Acupalpus (s.str.) orszuliki, W & Jaeger, 2017

W, David & Jaeger, Bernd, 2017, Description of Acupalpus orszuliki nov. sp. (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini, Stenolophina) and faunistic notes on some species previously described, Linzer biologische Beiträge 49 (1), pp. 919-926 : 920-924

Acupalpus (s.str.) orszuliki nov.sp. ( Figs 1-6 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype 3: " TURKEY prov. Mardin / Hop Gecidi, Mardin env. / 11.- 14.5.2005 / lgt. Orszulik" (cWR). Paratypes: 1♀, same data as holotype (cORSZ). 13: "TR, Hatay, 15 km WSW / Antakya, Batiayaz, / bottom of Musa Dağ, / ~ 500 m, 6.-23. IV.2014 / pitfall, leg. C. Reuter" (cWR). 13, 1♀: " SYRIA, Homs env. / 10km N Crac de Chev. / Mashta Al Hilv / lgt. Orszulik 25.4.2011 " (cJAEG, cORSZ).

E t y m o l o g y: Latinized patronym based on the surname of our estimated colleague Kamil Orszulik (Frýdec-Místek, Czech Republic), who collected the species at first, and whose indefatigable efforts in the field contributed substantial numbers of Carabid beetles, very interesting or new to science.

D i a g n o s i s A small Acupalpus species belonging to subgenus Acupalpus with surface reddish brown and with legs yellowish red, antennomeres partly infuscated.

D e s c r i p t i o n: General appearance as figured ( Fig. 1 ). Body length 2.9-3.3 mm (mean 3.1, holotype 3.0 mm).

Colour: Head dark reddish brown, clypeus, labrum, and mandibles (except apices) somewhat paler, pronotum light red brown with disc often somewhat infuscated, or dark red brown, with margins and epipleura somewhat paler, elytra dark red brown, with first (suture) interval, lateral margins, and epipleura somewhat paler. Legs and first antennomeres reddish yellow, the second one very weakly, the remaining ones distinctly infuscated. Abdomen, mes- and metepisternum dark brown or blackish brown, rest of ventral surface somewhat paler.

Head ( Figs 1-3 ): 0.78-0.80 (mean 0.79) times as wide as pronotum, with eyes fairly flat (head 1.33-1.37, mean 1.35 times as wide as head between eyes). Clypeus at apical margin weakly convex, weakly sinuate in front of anterior angle. Antennae moderately long, 2.26-2.52 (mean 2.34) times as long as pronotum and 0.84-0.88 (mean 0.86) times as long as elytra.

Pronotum ( Figs 1-3 ) with surface distinctly convex, 1.27-1.36 (mean 1.31) times as wide as long, 1.25-1.28 (mean 1.27) times as wide as head, widest in about end of apical third, lateral seta inserted at about end of apical fifth. Apical margin weakly emarginate, anterior angles narrowly rounded at tips, weakly projecting forward. Sides convex in anterior half, gently convexely narrowed to the widely rounded posterior angles, in one female paratype ( Fig. 3 ), less distinctly and almost rectilinearly narrowed to the posterior angles, which are weakly obtuse-angled, though also widely rounded at tip. Basal margin weakly convex troughout. Lateral edge and lateral furrows narrow, the latter somewhat widened posteriorly and fused with the latero-basal impressions. Latero-basal impressions wide, somewhat obliquely impressed, impressions and area of posterior angles with coarse punctures, between impressions almost smooth, or with some single, smaller punctures, or somewhat wrinkled. Median line or hardly reaching the margins. Anterior and posterior transverse impressions indistinct or only suggested.

Elytra ( Fig. 1 ): Laterally behind widely rounded humeri weakly convex, distinctly widened posteriorly, somewhat drop-like, widest somewhat behind middle, 1.48-1.55 (mean 1.52) times as long as wide, 2.66-2.86 (mean 2.72) times as long and 1.34-1.43 (mean 1.38) times as wide as pronotum. Basal bead roundly turning into humerus, without humeral tooth. Elytral striae distinctly impressed and impunctate, scutellar striole long. Intervals comparatively flat, narrowed and somewhat convex at apex. Basal pore puncture at beginning of scutellar striole present, interval 3 in about middle of third quarter with one setiferous pore, adjoining stria 2.

Ventral surface: Prosternum medially with about 20 short, erect, scattered setae, prosternal process with some few, short setae, irregularly inserted. Metepisterna elongate, ratio of internal margin/anterior margin (visible parts) about 1.42, strongly narrowed behind. Abdominal segments III-V medially (except obligatory setae) with some single short setae, last sternite in its middle part with about 30-40 scattered short setae, at apical margin on each side with 1 pore puncture bearing a long seta in males and with 2 pore punctures in females.

