Trichotichnus (Bottchrus) siklesensis, Schmidt, 2017

Schmidt, Joachim, 2017, Brachypterous ground beetles of the Trichotichnus subgenus Bottchrus Jedlička (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from the Himalaya, with description of fifteen new species, Zootaxa 4323 (3), pp. 301-358 : 322-324

Trichotichnus (Bottchrus) siklesensis sp. n.

( Figs 40 , 60–66 , 151 , 8 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, “ N Pokhara, oberh. Garlang, 2300m, 20.IV., Beifang ”, “ NEPAL – HIMAL 1996 Annapurna mts. lg. Schmidt, Jäger ” (cJS).

Paratypes: 2 ♂, 2 ♀, Annapurna, Sikles range, Dhara Kharka , N Sikles, 2150 m, 27.IV.1996, J. Schmidt leg. (cJS, ZIN) ; 1 ♀, Annapurna, Sikles range, Kyojo Kharka , N Sikles, N Pokhara, 1850 m, 28.IV.1996, J. Schmidt leg. (cJS) ; 1 ♂, Annapurna Mts. , Madi Khola Tal , N Siklis, Dhara-Kharka Plateau, 2200 m NN, 2200 m, 26.IV.1996, J. Schmidt & Jaeger leg. (cJS) ; 1 ♀, Annapurna Mts. , Nyauli Kharka SW Sikles, N Pokhara, 2400– 2700 m, 29.V.2007, Tamang / Rai leg. (cJS) ; 1 ♂, Annapurna Mts. , Sikles range, above Khilang, 1900 m, 14.V.1996, J. Schmidt leg. (cJS) ; 1 ♀, Annapurna Mts. , Krapa Danda, 2500 m, 30.V.1997, J. Schmidt leg. (cJS) ; 2 ♂, 3 ♀, same data as preceding, but 1800–2000 m, 27.V.1997, J. Schmidt leg. (cJS, ZIN) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Annapurna Mts. , Sikles vill., N Pokhara, 1900–2000 m, 11.V.1996, J. Schmidt leg. (cJS).

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 40 . Body length 5.5–6.2 mm, width 2.3–2.6 mm.

Colour: Similar to that of T. (B.) panchhaseensis sp. n., femora and metatrochanteres more or less infuscate.

Head: Comparatively large, with wide neck (in males, HWmax/PWmax = 0.65–0.69, HWmin/PWmax = 0.52– 0.55; in females, these indices 0.68–0.72 and 0.56–0.59, respectively). Eyes moderately or markedly convex (in males, HWmax/HWmin = 1.23–1.27, and in females, 1.18–1.25), in lateral view wide oval, occasionally almost round or slightly elongate. Tempora about one third to half as long as eye, slightly convex, sloped more or less abruptly to neck. Genae noticeably wider than width of antennomere 1, with few short setae. Lateral margin of head between antenna and eye, like in all the preceding species, slightly protruded laterally, forming an obtuse angle near eyes, distinctly bordered. Area between supraorbital furrow and upper margin of eye approximately as wide as or slightly shorter than width of antennomere 2 basally. Supraorbital setigerous pore located just behind level of posterior margin of eye, separated from supraorbital furrow approximately by width of antennomere 3 apically. Labrum slightly concave anteriorly. Clypeus almost straight, only slightly emarginate along anterior margin, slightly convex basally, flatly sloped to apex, with a moderately large setigerous pore at each apical angle. Frons and vertex convex. Mentum and submentum completely fused, submentum on each side with one long seta and additionally with one short seta laterally of long seta. Left mandible not truncate, slightly blunted at apex. Dorsal surface smooth, highly obliterate transverse meshes recognizable only laterally behind eyes. Antennae comparatively short, with antennomeres 4–8 slightly longer than wide, in male, in female not extending to the basal edge of pronotum, with relatively shorter antennomeres.

