Eulichas sikkimensis ( Pic, 1913 )

Hájek, Jiří, 2009, Revision of the genus Eulichas Jacobson, 1913 (Coleoptera: Eulichadidae) II. E. dudgeoni species group, Zootaxa 2192, pp. 1-44 : 34-35

Eulichas sikkimensis ( Pic, 1913)

( Figs. 17 , 38 , 58 , 78 )

Lychas sikkimensis Pic, 1913: 108 (original description, Indes: Sikkim).

Lycas seillierei Pic, 1915: 7 (original description, Himalaya).

Eulichas sikkimensis ( Pic, 1913) : Pic 1914: 11 (catalogue); Jäch 1995: 363 (lectotype designation, catalogue). Eulichas sellierei ( Pic, 1915) : Jäch 1995: 363 (lectotype designation, in synonymy).

Type locality. “Indes: Sikkim” ( E. sikkimensis ); “Himalaya” ( E. sellierei ).

Type material. Lychas sikkimensis : Lectotype 3 ( MNHN), designated by Jäch (1995): “Sikkim [printed] // Muséum Paris / Coll. M. Pic [printed] // TYPE [red label, printed] // Lychas / sikkimensis / Pic / type [handwritten] // LECTOTYPUS / Eulichas / sikkimensis PIC / des. M. Jäch 1995 [red label, handwritten]”. Lycas seillierei : Lectotype 3 ( MNHN), designated by Jäch (1995): “Himalaya / oriental [printed] // Type [handwritten] // TYPE [red label, printed] // Muséum Paris / Coll. M. Pic [printed] // Seillieri / Pic [handwritten] // LECTOTYPUS / Eulichas / seillierei PIC / des. M. Jäch 1995 [red label, handwritten] // Eulichas / sikkimensis PIC / det. Jäch [handwritten]”. Paralectotype: 13, same label data as lectotype ( MNHN).

Additional material studied. 35 specimens — BHUTAN or INDIA: 433 5ƤƤ, British Bootang, 1898, L. Durel ( MNHN). INDIA: 433, Sikkim, Gopaldhara, H. Stevens leg. ( BMNH); 13, Uttaranchal, West Bhatkot, Kumaon, 4000 ft. [ca. 1220 m], v.1920 ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, West Bengal, Kurseong env. [Kārsiyāng, ca. 26°53’N 88°16’E] ( NMPC); 13 2ƤƤ, same label data, but P. Braet leg. ( IRSNB); 233 4ƤƤ, West Bengal, Mungphu [most probably = Mangpu, ca. 26°58’N 88°21’E], coll. Atkinson ( BMNH, NMPC); 13, West Bengal, Darjeeling [distr.], Chibo Busty, 900 m, 24.iv.1986, Ch.J. Rai ( NHMB); 1Ƥ, West Bengal, Darjeeling [distr.], Kalimpong env., 600 m, 8.v.1981 ( NMPC); 2ƤƤ, West Bengal, Darjeeling [distr.], Kalimpong, Khangebung, 1400 m, 30.iv.1987, N. Dangal leg. ( NHMW); 13, West Bengal, Darjeeling distr., Darjeeling, Sing Bari, 1600 m, 8.ix.1990, N. Dangal leg. ( NHMW). NEPAL: 13, Danda Pakhar, 1600–2500 m, 1.vi.1977, M. Brancucci leg. ( NMPC); 233, Solu-Khumbo, Mt. Everest, Nuan Thala, 1800 m, 23.iii.1988, Pasang leg. ( NHMW); 13, Myagdi distr., Hille-Ghorepani, Dhawlagiri, 1600–2600 m, 10.vi.1986, C. Holzschuh leg. ( NHMB); 13, Bagmati distr., Nuwākot, Pāti Bhanjyāng [ca. 27°51’N 85°27’E], 1900 m, 16.– 18.vi.1989, M. Brancucci leg. ( NHMB).

Doubtful localisation: 13, Japan ( SMTD).

Description. Habitus elongate, fusiform. Body colouring from brownish-red to brown. Pale part of setation consists of recumbent yellowish or greyish setae covering uniformly body surface, or forming very indistinct ocellations on elytra ( Fig. 17 ).

Measurements. Males: 16–19 mm; females: 20–22 mm.

Head punctation consists of sparse moderately large setigerous punctures. Antenna slender, last antennomere filiform, 3.75–4.25 times as long as wide ( Fig. 38 ), its ventral side smooth.

Pronotum trapezoidal, ca. 1.81–2.03 times as wide as long. Sides almost straight, in some specimens with indistinct obtuse angle behind the middle ( Fig. 58 ). Pronotum with two oval shallow depressions on the disc, and indistinct depressions medially also along anterior and posterior margin. Punctation consists of sparse moderately coarse setigerous punctures on the disc, which become slightly coarser and denser laterally.

Elytra with numerous longitudinal rows of moderately large punctures, and very fine interstitial setigerous punctures.

Ventral part with fine punctures, which are sparse medially and become larger and denser laterally. Last abdominal ventrite laterally with indistinct sinuation before apex.

Male. Aedeagus with phallobase of the same length as parameres. Parameres simple, broad, their subbasal hook is missing, but the subapical hook is developed and obtuse. Median lobe narrowly lanceolate ( Fig. 78 ).

Female. Similar to male in habitus, but larger. Antenna shorter, and more slender.

Distribution. The species is known from upland areas of Nepal and northern India (Uttaranchal, Sikkim, West Bengal). The occurrence in Bhutan needs to be verified by precisely localised specimens.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 24. Habitus of Eulichas. 13 — E. oborili sp. nov. (holotype); 14 — E. robusta sp. nov. (holotype); 15 — E. sausai sp. nov. (holotype); 16 — E. serricornis (paratype, Felda Lasah); 17 — E. sikkimensis (Danda Pakhar); 18 — E. sundaensis sp. nov. (holotype); 19 — E. sundaensis sp. nov. Ƥ (Java); 20 — E. wewalkai sp. nov. (holotype); 21 — E. fasciolata (Crocker Range); 22 — E. jakli sp. nov. (holotype); 23 — E. subocellata (Tawau); 24 — E. villosa sp. nov. (paratype, Gunung Emas).

FIGURES 25 – 44. Male antennomeres IX – XI of Eulichas. 25 — E. alesbezdeki sp. nov.; 26 — E. bertiae; 27 — E. dudgeoni; 28 — E. jendeki; 29 — E. siamensis sp. nov.; 30 — E. similis sp. nov.; 31 — E. uniformis; 32 — E. baeri; 33 — E. incisicollis; 34 — E. oborili sp. nov.; 35 — E. robusta sp. nov.; 36 — E. sausai sp. nov.; 37 — E. serricornis sp. nov.; 38 — E. sikkimensis; 39 — E. sundaensis sp. nov.; 40 — E. wewalkai sp. nov.; 41 — E. fasciolata; 42 — E. jakli sp. nov.; 43 — E. subocellata; 44 — E. villosa sp. nov. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 55 – 64. Pronotum of Eulichas. 55 — E. robusta sp. nov.; 56 — E. sausai sp. nov.; 57 — E. serricornis sp. nov.; 58 — E. sikkimensis; 59 — E. sundaensis sp. nov.; 60 — E. wewalkai sp. nov.; 61 — E. fasciolata; 62 — E. jakli sp. nov.; 63 — E. subocellata; 64 — E. villosa sp. nov. Not in Scale.

FIGURES 78 – 80. Aedeagus of Eulichas in dorsal view. 78 — E. sikkimensis; 79 — E. sundaensis sp. nov.; 80 — E. wewalkai sp. nov. Scale bar 1 mm.