Omophron (Omophron) capense congoense Deleve, 1924: 107

Anichtchenko, Alexander & Valainis, Uldis, 2023, Revision of the subgenus Omophron (s. str.) Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Carabidae Omophron) of the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 5284 (2), pp. 201-246 : 222-224

Omophron (Omophron) capense congoense Deleve, 1924: 107 stat. n.

Loc. Typ.: “ Kasaï, Fariala” and “Lusambo (Sankuru)”.

Material examined. ANGOLA: Dundo , 08.10.1948, A. de Barros Machado leg. [-7.349547, 20.839425] (1 ♁, 1 ♀, MRAC) ; Huila Province, 20km S Caluquembe 6–7.xi.2011, P. Schule [-13.889018, 14.433737] (1 ♀, DUBC) . DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Kasai, Kariala, 09.1921, Ghesquiere leg (1 ♀, Cotype, ETHZ) ; Kasai ( Kariala ) 09.1921, Ghesquiere leg. [-4.561547, 20.794773] (1 ♀, Allotype, MRAC) ; Kasai ( Kariala ) 09.1921, Ghesquiere leg. (15 ♁, 7 ♀, MRAC) ; Lusambo , 1921, Ghesquiere leg. [-4.978373, 23.460506] (1 ♁, Holotype, MRAC) ; Lusambo , 1921, Ghesquiere leg. (5 ♀, Paratypes, MRAC) ; B. C.: Kimpangu Riv., Fulezi , 850 m, 06.07.1949, Leleup leg. [-5.396222, 15.259377] (14 ♁, 17 ♀, Paratypes, MRAC) .

Differential diagnosis. Similar to O. (O.) capense pumilum ssp.n., in having strongly curved ventrally apex of aedeagus, but differs from it in having larger body size and wider apex of the aedeagus, which narrows without forming a bottleneck. In this last feature, and also because the elytra are slightly straightened laterally, which makes the beetle appear more elongate, the subspecies is similar to O. capense kmecoi ssp.n.

Redescription. Body length 5.48–5.62 mm; width 3.39–3.51 mm. Habitus ( Fig. 31 )

Color: head, pronotum and elytra rufopiceous; legs, antennae and labrum brownish yellow. Mandibles brown, the apex reddish brown. Venter brown. Pattern on elytra, pronotum and head brownish green.

General taxon characteristics correspond to those given in the description of the nominate subspecies. Distinguishing features are indicated in the differential diagnosis and key.

Head (HW: 1.76–1.81 mm.).

Pronotum (PL: 1.38–1.41 mm, PW: 2.76–2.82 mm.) Dark pattern of pronotum wide, extending from base to apex, obsolete at sides. Anterior angles nearly acute, strongly raised anteriorly. Pronotum moderately wrinkled, coarsely but sparsely punctate on base, apex, and disc, smooth laterally. Median impression very shallow and faint. Prosternum and proepisternum coarsely but sparsely punctate, proepipleura smooth.

Elytra (EL: 3.46–3.53 mm, EW: 3.39–3.51 mm.) moderately convex, elongate, sides weakly rounded, with relatively wide border. Elytral dark pattern not well-defined and consisting of three bands, the apical band reduced in some specimens. Striae moderately deep, distinctly punctate, with punctures evanescent for two thirds of the elytra and obsolete at the apex. Intervals flat on disc, moderately convex on sides.

Venter. Metasternum, metepisternum and metepimeron coarsely but sparsely punctate; elytral epipleura smooth. Metacoxa with two setiferous pores.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 43 ) Endophallus is typical for the species: with two groups of medium sized spines. One is large and situated in distal part tubular formation, extended to basal orifice of median lobe, and covered with scales. The second group of spines is much smaller, located more apically and to the left of the first and extended apically beyond the first group by about half its length ( Fig. 48 ).

Comments. This taxon was described as a distinct species; however, based on the structure of the aedeagus and endophallus, we conclude that it is an extreme form of O. capense living in the northwestern part of its range. A new combination is proposed by us here.

Distribution. Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Map. 3).

References. Csiki 1927; Deleve 1924.

Figures

FIGURES 27–34. Habitus of subspecies of O. (O.) capense. dorsal view: 27—O. (O.) capense s.str. (Type); 28—O. (O.) capense s.str. (f. suturale); 29—O. (O.) capense s.str. (inland form, RSA); 30—O. dominicense Chaudoir, 1868 syn. n. (Type); 31—O. (O.) capense congoense stat. n. (Paratype); 32—O. (O.) capense pumilum ssp. n. (Paratype); 33—O. (O.) capense kmecoi ssp. n. (Holotype); 34—O. (O.) capense isolatum ssp. n. (Paratype). Scale bar 5 mm.

FIGURES 39–45. Aedeagus structure. a—right lateral view; b—apex, dorsal view:: 39—O. (O.) capense s.str. (RSA); 40— O. dominicense Chaudoir, 1868 syn. n. (Type); 41—O. (O.) capense s.str. (f. suturale); 42—O. (O.) capense kmecoi ssp. n. (Holotype); 43—O. (O.) capense congoense stat. n. (Paratype); 44—O. (O.) capense pumilum ssp. n. (Paratype); 45—O. (O.) capense isolatum ssp. n. (Paratype). Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 46–51. Endofallus structure of subspecies of O. (O.) capense. dorsal view: 46—O. (O.) capense s.str. (f. suturale); 47—O. (O.) capense kmecoi ssp. n. (Holotype); 48—O. (O.) capense congoense stat. n. (Paratype); 49—O. (O.) capense pumilum ssp. n. (Paratype; Angola: Kangube); 50—O. (O.) capense pumilum ssp. n. (Paratype; Namibia: Caprivi); 51—O. (O.) capense isolatum ssp. n. (Paratype). Scale bar 1 mm.