Archicolliuris ranomafanae Kavanaugh and Rainio, 2016

Kavanaugh, David H. & Rainio, Johanna, 2016, Twenty-six New Species of Predaceous Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Carabidae) from Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (7), pp. 201-268 : 230-231

Archicolliuris ranomafanae Kavanaugh and Rainio , sp. nov.

Figure 16

TYPE MATERIAL.— Holotype ( Figs.16A–B ), a female, in NMNH, labeled: “ MADAGASCAR: Prov. Fianarantsoa, 7 km W Ranomafana , 1100m 22-31 October 1988 W. E. Steiner ”/ “ Flight intercept-yellow pan trap, island in stream, montane rainforest”/ “ HOLOTYPE Archicolliuris ranomafanae Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. n. 2015” [red label].

TYPE LOCALITY.— Madagascar, Fianarantsoa Province, Ranomafana National Park .

DERIVATION OF SPECIES NAME.— The species epithet, ranomafanae , is a noun in apposition, derived from the name of the national park in which the type was collected.

RECOGNITION.— Size large for genus, SBL = 8.2 mm. The holotype female of this species ( Fig. 16A ) is easily distinguished from members of all other Malagasy odacanthine species based on numerous features. The following features used by Jeannel (1948) in his key to genera are shared with the three species that he included in “ Casnonia ”: integument glabrous (without pubescence), pronotum long, narrow and tubular anteriorly, impunctate, with one or more setae present along each lateral margin. The holotype of A. ranomafanae differs from members of Casnonia fairmairei Gestro (1895) [currently included in genus Erectocolliuris Liebke (1931) ] in having a pronotum black in color and with only a single pair of midlateral setae (pronotum rufotestaceous in color and with 5 or 6 pairs of lateral setae present in E. fairmairei members). It differs from members Casnonia coerulans Künckel d’Herculais (1887) [currently included in genus Protocolliuris Liebke (1931) in having the pronotum only about twice as long as wide (three times as long as wide in P. coerulans ), the elytra without metallic reflection (elytra with a dark metallic blue reflection), and legs dark black to piceous, except trochanthers rufous and basal parts of all femora pale (legs pale in P. coerulans , except apical parts of femora dark). It is similar to members of the last of Jeannel’s “ Casnonia ” species, Colliuris olsoufieffi Alluaud (1935) [currently included in Archicolliuris ] in having a shiny black dorsum (with the only pale areas present as elytral pale spots), the pronotum with transverse grooves and ridges in the basal half and anterior angles projected laterally, and the elytra with a deep transverse depression at the basal one-fourth and with three or four discal setiferous pores on elytral interval 3. However, it differs with members of A. olsoufieffi in several features: body size larger (SBL = 6.8 mm in A. olsoufieffi ); pronotum impunctate (coarsely punctate laterally and basally in A. olsoufieffi ), slightly less than twice as long as wide (2.5 times as long as wide in A. olsoufieffi ), with lateral borders vaguely present but only as very faintly impressed lines (lateral borders absent from A. olsoufieffi members); elytra with only one pair of small pale spots, located at apical one-third on interval 4 (both subapical and subbasal pairs of spots present in A. olsoufieffi ) and with three or four discal setiferous pores also on interval 5 (absent from A. olsoufieffi members); and legs dark, except pale at base of femora and on trochanters (legs pale thoughout in A. olsoufieffi ).

In addition, the holotype of A. ranomafanae is unique among members of all Malagasy odcanthine species in having the elytra distinctly convex throughout, except in the area of the transverse depression, elytral intervals flat, and elytral striae 3 to 7 effaced except in the transverse depression and apically, where they are evident. Striae 1 and 2 are very shallowly impressed but evident (stria 2 less so) in and posterior to the transverse depression. The form and location of the transverse depression of the elytra and the nearly effaced striae are similar to these features of members and genus Mimocolliuris Liebke (1933) of the eastern Palearctic and Oriental Regions.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.— At present, known only from the type locality.

HABITAT DISTRIBUTION.— The unique holotype was collected in a flight intercept-yellow pan trap on an island in a stream in montane rainforest at an elevation of 1100 m.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Digital images of holotype female of Archicolliuris ranomafanae Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. nov. A. Habitus, dorsal aspect; B. Labels. Scale line = 1.0 mm.