Craspedophorus strachani grossus ( 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 : 25-26

16c. Craspedophorus strachani grossus ( Hope, 1842)

( Plate 1 , Fig. 5–6, Plate 12 , Fig. 92)

Panagaeus grossus Hope, 1842: 92 (type locality “Ashantee country [=central Ghana, Togo]”). Schaum 1853: 434. Epicosmus grossus Chaudoir 1861: 340 . Eudema grossum Gemminger and Harold 1868: 209 . Craspedophorus grossus Murray 1857: 122 . Chaudoir 1878: 93, Lorenz 2005: 320. Häckel and Farkač 2012: 81 [with erroneous type locality]. Panagaeus grandis Imhoff, 1843: 166 (type locality “Bergland Aquapim [= northern Ghana, Togo]”). Schaum 1853: 434 syn. nov.

Material examined. Benin. 1♂, 2♀: “[Plateau Department] Iro de Pobé ” (cMH, cRK) . Ghana. 1♀: “Gold Coast / Ex Musaeo H.W.Bates, 1892” ( Plate 1 , Fig. 5, MNHN) ; 4♂: “Ashanti, Collect. Plason (NMWC); 3♂, 1♀: “ Kumasi (Ashanti region)” ( MRAC, cDM, specimen in MRAC labeled as C. westermanni by Basilewsky 1954); 1♂, 1♀: “ Kibi ” (cDM); 1 ♀: “[ Volta Region ] Togo Amedzowe. Collect. Plason ” ( NMWC) . Nigeria: Cross River State. 1 ♀: “ Calabar ” ( NMPC) . Togo. 1♂: “ Region du Centre n o Yégué, Katchénke 081151 N 004059E” (cIB); 1 ♀: “[Plateaux region] Ahlon ” (cMH); 1♂, 1♀: “ Bassapé ” (cIB); 1 ♀: “ Kpalimé. Danyi-Dzogbégan ” (cMH); 1♂: “ Mt. Kloto ” (cIB); 1♂: “ Prov. Kloto ” (cPS); 1♂, 1♀: “w of Kpalimé , Missahoe forest ”; 2♂: “sw of Kpalimé, Volove ” ( Plate 1 , Fig. 6, Plate 12 , Fig. 92, cMH).

Examined specimens of transitional populations ( C. strachani grossus trans ad C. s. monardi Basilewsky, 1951 ): 1♀ labeled by golden disc: “Afr. Collect. Plason [gold disc in Plason's Collection= West Africa]” (NMWC).

