Bajura District, 15 km W Simikot, Dudh Lekh / Dudh Tal , 4700 m, snow fields and glacier lake side, 29°56N 81°40E, 1.VII.2001, leg. E. Grill ( CGR, CSCHM) ; 6 males, 15 females, ditto, but: 4650 m, glacier lake side, 29°56’08N 81°40’32E, 2.VII.2001, leg. A. Kopetz ( CKOP, CSCHM) ; 25 males, 11 females, ditto, but: 4600–4900 m, stone debris, glacier lake, 29°56N, 81°40E, 2.VII.2001, leg. A. Weigel ( CSCHM, CWG, NME) ; 19 males, 9 females, with same label data, but: leg. M. Hartmann ( CSCHM, NME) ; 4 females, ditto, but: 5200 m, stone debris and alpine mats, 29°56N 81°40E, 1.VII.2001, leg. U. Bössneck ( CSCHM, NME) ; 3 males, 3 females, Nepal, Karnali Province, Humla District, 20 km W Simikot , 500 m W Sankha La, 4800 m, snow fields, 29°57N 81°37E, 2.VII.2001, leg. A. Kopetz ( CKOP) ; 7 males, 6 females, with same label data, but: leg. E. Grill ( CGR, CSCHM) ; 4 males, 3 females, 16 km W Simikot, 2 km NW Sankha La , 4250–4950 m, snow fields and alpine mats, 29°56’39N 81°39’02E, 29.VI.2001, leg. E. Grill ( CGR) ; 19 males, 10 females, 3 km NW Sankha La , 4700–4800 m, 29°56’39N 81°39’02E, 30.VI.2001, leg. A. Weigel ( CSCHM, CWG, NME) ; 2 males, with same label data, but: leg. E. Grill ( CGR) ; 2 males, 3 females, ditto, but: 4300–4800 m, stone debris and alpine mats, 29°57’18 N 81°39’30E, 29–30.VI.2001, leg. A. Kopetz ( CKOP, CSCHM) ; 1 female, 18 km W Simikot, Sankha La – Kuwadi Khola , 4600– 4000 m, mt. meadows and pastures, 29°54’40N, 81°38’49E, 3.VII.2001, leg. A. Weigel ( CWG) ; 5 males, 2 females, 10 km SE Chala, Umg. Lager SE Sankha La [environment camp South East of Sankha La], 4600–4900 m, 29°56’2N 81°40’1E, 2.VII.2001, leg. J. Weipert ( CSCHM, CWP) ; 1 male, ditto, but: 4400–4800 m, 29°56’4N 81°40E, 1.VII.2001, leg. J. Weipert ( CSCHM) .

Description: Body length: 3.2–3.9 mm.

Colour: Dorsal surface brown or dark brown, moderately shiny (males) or dull on elytra (females), pronotum, sides and first interval of elytra in most specimens reddish brown lightened, palpi, two or three basal antennal segments and legs yellowish brown.

Microsculpture: Head and pronotum with faintly engraved slightly transverse meshes on discs, and with deeply engraved almost isodiametric meshes in frontal furrows of head and throughout basal depression of pronotum. Elytra with almost isodiametric meshes which are moderately engraved in males but deeply engraved and squamously accentuated in females.

Head: As described in T. muguensis sp. n.

Pronotum: Proportions: WP/LP = 1.25–1.34, WP/WPB = 1.29–1.38, WP/WH = 1.25–1.30, WE/WP = 1.46–1.55. In all other pronotal characters agreeing with T. muguensis sp. n.

Elytra: Oviform, moderately slender, broadest a little behind mid-length; proportion: WE/LE = 1.49–1.61. Surface moderately convex, somewhat flattened on disc. Sides evenly rounded with shoulders indistinct. Striae impunctate, first and second striae moderately deep on elytral disc, disappeared towards base and apex; third stria slightly and fourth stria very faintly impressed only on disc; outer striae usually completely reduced. Second and third interval very slightly convex. Preapical seta is located at the end of second stria and at the beginning of the posterior elytral seventh.