Legs: Normal for Acupalpus species. Males with protarsomeres 2-4 moderately, mesotarsomeres 2-4 weakly dilated, in each case tarsomeres 1-4 with biseriately arranged adhesive scales ventrally.

Microsculpture: Distinctly visible only on labrum, clypeus, and scutellum, partly on dorsal surface of mandibles, frons, at sides posterior to eyes, consisting of isodiametric meshes. On vertex of head and disc of pronotum obliterated, on disc of elytra almost so, on lateral parts of pronotum and elytra only slight hints of transverse lines, confused and without forming meshes, in and around basal impressions with isodiametric meshes, weakly engraved and somewhat confused. In females on elytra apically very lightly impressed fine transverse lines visible.

Median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 4-6 ): Relatively short, in its middle part weakly widened, apical lamella short, somewhat button-like produced, rounded at tip (dorsal view), from its middle part towards apex almost rectilinear, apical lamella without capitulum (lateral view). Internal sac without spines, covered with microtrichia solely.

I n t r a s p e c i f i c v a r i a b i l i t y: Seedescription.

C o m p a r i s o n s a n d R e m a r k s A. orszuliki nov.sp. is considered a member of subgenus Acupalpus by tarsomere 5 with one pair of ventro-lateral setae, antennomere 2 setose, mentum and submentum divided by a distinct suture. Within this subgenus it belongs to a large informal group of species, which are characterized by setose prosternum, immaculate elytra, and the small median lobe of aedoeagus without larger teeth or sclerites. In the Near and Middle East this group is represented by members of the Acupalpus suturalis group, comprising A. suturalis DEJEAN, 1829 , A. paludicola REITTER, 1884 , A. schnitteri JAEGER, 1999 and A. turcicus JAEGER, 1992 , and besides by A. luteatus (DUFTSCHMID, 1812) and A. exiguus DEJEAN, 1829 . A. orszuliki nov.sp. differs from most of these species by the strongly reduced microsculpture of head, pronotum and elytra, the different size, and/or construction of the median lobe and its internal sac structure. A. suturalis , which is very similar in its only suggested microsculpture of the superior surface, differs from the new species by the usually darker colour of upper surface, particularly of the pronotum, a different habitus, with elytra longer and subparallel, and humeri more distinct, instead of elytra shortly oval, somewhat drop-like, with less markant humeri; by at average larger body size, 3.0- 4.0 mm, and the construction of the median lobe which is similar, but in A. orszuliki nov.sp. not as strong widened apicad ( Figs 5-6 ), but widest in about apical third (in A. suturalis stronger widened apicad, widest in about apical fourth, see Fig. 7 ).

In general appearance and colour of upper surface A. orszuliki nov.sp. is also similar to smaller specimens of A. oliveirae REITTER, 1884 , and to smaller and paler specimens of A. planicollis (SCHAUM, 1857) . However, these species occur further west in Balkan Peninsula ( A. planicollis ) or in NW Africa and the Iberian Peninsula ( A. oliveirae ), and have, in contrast to A. orszuliki , a distinct microsculpture on surface of head and pronotum, and a larger median lobe of aedoeagus with different shape of the apex. (for A. oliveirae see Figs 3 a-e in JAEGER 1988: 243; for A. planicollis see Fig. 12 in JAEGER 2011a: 202).

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Up to now only known from a few specimens from S and SE Turkey close to the Syrian border and from W Syria, close to the Lebanese border. Due to its ability to fly a wider distribution of the species can be expected.

H a b i t a t a n d b i o n o m i c n o t e s The specimens from the Hop Gecidi were collected in a wetland with a small creek, together with Diachromus germanus (LINNAEUS, 1758) , and Dyschirius and Bembidion species, and interestingly syntopic with A. turcicus ). The specimens from Mashta Al Hilv came from the bank of a small brook.

Figures

Figs 1-3: Acupalpus orszuliki nov.sp. Habitus, head and pronotum. (1) Holotype; (2) Paratype, Turkey, Mardin env.; (3) Paratype, Syria, Homs env.

Figs 4-7: Acupalpus. Median lobe of aedeagus, dorsal and lateral aspect. (4-6) A. orszuliki nov.sp.; (4, 5) Paratype, Syria, Homs env.; (6) Holotype. (7) A. suturalis DEJEAN, 1829, Turkey, Yahyah, Ağcaşar Baranjı.