Note. This species is based on a single specimen of Hope Collection deposed in OUMNH and located by Hope to “Ashantee country”. The Ashanti (or Asante) Empire (or Confederacy), also Asanteman (1701–1957), was a West Africa sovereign state, currently a part of Ghana and Togo. The type of Panagaeus grossus was not found in OUMNH. Description (in part, see Hope 1842: 94). “Length 11 points, width 4.5 points. Black, antennae black, pronotum almost hexagonal-shaped, anterior angles rounded, posterior almost rectangular, truncate, disk fairly convex, lateral margins fairly depressed and rimmed, elytra striated, punctured, with four maculae, small and red, body and legs black” [from Latin]. “The above insect was lately received from the Ashantee country, and was sent to me by Capt. Parry of Cheltenham for description... Various new types of form have also lately reached me from the country of the Ashantees as well as the Gold Coast...” Description of P. grandis (in part, see Imhoff (1843: 168). “10.5 points long. Pronotum laterally rounded with a wide rim, widening and elevating posteriorly. Black, elytra finely punctured and striated, each with two yellow maculae near lateral margin [from Latin]. Very similar to Cychrus reflexus F. Body black, largely covered by setae. Head dorsally finely furrowed, laterally with a long ridge behind eyes, frons smooth, third antennomere as long as the first one and the third one together. Pronotum as long as wide in its maximal width, its surface with fine and partially coalescent punctuation, moderately convex in its middle, with a long furrow near each lateral margin and basilar impression which is not too distinct, lateral margins narrowing anteriorly and posteriorly, each narrowly rimmed anteriorly, the rim widening and rounding posteriorly then merging into a wide elevated and flattened margin, distinctly separated from the disc, wider posteriorly, somewhere more elevated; anterior angles moderately bevelled, bluntly rounded, posterior angles weakly elevated with a small incisure in front of base; base almost straight, only weakly and roundly protruded posteriorly between the middle and the hind angle. Elytra finely punctuated, striated, each with two yellow-red maculae, humeral one reaching from IV stria to VIII, preapical one running medially to one interval more, but only as a short spot” [from German]. Murray noted (1857: 122). “I believe this species to be, as above stated, the grossus of Hope. His description, as is usual with him, is more concise than we could have wished; and I shall therefore add a somewhat more detailed description, although the admirable figure by M. Migneaux Annals (1857), 2nd serie, vol. XIX, plate 13., fig. 8 [here Plate 1 , Fig. 6a], which the reader will find in my last plate of Old Calabar species, renders any additional description scarcely necessary. Black. The head is impunctate, but finely rugose between the antennae, with an elongate fovea on each side, in which the rugosities almost take the appearance of punctures. The antennae are black and piceous towards the apex. The clypeus is smooth and elevated in the middle. The thorax may rather be described as truncate-cordate than as hexagonal, but as both the anterior and posterior portions of the lateral margins are somewhat straight, either expression may be used without being inconsistent with the truth; it is faintly and not very closely punctured, sparingly pilose, the margins reflexed, the dorsal line distinct, but reaching neither to the front nor the base; a deep longitudinal fovea is on each side of it at the base; the base is truncate, a broad space in the middle projecting very slightly backwards; the anterior angles are narrow, and project a little, and are rounded; the posterior angles are right-angled, and have the usual excised tooth. The scutellum is small and impunctate, and has the sides gently curved. The elytra are convex and obovate, pilose or pubescent, deeply punctate-striate, the punctures faint; the interstices are convex and finely punctate; the spots are red, with a tinge of vermilion; the anterior occupies four interstitial spaces (the V., VI, VII and VIII), and also the marginal space; but the raised margin itself (which is prominent) is not coloured; the posterior spot occupies the same striae, but not the marginal space; the spots are of the same texture as the rest of the elytra, and are not raised. The marginal space might be called the last interstitial space, as it is broad and raised like the rest, but in addition to the fine punctuation found in the interstitial spaces, it has a series of larger pits of various sizes, with a raised point in their middle. The hairs are piceous, except on the red spots, where they also are red; they are red on the under side of the body, which is sparsely punctured on the presternum, breast, and sides of the segments of the abdomen (their middle portion being slightly aciculated). The tarsi are piceous.” Chaudoir added (1861: 340). “Specimens in my collection refered as Epicosmus [= Craspedophorus ] grossus Hope ? ( Panagaeus ) well match with Murray's description [1857: 122], but their elytral maculae are less distinct, humeral one consisting of four spots very short anteroposteriorly, reaching from V to VIII interval, preapical one consisting of three similarly small spots reaching from V to VII interval; pronotum narrower than that in Migneaux's drawing [ Plate 1 , Fig. 6a] and base is only weakly protruded posteriorly in contrast to that described by Murray [see in precedent part, written in italics], this basal protrusion is not seen in the drawing, so maybe it does not exist. I received these specimens from Deyrolle, they originate from Guinea ” [from French]. Later Chaudoir corrected (1879: 94). “Length 22, width 8.5 mm. It is more elongated and less convex than [C.] tetrastigma ( Chaudoir, 1850) . Head larger, frons and vertex with transverse groove, less deeply impressed. Pronotum also longer than in [C.] westermanni , wider, lateral margins anteriorly less rounded, less arcuate at midlength, posteriorly fairly obliqued towards base, but not sinuate, more rectangular; base trimmed away and slightly sinuate (as in westermanni ); each hind angle more indentated on its top than in the last one [ Epicosmus = Craspedophorus westermanni ], and similarly as it, with a small incisura in front of the angle. Elytra more ovoid and elongated, humeri more rounded, less visible; elytral margins less arcuate at midlength; dorsum less convex; striae less deep impressed, similarly punctuation; intervals somewhat less convex, equally finely and quite densely punctured. Antennae more slender and less grossly covered by setae; legs longer and more slender. Elytral colouration equal [as in E. westermanni ], but maculae are lemon yellow-coloured; each macula consists of four macular spots on intervals V to VIII, with serrate margins, as well anteriorly and posteriorly; spots are distinctly shorter in my two specimens than in the others, and preapical macula with spot on VIII interval, almost reduced; palps brownish, as well as eight distal antennal articles, each only slightly browny marginally. Two specimens, one from Gold Coast and second one from Guinea ” [from French].

Ditribution. Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Nigeria.

Figures

PLATE 1. Habitus of Craspedophorus strachani group I (Scale bar: 10 mm). 1. C. strachani strachani (Hope, 1842), male, Sierra Leone; 2. C. strachani strachani (Hope, 1842), female, Sierra Leone; 3. C. strachani strachani (Hope, 1842), HT (male); 4. C. strachani strachani (Hope, 1842), male, Guinea (lectotype of Isotarsus westermanni Laferté-Sénectere, 1851 designated by Chaudoir, 1861); 5. C. strachani grossus (Hope, 1842), female, Ghana (det. Bates, MNHN); 6. C. strachani grossus (Hope, 1842), male, Togo; 6 a. C. strachani grossus (Hope, 1842) trans ad C. s. monardi Basilewsky, 1951, “ Old Calabar “ (= Calabar, Nigeria, Cross River), original drawing by M. Migneaux in Murray (1857: 122); 7. C. strachani monardi Basilewsky, 1951, PT male, Cameroon; 8. C. strachani monardi Basilewsky, 1951, HT (male); 9. C. strachani monardi Basilewsky, 1951, PT female, Cameroon.

PLATE 12 Craspedophorus strachani group I, aedeagus in frontal and right lateral views: 91. C. strachani strachani (Hope, 1842), Sierra Leone; 92. C. strachani grossus (Hope, 1842), Togo; 93; C. strachani monardi (Basilewsky, 1951), Cameroon, North; 94. C. strachani bamendanus new subspecies, Cameroon, Northwest; 95. C. latipennis Burgeon, 1930; Cameroon, Southwest; 96. C. tetrastigma tetrastigma (Laferté-Sénectere, 1851), Guinea; 97. C. tetrastigma morettoi new subspecies, western Ivory Coast; 98. C. tetrastigma morettoi new subspecies, eastern Ivory Coast; 99. C. tetrastigma milzi Duvivier, 1891, Orientale, DR Congo; 100. C. latemaculatus Alluaud, 1930, Cameroon, Central.