Pheropsophus occipitalis (Macleay, 1825)

Venugopal, Akhil S. & Thomas, Sabu K., 2019, Bombardier beetles of the genus Pheropsophus Solier 1833 (Carabidae: Brachininae: Brachinini) from Indian subcontinent, Zootaxa 4608 (1), pp. 65-89 : 78-79

Pheropsophus occipitalis (W.S. MACLEAY, 1825)

( Fig. 2 E , 5 E )

= Brachinus ambiguus DEJEAN, 1825

= Brachinus fuscicollis DEJEAN, 1825

= Brachinus interruptus DEJEAN, 1825

= Pheropsophus quadripustulatus CHAUDOIR, 1843

Aptinus occipitalis Macleay, 1825: 28 ; Chaudoir, 1876: 42; Arrow, 1901: 204; Andrewes, 1919: 168; 1930: 274; Jedlička, 1963: 532; Habu, 1984: 122; Saha et al., 1992: 50.

Brachinus ambiguus Dejean, 1825: 304 ; Chaudoir, 1876: 37; Bates, 1892b: 391; Heyne-Tasch, 1908: 14; Andrewes, 1930: 275; Jedlička, 1963: 533.

Brachinus fuscicollis Dejean, 1825: 306 ; Putzeys, 1875: 45; Chaudoir, 1876: 37; Bates, 1886: 200; 1892b: 391; Bouchard, 1903: 173; Andrewes, 1930: 275.

Brachinus interruptus Dejean, 1825: 306 ; Chaudoir, 1876: 37; Andrewes, 1930: 275.

Pheropsophus quadripustulatus Chaudoir, 1843: 706 ; 1876: 37; Andrewes, 1930: 275.

Specimens examined (n=22): 1 ex. “ China, 11.VIII.1973, Yu.P,” in BMNH ; 3 exs., India: Coimbatore: TNAU ; 7 exs., India: Kerala: Nilambur: Nedumkayam, Hand picking, 28.II.2016, coll. S.V. Akhil ; 8 exs., India: Kerala: Kalpetta , Pitfall, 13.IX.2017, coll. K. Ashly ; 3 exs., India: Kerala: Malampuzha , Pitfall, 27.XI.2017, coll. M. Divya

Description. Length: 15.0–19.0 mm

Colour: Head yellow with black spots on vertex, anterior and posterior black spot connected by middle narrow black line; antennal segment 1–2 reddish yellow and rest reddish brown; pronotum dark black, with two lateral yellow spots, in dumbbell shaped black background; elytra black with humeral spots; legs reddish yellow with hind femur with black spot on apex.

Head: Eyes protruding; pronounced wrinkles on neck.

Pronotum: Glabrous, smooth, shiny; anterior margin curved inwards; disc laterally with anterior margin convex, narrow posteriorly with posterior 1/3 rd of lateral margin diverging rather than parallel; posterior margin straight.

Elytra: Subparallel rather than convex, narrowed toward base; humeral spot large, extending somewhat posteriorly; median band narrow; lateral edge with yellow margin starting from the humeral spot and joins the prominent yellow apical band; disc matt and finely pubescent; narrow, deep striations with wider intervals.

Geographical distribution. INDIA: Manipur; Assam; Mizoram-Tripura: Lushai Hills; Bengal: Kolkata ( Saha et al. 1992); Bihar; Odisha; Tamil Nadu: Coimbatore (New record); Kerala: Malampuzha (New record), Nilambur (New record), Thamarassery (New record), Kalpetta (New record); Andaman Is ( Andrewes 1930); SRI LANKA ( Andrewes 1919); MYANMAR ( Andrewes 1919); MALAYSIA ( Andrewes 1930); INDONESIA: Java, Borneo ( Macleay 1825); Malay Peninsula and Archipelago ( Andrewes 1919); CHINA ( Habu 1984); HONG KONG ( Andrewes 1930); TAIWAN ( Andrewes 1930); JAPAN ( Habu 1984).

Remarks. Very similar to P. bimaculatus but differs by the presence of three spots (anterior and posterior rounded, middle spot narrow connecting the two) on vertex, pronotum with larger spots reaching the lateral margin and narrow median transverse band.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Dorsal habitus of Pheropsophus from India (cont.)–A) Pheropsophus lissoderus (Holotype, ‘Tibet’, MNHN), B) P. nanodes (Verified specimen, ‘S.E.Tibet’, BMNH), C) P. picicollis (Syntype, ‘Siam (now Thailand)’ MNHN), D) P. nigricollis (Holotype, ‘Bangalore’, BMNH), E) P. occipitalis (Verified specimen, ‘China’, BMNH), F) P. prophylax (Holotype, ‘Manipur’, BMNH), G) P. scythropus (Holotype, ‘Gopaldhara’, BMNH), H) P. scythropus dissolutus (‘Laos’, BMNH)

FIGURE 5. Pheropsophus male genitalia, Right lateral aspect–A) Pheropsophus devagiriensis sp. nov. (Holotype, ‘India: Tamilnadu: Courtallam’), B) P. indicus sp. nov. (Holotype, ‘India: Kerala: Palakkad’), C) P. bimaculatus (‘India: Kerala: Nilambur’), D) P. lissoderus (‘India: Kerala: Kalpetta’), E) P. occipitalis (‘India: Kerala: Kalpetta’), F) P. picicollis (‘India: Kerala: Chelari’), G) P. sobrinus (‘India: Kerala: Palakkad’), H) P. tripustulatus (‘India: Kerala: Nilambur’). Scale Bar 1 mm.