Bellavalentis, Hunting, Wesley & Yang, Man-Miao, 2019

Hunting, Wesley & Yang, Man-Miao, 2019, A taxonomic review of the pericaline ground-beetles in Taiwan, with descriptions of new species (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini), ZooKeys 816, pp. 1-164 : 21-23

Genus Bellavalentis gen. n.

Type species.

Dolichoctis kuzugamii Shibata, 1967: 65; here designated.

Etymology.

From Latin bella and valentis, in reference to the beautiful and relatively robust elytral form.

Recognition.

Size small, elytra broadly rounded and distinctly convex, female genitalic characteristics very distinctive.

Included species and remarks.

As of now, Bellavalentis includes only one species, B. kuzugamii. It appears to us that with further work, all species considered to be part of the " Dolichoctis striata complex" of Baehr (2013a) will form the genus Dolichoctis s. str. and other species currently included in the genus Dolichoctis will be designated to other taxons.

While there is some variation throughout the genus, the somewhat flattened and at least slightly elongate body form of Dolichoctis appears thoughout the striata complex. Additionally, the female genitalic features of Dolichoctis (Fig. 71 A–D) appear to be very consistent. This type of consistency exists as a general rule, throughout the pericaline lebiines. Bellavalentis kuzugamii has gentalic characteristics (Fig. 15A) that are markedly different from all species of Dolichoctis encountered.

Material of B. kuzugamii labeled by HE Andrewes as being "very near D. angulicollis Chaudoir" (1869) was examined. The description of D. globosa Andrewes (1930) fits well with the general body form of B. kuzugamii . Dissections of the females of these species and others that share similarities in external morphology will be very helpful in determining their placement within these genera.