Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Carabidae

Orthogonius politior sp. n. Figs 3d, 7, 17, 28-30

Holotype.

Male, "Laos-NE: Houa Phan Province, 20.13N / 104.00E, Phou Pane Mt., 1350-1500 m, 1-16. VI. 2009, M. Brancucci leg.", " NHMB Basel, NMP Prague, Laos 2009 expedition: M. Brancucci, M. Geiser, Z. Kraus, D. Hauck, V. Kuban", in NHMB.

Diagnosis.

A species similar to but larger than the above one, with also a rather flat and slender body, but having an unbordered prosternal process, a quadrisetose clypeus and setose midcoxae.

Description.

Length: 19.0 mm; width: 6.8 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 7.

Body elongate, strongly shiny, smooth and glabrous. Head and disc of pronotum dark brown; elytra, lateral expanded margins of pronotum, mouthparts, antennae, legs and ventral surface reddish brown. Head and pronotum impunctate, elytral odd intervals with a few punctures; head moderately wrinkled; pronotum and elytra largely smooth. Microsculptural engraved meshes isodiametric on elytra, rather transverse on pronotum, indistinct on head.

Head longer than wide, HL/HW = 1.09, eyes small but prominent, frons and vertex convex, frontal impressions large and deep; clypeus quadrisetose in male, basal portion even; labrum sex-setose, shallowly emarginate at apical margin; palps slender, subcylindrical, the 3rd maxillary palpomere as long as the 4th which glabrous, the 3rd maxillary palpomere with two short setae at apex; the 2nd labial palpomere slightly longer than the 3rd, bisetose on inner margin, with several additional setae at subapex and apex, the 3rd labial palpomere with a few setae at basal part; ligula small, bisetose at apex; mentum edentate; each of mentum and submentum bisetose (but a third seta on the left of mentum in the holotype), palpiger asetose. Antennae moderately long, extending over base of elytra; pubescent from basal 1/3 of the 4th antennomere, slightly expanded at pubescent portion of the 4th; the 3rd as long as the 4th.

Pronotum strongly transverse, PW/PL = 1.60, disc quite flat, apical and basal margins well beaded, sides evenly expanded, widest at middle; base wider than apex, bisinuate on base, slightly concave on apical margin; lateral expanded margin well defined, evenly and distinctly reflexed; both transversal impressions distinct, basal foveae small and deep.

Elytra elongate-ovate, EL/EW = 1.75; widest at about middle, sides parallel at middle, basal border complete, apex bisinuate, inner angle broad, but shortly denticulate (Fig. 17); striae moderately deep, intervals convex, subequal in width of odd and even intervals in middle, the 3rd interval with three setiferous pores; the 7th interval normal.

Legs rather slender, hind femora rather slender, with three posterior setae; fore tibiae expanded at apex, with outer angle strongly protrude, outer margin serrate; middle coxae setose, hind coxae smooth and glabrous; middle tibiae quite straight, slightly expanded at apex; hind tibiae slightly expanded at apex, apical spurs long and sharp, the 3rd hind tarsomere slightly longer than the 4th which bilobed at apex; all tarsal claws weakly pectinate.

Prosternal process unbordered at apex.

Male genitalia (Figs 28-30): Median lobe of aedeagus stout, dorsal opening wide and long, base dilated, gently bent ventrally towards apex, which almost pointed in profile; in dorsal view, median lobe distinctly contracted before apical lamella which short and thin, longer than wide.

Female: Unknown.

Remarks.

It is very similar to Orthogonius limbourgi, with the differences mentioned above.

Etymology.

Referred to its polished body.

Distribution.

Laos (Fig. 3d).