Male genitalia: Aedeagal median lobe elongate (LE/LA = 1.71–1.74), in lateral view moderately curved behind basal bulb, with ventral side strongly and with dorsal side slightly convex in middle, and with ventral side with an undulate curve at apex. In dorsal view, sides of median lobe strongly widened in distal quarter, and with tip of terminal lamella rounded. Internal sac with sclerotized portion relatively large; the saccate element in its distal half is covered by smaller and less conspicuous, moderately sclerotized folding.

Etymology: The specific epithet is used as an adjective (variable), referring to the conspicuous microsculpture of the female elytra.

Identification: In external characters almost identical to the allopatric T. franzianus Mateu & Deuve, 1979 , but easily distinguished from the latter by the very different shape of the aedeagus (compare Figs. 40, 41 , T. franzianus , and 47, 48, T. sculptipennis ). In addition to the exceptional aedeagal characters, the female of the new species differs from the previously described T. aedeagalis sp. n., T. eremita sp. n. and T. muguensis sp. n., by having elytral microsculpture squamously accentuated due to the strongly convex surfaces of sculpticells.

Relationships: See remarks in chapter Relationships of T. tilitshoensis Schmidt, 1994 .

Distribution: Fig. 98 . Environment of Sankha La pass on north eastern slope of Saipal Himal, Far Western Nepal.

Habitat: Higher alpine zone; vertical distribution approximately 4500–5200 m.

Figures

FIGURE 98. Map of central parts of Tibet and the Himalaya showing distribution of species of the Trechus thibetanus group (white circles), of the Trechus pumoensis group (white squares), of the Trechus rolwalingense group (black circles), and of the Trechus stratiotes group (black squares). 1, T. namtsoensis sp. n. 2, T. dongulaensis sp. n. 3, T. thibetanus Jeannel, 1928. 4, T. glabratus sp. n. 5, T. thorongiensis Schmidt, 1994. 6, T. eutrechoides eutrechoides Deuve, 1992. 7, T. eutrechoides mondaensis Deuve, 1997. 8, T. pumoensis Deuve, 1997. 9, T. tilitshoensis Schmidt, 1994. 10, T. franzianus Mateu & Deuve, 1979. 11, T. muguensis sp. n. 12, T. eremita sp. n. 13, T. aedeagalis sp. n. 14, T. sculptipennis sp. n. 15, T. rolwalingense rolwalingense ssp. n. 16, T. rolwalingense daldunglana ssp. n. 17, T. stratiotes stratiotes ssp. n. 18, T. stratiotes malikasthana ssp. n.

FIGURES 39–51. Aedeagal median lobe with sclerotized portions of internal sac in lateral view (Figs. 39, 40, 42, 43, 45, 47, 49; Figs. 39, 40, 47, 49 in addition with parameres) and in dorsal view (Figs. 41, 44, 46, 48, 50). Fig. 39, Trechus pumoensis Deuve, 1997, paratype. Figs. 40, 41, T. franzianus Mateu & Deuve, 1979, non-type specimen from Dhauli Lake. Fig. 42, T. tilitshoensis Schmidt, 1994, non-type specimen from Gungdang N-slope. Fig. 43, 44, T. muguensis sp. n., paratype (43) and holotype (44). Figs. 45, 46, T. eremita sp. n., paratype. Figs. 47, 48, T. sculptipennis sp. n., paratype. Figs. 49, 50, T. aedeagalis sp. n., paratype. Fig. 51, T. stratiotes sp. n., paratype.

FIGURES 81–86. Habitus. Fig. 81, Trechus dongulaensis sp. n., paratype, female. Fig. 82, T. glabratus sp. n., paratype, female. Fig. 83, T. rolwalingensis rolwalingensis ssp. n., holotype. Fig. 84, T. stratiotes stratiotes ssp. n., paratype, male. Fig. 85, T. muguensis sp. n., paratype, female. Fig. 86, T. sculptipennis sp. n., paratype, female.