Dolichoctis rotundata (Schmidt-Goebel)

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 : 91-95

Dolichoctis rotundata (Schmidt-Goebel) Figs 67, 68 A–D, 71C, 72

Mochtherus rotundatus Schmidt-Goebel, 1846: 77; Chaudoir 1869: 246; Bates 1892: 413; Andrewes 1923: 45; Jedlička 1963: 358; Habu 1967: 101.

Dolichoctis rotundata (Schmidt-Goebel); Jedlička, 1963: 358; Habu 1967: 102; Stork 1986: 15; Lorenz 2005: 459 (synonym of D. striata Schmidt-Goebel); Baehr 2013: 137.

Dolichoctis ornatella Bates, 1883: 282; Andrewes 1933: 347; Jedlička 1963: 357; Habu 1967: 101 (synonym of D. striata Schmidt-Goebel); Lorenz 2005: 459 (synonym of subspecies D. striata striata Schmidt-Goebel); Baehr 2013: 138.

Dolichoctis kohpodaensis Kirschenhofer, 2012: 217.

Dolichoctis striatus formosanus Habu, 1967: 103. syn. n.

Dolchoctis striata formosana Habu: Lorenz, 2005: 45.

Types and other material examined.

84 specimens of D. rotundata : 44 males and 40 females. For further details see EH Strickland Virtual Entomology Museum Database.

Taxonomic notes.

In 2013, Baehr elevated D. rotundata back to species level and sited male genitalic features, among other things as his rationale for this. Examination of many specimens of this species, as well as other Dolichoctis from Taiwan, fully confirm his findings. Baehr also suspected that the subspecies formosana (Habu, 1967), which was described as a subspecies of D. striata at the time, was likely also D. rotundata . Examination of the types of this subspecies confirms this synonomy with confidence.

Type locality.

“Tenasserim” Myanmar.

Diagnosis.

Specimens of this species are distinguished from other species of Dolichoctis in Taiwan by the large and often cresent-shaped anterior maculae.

Redescription.

OBL 4.30 - 5.20 mm. Length (n = ten males, ten females): head 0.48 - 0.60, pronotum 0.76 - 0.98, elytra 2.83 - 3.50, metepisternum 0.64 - 0.76 mm; width: head 0.96 - 1.08, pronotum 1.28 - 1.56, elytra 2.08 - 2.50, metepisternum 0.40 - 0.48 mm.

Body proportions. HW/HL 1.73 - 2.08; PWM/PL 1.50 - 1.89; EL/EW 1.25 - 1.43; ML/MW 1.45 - 1.80.

Color. Fig. 67. Dorsum of head brunneous to rufo-piceous, clypeus and labrum brunneous to rufo-brunneous, somewhat darker centrally, antennae and palpi brunneous; disc of pronotum brunneous to rufo-piceous, margins brunneo-testaceous, always lighter than disc; elytral disc rufo-piceous to piceous, with four testaceous macula, two anterior and two posterior, anterior macula near humerus, from interval 4 to interval 8, closest to apex in interval 5 (sometimes 4), sub-circular, slighty cresent shaped at base of macula, posterior maculae extended from interval 2 to interval 6 (sometimes 5), more or less circular; lateral margins testaceous to brunneous, somewhat translucent; ventral surface brunneo-testaceous to brunneous, metepisternum darker, apical margin of abdominal sterna rufo-brunneous to piceous; legs with trochanter and femora brunneo-testaceous to brunneous, tibia with dorsal surface partially piceous.

Microsculpture. Dorsum of head with granulate microsculpture, isodiametric, easily visible at 50 × magnification; pronotum with transverse mesh pattern, ~2 × longer than wide.

Macrosculpture and pilosity. Pronotum shallowly rugulose near base; elytra with intervals somewhat flat, interval 3 with two punctures visible, no setae apparent, first near mid-length and second in apical macula, occasionally other punctures apparent but not as distinctive as the two in interval 3.

Luster. Head capsule moderately glossy; pronotum and elytra glossy; ventral thoracic sterna and abdominal sterna moderately glossy.

Head. Mandibles relatively short, mostly covered by labrum; labrum more or less rectangular, rounded at apex.

Pronotum. Anterior transverse impression very shallow; posterior transverse impression moderately shallow, median longitudinal impression moderately shallow; lateral margins explanate, apico-lateral margins rounded forming distinctive lobes, posterio-lateral margins slightly sinuate from behind lateral fixed setae, obtuse.

Elytra. Lateral margins slightly explanate, hind angles nearly truncate.

Male genitalia. Fig. 68 A–D. Length 0.72 - 0.82 mm. Ostium left pleuropic. Phallus cylindrical but distinctly flattened dorso-ventrally in apical half, phallus apex with distinctive form in right lateral view, apical area short, endophallus straight and somewhat expanded at mid-length.

Female genitalia. Fig. 71C. Width 0.70 - 0.72 mm. One spermatheca (sp1), dome shaped; distinctive ring sclerite (srs) dividing spermatheca from spermathecal duct; one spermathecal accessory gland (sg) with spermathecal gland duct (sgd) attachment site coming off of distinctly long and narrow lobe (srsl) on left side of ring sclerite when viewed from ventral aspect.

Habitat, habits, and seasonal occurrence.

The known elevational range of D. rotundata is from 61 to 725 meters. Adults of this species are found in mixed forest of montane areas. Many specimens of this species were collected both from deadwood and trunks of live trees. Specimens have been collected from March to December in Taiwan. Methods of collecting include u.v. light, sweep netting, hand collecting, malaise trap, flight intercept trap, and insecticidal fogging the canopy of tree species Ficus irisana Elmer, at night.

Geographical distribution.

Dolichoctis rotundata is widespread in Asia. It is known from India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Japan, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo, and Taiwan. For Taiwan collecting localities see Figure 72.