Pronotum: Very moderately wide (PWmax/PL = 1.28–1.36), widest at the end of anterior third, slightly or moderately narrowed posteriad (PWmax/PWmin = 1.19–1.26), with one lateral seta inserted slightly before widest point. Sides rounded anteriorly, almost straight or more widely rounded in basal third, and slightly sinuate in very short distance just before basal angles. Apical margin slightly emarginate, bordered almost throughout or only laterally. Apical angles slightly, but clearly protruded ahead, comparatively narrowly rounded at tip. Basal margin nearly straight, vaguely bordered laterally or almost throughout, markedly longer than apical margin and slightly shorter than base of elytra between humeral angles. Basal angles subdenticulate, slightly more than rectangular or almost rectangular, in some specimens with acute apex projecting laterad. Pronotal disc moderately convex, strongly sloped to apical angles and moderately so to basal ones, not depressed basally, but slightly flattened just at basal angles. Lateral gutter very narrow, slightly widened in apical third. Median line very fine, not deepened, ended markedly before apical and basal margins. Basal foveae small, oval, very shallow, usually poorly delimited. Surface sparsely, irregularly punctate in latero-basal areas before lateral seta, with few indistinct punctures or almost impunctate at anterior margin and in middle basal portion. Pronotal disc with indistinct, very obliterate microsculpture along sides.

Elytra: In lateral and caudal view convex, in dorsal view oval, comparatively elongate (in males, EL/EW = 1.43–1.47; EL/PL = 2.39–2.48; EW/PWmax = 1.21–1.29; in females, these indices 1.39–1.44, 2.35–2.45, 1.26– 1.27, respectively), widest slightly behind middle, with somewhat acute apex. Humeri prominent, angularly rounded at tip, usually with a tiny acute denticle visible from behind, in some specimens denticle almost indistinct, occasionally absent. Subapical sinuation very shallow. Sutural angle acutangular in general, almost right at apex and somewhat sharp at tip. Basal edge nearly straight, forming a sharp, obtuse angle with lateral margin. Elytral striae thin, usually finer than in T. (B.) panchhaseensis sp. n., very shallow or very slightly impressed; intervals flat or slightly convex throughout, weakly narrowed posteriad. Parascutellar setigerous pore present, large. Parascutellar striole short, at most as long as distance from parascutellar pore to suture, with apex free or connected with stria 1. Interval 3 with a small discal setigerous pore at stria 2 behind the middle. Marginal umbilicate series widely interrupted at middle, with 6–8 pores in anterior group and 8–10 pores in posterior group. Microsculpture strongly reduced, without distinct meshes.

Hindwings: Reduced to tiny scales.

Ventral surface: Prosternum and metasternum finely pubescent. Metepisternum ( Fig. 60 ) about as long as wide, moderately narrowed posteriad. Apex of last visible (VII) abdominal sternite in male widely rounded ( Fig. 61 ), in female somewhat angulate at apex ( Fig. 62 ).

Legs: Protibia very finely, more or less distinctly longitudinally sulcate. Profemur with five to eight setae on anterio-ventral margin. Tarsi short, metatarsus noticeably shorter than HWmin, with metatarsomeres (particularly 2–4) markedly widened posteriad, metatarsomere 1 approximately as long as metatarsomeres 2+3. Tarsomere 5 with two pairs of ventro-lateral setae. In male, pro- and mesotarsi moderately widened.

Female genitalia: Laterotergite (hemisternite) symmetrical, with two thick setae apically. Basal stylomere with one preapical spine on external margin. Apical stylomere moderately curved, with a peg-like spine at both ventral and dorsal edges of outer margin.

