Miscelus javanus Klug

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 : 122-125

Miscelus javanus Klug Figs 90, 91, 92 A–C, 93, 94d

Miscelus javanus Klug, 1834: 82; Chaudoir 1861: 125; Putzeys 1875: 723; Bates 1892: 408; Andrewes 1922: 293; Csiki 1932: 1359; Jedlička 1963: 398; Darlington 1969: 94; Lorenz 2005: 454.

Miscelus apicalus Brulle, 1834: 130.

Miscelus convexicollis Putzeys, 1875: 724.

Miscelus paradoxus Putzeys, 1875: 724.

Miscelus vulneratus Putzeys, 1875: 725.

Miscelus planatus Schaufuss, 1885: 183; Andrewes 1922: 294.

Types and other material examined.

Nine specimens of M. javanus : four males and five females. For further details see EH Strickland Virtual Entomology Museum Database.

Type locality.

Java.

Diagnosis.

Specimens of this species are easily distinguished from other Taiwanese pericalines by having smooth tarsal claws and only a single pair of supraorbital setae

Redescription.

OBL 9.17 - 11.67 mm. Length (n = four males, five females): head 0.80 - 0.92, pronotum 1.64 - 2.00, elytra 5.17 - 6.60, metepisternum 1.32 - 1.72 mm; width: head 1.64 - 2.52, pronotum 2.14 - 2.68, elytra 2.83 - 3.00, metepisternum 0.68 - 0.84 mm.

Body proportions. HW/HL 2.05 - 2.86; PWM/PL 1.26 - 1.44; EL/EW 1.55 - 1.87; ML/MW 1.89 - 2.05.

Color. Fig. 90. Dorsum of head brunneous to rufo-piceous, clypeus brunneous to rufo-piceous, slightly lighter than head, labrum brunneous, slightly lighter than clypeus; antennae and palpi brunneous to rufo-brunneous; pronotum brunneous to rufo-piceous, slightly iridescent; elytral disc rufo-brunneous to rufo-piceous, dark, with testaceous macula, centrally in apical 1/3, from suture to interval 5, ovoid in appearance; ventral surface rufous to brunneo-testaceous; legs brunneo-testaceous, tibia brunneous to rufo-piceous, darker.

Microsculpture. Dorsum of head with microsculpture shallow, isodiametric; pronotum and elytra and ventral surface with microsculpture shallow, transverse.

Macrosculpture. Dorsum of head with fine, scattered, setigerous punctures, setae hardly visible at 50 ×, labrum rugulose in basal half of lateral margins; pronotum with fine, scattered setigerous punctures, setae hardly visible at 50 ×, very faintly rugulose laterally across disc, one small depression on either side of disc medially; elytral intervals somewhat raised, intervals 3, 5, 7 raised more than others, all intervals with +/- single row of setigerous punctures centrally, intervals 5, 6, 7 slightly rugulose laterally along length, striae with row of setigerous punctures, setae hardly visible at 50 ×; ventral surface with randomly scattered punctures, setae easily visible, metasternum with two paramedian rows of seven to eight tubercles.

Fixed setae. One pair of supraorbital setae; clypeus with two long, lateral setae; labrum with six setae along apical margin; two suborbital setae, two long setae in gula; pronotum with two pairs of setae, one at base of lateral margin, one in apical 1/3 of lateral margin; 16 lateral (umbilical) setae in interval 9; ventral surface with two setae on each of abdominal sterna III to VI; four setae along apical margin of sternum VII in females, two setae along apical margin of sternum VII in males; base of fore-femur of males with small patch of short, dense setae on ventral surface.

Luster. Dorsal surface moderately dull; ventral surface moderately glossy to glossy.

Head. Mandibles rather robust and short, curving rather sharply at apex; labrum elongate, distinctively convex in apical half; mentum with tooth; eyes relatively flat; palpi cylindrical.

Pronotum. Lateral margins narrow, apical margin emarginate, anterior transverse impression shallow, slightly rugulose; posterior transverse impression moderately deep, median longitudinal impression moderately shallow, apico-lateral margin with distinctive lobes posterio-lateral margin slightly sinuate, almost right-angled.

Elytra. Hind angles truncate.

Hind wings. Macropterous.

Legs. Fig. 91. Tarsal claws smooth, males with adhesive vestiture ventrally, two rows squamo-setae on tarsomeres 1-3 of fore-leg, patch of short dense setae (fsp) near the base of the fore-femur, ventral surface.

Male genitalia. Fig. 92 A–C. Length 1.28 - 1.44 mm. Ostium anopic. Phallus cylindrical, rather uniform along length, apex short, spatulate, rounded at tip; endophallus with distinctive basal lobe, small microtrichial field visible towards apex in right and ventral aspect.

Female genitalia. Fig. 94D. Width 1.06 - 1.08 mm. Gonocoxite 2 (gc2) with distinctive form, uniformly wide from base to mid-length, constricting sharply at right angle just after base of dorsal ensiform setae base, apex elongate and distinctly spatulate; two lateral ensiform setae (les), somewhat spatulate and close together, one dorsal ensiform seta. Sensory furrow, furrow pegs and associated nematiform setae not observed. One spermatheca present (sp1), elongate and cylindrical, distinctive, ribbed, lobe at base before elongate, curved portion; one spermathecal accessory gland (sg), ovoid to circular, associated spermathecal gland duct (sgd), with attachment site at base of spermatheca, below ribbed basal lobe.

Habitat, habits, and seasonal occurrence.

The known elevational range of M. javanus is from 100 to 650 meters in Taiwan. Over three years, only one specimen of this species was collected. It was during the day on a sandy riverbank. It is possible that this species is diurnal but little else is known. Specimens have been collected from February to December with most specimens collected in May. All known specimens were hand collected.

Geographical distribution.

Miscelus javanus is known from Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, and Taiwan. For Taiwan collecting localities see Figure 89.