Catascopus (s. str.) asaharti, 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 : 34-35

Catascopus (s. str.) asaharti sp. n. Figs 21, 22 A–D, 23A, 35

Specific epiphet.

This species is named after the first author’s son, Asa Hart Hunting, who was born in Taiwan while collecting material for this work. Both specimens of this species were collected at the same locality that we took him for his first collecting trip when he was two weeks old.

Types and other material examined.

Holotype (male) labeled “Holotype” [circular, ringed with red]; "TAIWAN: Taichung Co./Heping Township, Xueshan/Rd. km 32.5, Dasyueshan/Nat. For. Rec. Area/24.2315N, 120.9784E"; "bridge lights, Acc. Ti-81b/May 9, 2011, 2000 m/Coll. W. M. Hunting"; " NCHU# 101731". Paratype (Male) labeled: “Paratype” [circular, ringed with yellow]"; "TAIWAN: Taichung Co./Heping Township, Xueshan/Rd. km 34, Dasyueshan/Nat. For. Rec. Area/24.2383N, 120.9779E"; "u.v. light, Acc. Ti-81c/ May 9, 2011, 2030 m/Coll. W. M. Hunting"; NCHU# 101732.

Type locality.

Taiwan: Taichung county, Heping township, Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area.

Diagnosis.

Specimens of this species are easily distinguished from all other described species by a combination of the almost flat elytral intervals, except interval 6 which is carinate on the inside margin; and distinctly flat striae.

Description.

OBL 8.75 - 8.83 mm. Length (two males): head 0.88 - 0.90, pronotum 1.28 -1.30, elytra 5.00 - 5.08, metepisternum 1.28 - 1.32 mm; width: head 2.08 - 2.12, pronotum 0.08, elytra 3.16 - 3.33, metepisternum 0.64 mm.

Body proportions. HW/HL 2.36 - 2.37; PWM/PL 1.54 - 1.56; EL/EW 1.53 - 1.58; ML/MW 2.00 - 2.06.

Color. Fig. 21. Dorsum of head and clypeus dark metallic green; labrum, antennae and palpi rufo-brunneous; disc of pronotum dark metallic green; elytral disc dark metallic green; ventral surface rufo-brunneous to rufo-piceous; legs with trochanter, femora and tibia rufo-brunneous to rufo-piceous.

Microsculpture. Dorsum of head and pronotum with microsculpture isodiametric, faintly visible in patches at 50 × magnification; elytra with faintly visible, +/- isodiametric sculpticells; ventral surface of head and majority of body with microsculpture not visible at 50 ×; epipleuron of elytra and portions of abdominal sternum IV with faint, +/- isodiametric sculpticells.

Macrosculpture. Dorsum of head, clypeus and pronotum disc with very fine, randomly scattered setigerous punctures, setae almost not visible in side view, at 50 ×; pronotum with anterior transverse impression very shallow; elytra with interval 7 carinate on inside margin nearest to stria 6, from just behind base to 5/6 of the elytra length; carinate the entire length; all other intervals distinctly flat, with very fine, randomly scattered, setigerous punctures throughout; striae faintly impressed, more visible due to being evenly punctate along length. Ventrally with very fine, randomly scattered setigerous punctures.

Fixed setae. Pronotum with two pairs of setae, one at base of lateral margin and one on lateral margin at pronotum max width; elytra with one seta at basal quarter of interval 3, one seta in interval 3 just beyond mid-length, one seta in apical quarter of interval 3; femur of meso-leg with several moderately long seta on dorsal surface and two long setae ventrally in males.

Luster. Glossy.

Head. Fig. 23A.

Pronotum. Anterior transverse impression shallow; posterior transverse impression deep, median longitudinal impression moderately deep; lateral margins constricted just before mid-way toward apex, becoming parallel at ¾ length; posterio-lateral margins almost right-angled.

Metepisternum. Elongate, at least 2 × longer than wide.

Male genitalia. Fig. 22 A–D. Length 1.52 mm. Phallus width consistant along length; apical area, short with rounded point at apex; endophallus moderately long, with distinctive widening from base to apex.

Female genitalia. Unknown

Habitat, habits, and seasonal occurrence.

The known elevation of C. asaharti sp. n. is 2000 meters. Adults of this species are found in mixed forest of montane areas. Little is known of the habits of this species. Adults are crepuscular or nocturnal and both specimens of the species were collected on a single night in the month of May. One was collected from a u.v. light sheet and the other was collected from a bridge light approximately one kilometer away. During a three-year period, more than 60 collection times did not reveal any more specimens.

Geographical distribution.

Catascopus asaharti is only known from Taiwan. See Figure 35.