Formosiella flavomaculata (Shibata) 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 : 103-105

Formosiella flavomaculata (Shibata) comb. n. Figs 50B, 75, 76 A–D, 77B, 78

Pseudomenarus flavomaculatus Shibata, 1964: 44; Jedlička 1963: 109; Lorenz 2005: 458.

Types and other material examined.

Holotype (male) labeled "Yona/Okinawa Is./7. VIII. 1964/M. YASUI"; “Holotype” [rectangular, red paper]; Pseudomenarus / flavomaculatus /SHIBATA, 1964/gen. et sp. nov."; " NCHU# 100137". One paratype and 45 other specimens of F. flavomaculata : 27 males and 18 females. For further details see EH Strickland Virtual Entomology Museum Database.

Type locality.

Japan. Okinawa Island.

Diagnosis.

Specimens of this species are easily distinguished from the only other Taiwanese species of the genus by the elytral disc having four diffuse maculae.

Redescription.

OBL 4.08 - 5.25 mm. Length (n = four males, seven females): head 0.48 - 0.56, pronotum 0.64 - 0.88, elytra 2.84 - 3.33, metepisternum 0.68 - 0.84 mm; width: head 0.92 - 1.08, pronotum 1.24 - 1.52, elytra 2.25 - 2.79, metepisternum 0.46 - 0.52 mm.

Body proportions. HW/HL 1.82 - 2.08; PWM/PL 1.59 - 1.94; EL/EW 1.15 - 1.25; ML/MW 1.42 - 1.78 mm.

Color. Fig. 75. Dorsum of head, clypeus and labrum brunneous to rufo-brunneous, antennae and palpi testaceous to brunneous; pronotum brunneous, lighter than head, margins brunneo-testaceous to brunneous, slightly light than disc; elytral disc brunneous to rufo-brunneous, margins slightly lighter, elytral disc with four diffuse, testaceous macula (appearing as six or eight smaller maculae when apical macula is reduced and broken), two to six anterior and two posterior, anterior macula crescent shaped, crescent open towards elytra base, from suture or stria 1 to interval 7 or 8, typically interrupted in intervals 3 and 5, posterior macula in apical 1/3, ovoid, from interval 1 to interval 4 (sometimes stria 1); ventral surface testaceous to brunneo-testaceous, metepisternum and lateral margins darker; legs testaceous, tibia with dorsal surface rufo-piceous to piceous.

Microsculpture. Remaining dorsal surface with microsculpture not visible at 50 ×; ventral surface with microsculpture of metepisternum and lateral margins very faintly and shallowly transverse, all other surfaces with microsculpture not visible at 50 ×.

Macrosculpture. Dorsum of head with, scattered, setigerous punctures, punctures easily visible at 50 ×, setae very short in comparison to pronotum and elytra; pronotum disc with single, shallow depression medially on each side, lateral margins shallowly rugulose, entire surface with scattered, setigerous punctures, some bearing longer setae, easily visible in lateral view; elytra with intervals somewhat flat, entire surface with scattered, setigerous punctures, punctures relatively large and dense, some confluent, some punctures with longer setae (typically at center of intervals), easily visible in lateral view, striae with fine setigerous punctures along length; ventral surface of body, except base of head, with scattered setigerous punctures, easily visible at 50 ×.

Fixed setae. Pronotum with one pair of setae at base of lateral margin; 15-16 lateral (umbilical) setae in interval 9; elytra with interval 3 with three setae, one seta in basal 1/4, one seta at mid-length, one seta in apical 1/4, these setae can be difficult to observe in some specimens.

Luster. Dorsal and ventral surface moderately glossy.

Head. Mandibles short, almost entirely covered by labrum; labrum bilobed, longer than wide, rounded at apex; mentum with tooth; eyes somewhat convex; palpi (Fig. 50B) cylindrical, pointed at apex and setose.

Pronotum. Lateral margins explanate, with margins curved slightly upwards; anterior transverse impression moderately shallow; posterior transverse impression deep; median longitudinal impression moderately shallow; apico-lateral margins broadly lobed, posterio-lateral margins sinuate, slightly obtuse.

Elytra. Broadly rounded, hind angles truncate.

Legs. Males with adhesive vestiture ventrally, few squamo-setae at apex of tarsomeres 2 and 3 of fore-leg; males with one notch apically on ventral side of mid-tibia.

Male genitalia. Fig. 80 A–D. Length 0.88 - 1.00 mm. Phallus short and distinctly wide medially, apex short, rounded at tip; endophallus with base distinctively wide and somewhat triangulate, narrowing to approximately basal 1/3 and then expanding again somewhat towards apex, two somewhat sclerotized and elongate endophallic flagellum (ef), laterally on each side of triangular basal lobe, one from base to constriction, one from base and well beyond constriction.

Female genitalia. Fig. 77B. Width 0.72 - 0.76 mm. Gonocoxite 2 (gc2) narrowing from base to apex; two lateral ensiform setae in close proximity (les), one dorsal ensiform seta. Two spermatheca present, spermatheca 1 (sp1) distinctly elongate and cylindrical, rounded at apex, spermatheca 2 (sp2) similar in form to spermatheca 1 but much shorter, attachment site on spermatheca 1 at approximately 1/3 length; one ovoid spermathecal accessory gland (sg), associated spermathecal gland duct (sgd) with swelling before apex, attachment site near base of spermatheca 2.

Habitat, habits, and seasonal occurrence.

The known elevational range of F. flavomaculata is from 500 to 1610 meters, with only one specimen known from over 920 meters. Adults are crepuscular or nocturnal and found in mixed primary and secondary forest of montane areas. Little is known about the habits of this species. Seven of the eleven known specimens were collected in disturbed forest from discrete hiding spots or under bark of deadwood by WH. Specimens have been collected from August to December. Known methods of collection are m.v. light sheet and hand collecting.

Geographical distribution.

Formosiella brunnea is known from Japan (Ryukus and Okinawa Islands) and Taiwan See Figure 78.