Male genitalia: Median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 63–66 ) in lateral view arcuate, C-shaped, more strongly bent ventrad just after basal bulb, with ventral margin slightly convex in apical half and slightly curved ventrad at apex; in dorsal view median lobe slightly curved to the right, somewhat evenly narrowed to apex in distal half. Terminal lamella ( Fig. 65 ) short, narrowed to apex. Apical capitulum large, in lateral view ( Fig. 63 ) more strongly prominent dorsally than ventrally, slightly oblique, with ventral flange situated more proximally than dorsal flange, in caudal view ( Fig. 66 ) moderately wide oval. Internal sac with a post-medial group of small spines on the right side of median lobe and additionally with a small spine located more distally.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the Sikles mounting range of the Annapurna Himal where the new species occurs.

Comparison. Very similar to T. (B.) panchhaseensis sp. n. in external morphology and male genitalia. Trichotichnus (B.) siklesensis sp. n. distinctly differs from the latter species in the terminal lamella of the aedeagus distinctly curved ventrad in lateral view and almost not constricted before the apical capitulum in dorsal view ( Figs 63–65 ); the latter is more transverse in lateral view ( Fig. 63 ) and slightly wider in caudal view ( Fig. 66 ). Internal sac with post-medial group of small spines on the right side of the median lobe and additionally with a small spine located more distally; in contrast to this, in T. (B.) panchhaseensis sp. n., any spines in the internal sac are absent. In addition, T. (B.) siklesensis sp. n. is, on average, slightly larger than T. (B.) panchhaseensis sp. n. [5.6–6.6 (mean 6.3) mm (n = 10) versus 5.5–6.2 (mean 5.9) mm (n = 10)], and its elytral striae are usually shallower and intervals are accordingly flatter.

Distribution ( Fig. 151 , 8 ). Up to now only known from the mountain slopes both sides of Madi Khola valley south of Annapurna Peak II at altitudes of 1800–2700 m. Trichotichnus (B.) siklesensis sp. n. seems to be a geographical vicariant of T. (B.) panchhaseensis sp. n. occurring on Mt. Panchhase south-west of Annapurna II ( Fig. 151 , 7 ).

Figures

FIGURE 151. Distribution of the Himalayan species of Trichotichnus subgenus Bottchrus. 1, T. holzschuhi Kirschenhofer, 1992; 2, T. baglungensis sp. n.; 3, T. parvulus sp. n.; 4, T. bubsaensis sp. n.; 5, T. schawalleri sp. n.; 6, T. obliquebasalis sp. n.; 7, T. panchhaseensis sp. n.; 8, T. siklesensis sp. n.; 9, T. pusillus sp. n.; 10, T. ganeshensis sp. n.; 11, T. minutus sp. n.; 12, T. cyanescens Ito, 1998; 13, T. martensi sp. n.; 14, T. opacus Ito, 1998.

FIGURES 38 – 41. Himalayan species of Trichotichnus subgenus Bottchrus, photographs of habitus. 38, T. schawalleri sp. n., holotype; 39, T. obliquebasalis sp. n., paratype, male; 40, T. siklesensis sp. n., paratype, male; 41, T. panchhaseensis sp. n., paratype, male.

FIGURES 60 – 66. Trichotichnus (Bottchrus) siklesensis sp. n. (60 – 62, paratypes; 63 – 66, holotype). 60, left metepisternum; 61, apex of last (VII) abdominal sternite, male; 62, same, female; 63 – 64, median lobe of aedeagus; 65, terminal lamella; 66, apical capitulum. 60 – 62, ventral view; 63, lateral view; 64 – 65, dorsal view; 66, caudal view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm (A: Figs 60 – 64; B: Figs 65 – 66).

FIGURES 5 – 13. Trichotichnus (Bottchrus) holzschuhi Kirschenhofer, 1992 (5 – 7, paratype; 8 – 13, specimens from Sete). 5, terminal lamella of aedeagus; 6 – 8, 11, median lobe of aedeagus; 9, apical capitulum; 10, left metepisternum; 12, apex of last (VII) abdominal sternite, male; 13, same, female. 5, 7, 8, dorsal view; 6, 11, lateral view; 9, caudal view; 10, 12, 13, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm (A: Figs 5 – 8, 10 – 13; B: Fig. 9).