Pheropsophus consularis (SCHMIDT-GOEBEL, 1846)

(Fig. 1 G)

= Pheropsophus stenoderus CHAUDOIR, 1850

Brachinus consularis Schmidt-Goebel, 1846: 75; Bates, 1891b: 336; 1892b: 392; Andrewes, 1923: 44; 1924a: 116; 1930: 272; Jedlička, 1963: 531; Hrdlička, 2017: 479; Ullah et al., 2017: 180

Pheropsophus stenoderus Chaudoir, 1850: 77; 1876: 41; Arrow, 1901: 204; Andrewes, 1924a: 56; 1930: 272; Mani, 1955: 486.

Specimens examined (n=1): Syntype, labelled “ Burma ”, type in NMPC

Description. Length: 15.8–16.9 mm

Colour: Head pale reddish yellow, with beret/”V” shaped black spot; first 4 segments of antennae yellow, the remaining darker, brownish; pronotum black with two longitudinally elongate reddish yellow spots; elytra black; legs pale reddish yellow with coxa, trochanter brownish yellow; femur, tibia pale reddish yellow; tarsi dark brown; black spot on the apex of femur. Venter with mentum, mandibles and last segment of palpi brownish black; submentum, gula and gena reddish yellow; prosternum brownish black with prosternal lobe having reddish yellow colour; metasternum and metepisternum reddish yellow with reddish brown borders; third abdominal sternite yellowish posteriorly.

Head: Elongated and narrow, small eyes, a pair of flat impressions between the eyes.

Pronotum: As broad as the head, longer than broad, almost straight laterally, posterior portion as broad as anterior, with pronounced anterior transverse impression, the anterior margin straight; two elongated, narrow, dark reddish yellow spots on both sides of the shallow median furrow that converge backwards.

Elytra: Twice as wide and three times as long as the pronotum, narrow, sub parallel, less constricted towards the base, almost straight. Humerus almost erased with round humeral spot; median band transverse, strongly serrated; striations narrow, pointed, intervals rounded, broad, apex of the striations yellowish; very narrow apical border.

Venter: With well-marked gular sutures; prosternal process having 4 long apical setae.

Geographical distribution. INDIA: Assam: Silonibari (Andrewes 1923), Sibsagar (Andrewes 1923); Bengal: Siliguri (Andrewes 1923); Arunachal Pradesh: Rotung (Andrewes 1930); Himachal Pradesh: Kangra, Spiti: Gharry (Andrewes 1930); Bihar: Chapra (Andrewes 1923); Uttarakhand: Dehra dun (Andrewes 1930). Ranikhet (Andrewes 1930); Jharkhand: Tetara (Bates 1891a), Konbir (Bates 1891a); Odisha: Surada (Andrewes 1924a); MYANMAR: Bhamo. Karen Hills. Tanintharyi (Tennasserim). Karin cheba. Palon (Bates 1892b); BANGLADESH: Dhaka (Andrewes 1923). Sardah (Andrewes 1923); PAKISTAN: Islamabad. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Swat. Maidan (Ullah et al. 2017).

Remarks. Pheropsophus consularis is similar to P. javanus but differs from it by having unique ‘V’/Beret shaped black spot over its head, broader elytral median transverse band, smaller humeral spot and smaller black spot over the apex of femur.