Craspedophorus strachani (Hope, 1842)

Häckel, Martin, 2017, A contribution to the knowledge of the subfamily Panagaeinae Hope, 1838 from Africa. Part 3. Revision of the Craspedophorus strachani and C. brevicollis groups (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Zootaxa 4330 (1), pp. 1-67 : 5-6

Craspedophorus strachani species group (nov.)

(=see Chaudoir 1879: 91; Basilewsky 1987: 196-7)

As indicated before ( Häckel 2016, 2017), species of C. strachani group were originally placed in the genus Craspedophorus by Chaudoir (1879: 91). This group also contains panagaeine species with paraglossae reaching in front of glossa and increasing slenderness and length of ligula, with protarsi equal in both sexes, and terminal palp article elongated, kidney-shaped. Species of the C. strachani group differ from those of the other groups, placed by Chaudoir in Craspedophorus , in metepisterna rhombic (short anteroposteriorly), ventrites mostly crenulated anteriorly, and antennae long, slender (not dilated). Pronotum differs from species to species, mostly being cordiform. Chaudoir figured these species close to beginning of his system; he listed six species there, as follows: C. tetrastigma ( Chaudoir, 1850) , C. westermanni (Laferté-Sénectere, 1850) , C. grossus ( Hope, 1842) , C. ruficrus (Laferté-Sénectere, 1851) , C. gabonicus Thomson, 1858 , and C. lafertei Murray, 1857 . Chaudoir admits that suggested characteristics of the group can also apply for species previously referred by Hope (1842) as Panagaeus . According to Basilewsky (1987: 200), Chaudoir’s criteria for the C. strachani group could only be applied to three of Hope’s taxons: Craspedophorus grossus , C. klugii and C. strachani . According to the same criteria I decided to place within the group other species that were later described (apart from six taxons of Chaudoir’s and three others from Hope’s list): C. muata Harold, 1879 , C. magnicollis Quedenfeldt 1883 , and species described by other authors—Bates 1886 ( C. glaber ), Kolbe 1889 ( C. congoanus ), Duvivier 1891 ( C. milzi ), Alluaud 1915 ( C. chevalieri , C. cuneatus , C. dicranothorax ), Burgeon 1930 ( C. latipennis , C. simplicicollis ) and Basilewsky’s species described in the years 1976 ( C. montivagus ) and 1987 ( C. kaboboanus , C. paromius , C. phenax ). I transferred to this group also C. latemaculatus Alluaud, 1930 , incorrectly referred in my previous work within the C. reflexus group. Thus a numerous group of taxons arises (over 20 species described until now), with a diverse morphology. Following those corrections, I now place 22 valid species in this group (see catalogue at the end of discussion).

Characters. Relatively less homogeneous group of medium sized and larger species (15–24 mm). Body more or less convex. Mentum with large lobes and rounded external margins. Terminal palpomere in males elongated, kidney-shaped. Antennae long, slender, not dilated. Metepisterna rhombic, not longer than wide, ventrites crenulated anteriorly. Over 20 species are divisible on pronotal shape into two subgroups (a, b), each with dissimilar size.

a) strachani subgroup. Pronotum less transverse, almost cordiform, with distinctly sinuated lateral margins narrowed towards hind angles which are more closed, mostly rectangular, indentated ( Plate 9 , Fig. 72a), less often hind angles rounded, without indentation ( Plate 9 , Fig. 72b), pronotal base straight or slightly concave, without any peduncle—except for C. dicranothorax (Alluaud, 1915) and C. dicranulothorax n. sp. with pronotal base pedunculated ( Plate 9 , Fig. 72c).

b) muata subgroup. Pronotum almost hexagonal, lateral margins rounded, narrowing straightly towards hind angles without sinuosity or slightly sinuated. Posterior angles more open, mostly rounded, pronotal base concave or straight, without pedunculation ( Plate 9 , Fig. 72d). The only exception is C. magnicollis ( Quedenfeldt, 1883) , with pronotum semicircular to cordiform and posterior angle slightly indentated ( Plate 9 , Fig. 72e). This group contains species with elytra coloured, each elytron with two yellow large maculae, as well as species with strongly reduced maculae or species with preapical macula absent.

Distribution remarks. The geographic distribution of this group is similar to that in preceding groups, reaching from Senegal to the Rift, along equator to Central and southwestern Africa.

Figures

PLATE 9. Craspedophorus strachani group, C. ruficrus complex. Elytra (left humerus from oblique view): Fig. 61 c. C. glaber Bates, 1886, male, Cameroon; Fig. 67 b. C. ruficrus (Chaudoir, 1861) female Guinea Equatorial. Fig. 68 b. C. lemariei n. sp. HT (male); Fig. 69 b; C. dicranulothorax n. sp., HT (female). Fig. 72. Pronotum in different species of the C. strachani group (design), a-c. C. strachani s. str. subgroup, d, e) C. muata subgroup.