Omophron (Phrator) vittulatum Fairmaire,

Valainis, Uldis, 2011, Revision of the Omophron (Phrator) ‘ vittulatum’ species group (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 11 (2), pp. 117-126 : 124-125

Omophron (Phrator) vittulatum Fairmaire,

1894

Description. Holotype body length 7.54 mm; width 4.40 mm. Habitus ( Fig. 4).

Colour: Head and pronotum dark yellowish brown. Elytra, legs, and antennae light yellowish brown. Elytral patterns umber. Mandibles yellowish brown, their apical part umber, almost black. Ventral side yellowish brown; epipleural sides of elytra, pronotum, and prosternum lighter.

Head fairly flat, smooth, rarely and finely punctured only on vertex. With one supraorbital setiferous puncture on each side of head near the eye. Subocular ridge well developed, curved upwards and slightly rounded. Clypeus wrinkled, bisetose. Anterior margin of labrum concaved, expressly jagged, anterior angles moderately elevated, with six setae near the front margin. First segment of antennae unisetose at apex. Last segment of maxillary palps longer than penultimate segment, in the middle with expressed narrowing. HW of holotype: 2.48 mm.

Pronotum moderately convex, base bisinuated, sides almost staight, gently rounded only toward anterior angles. Sides of pronotum with edge. Anterior angles nearly acute. Anterior part of pronotum punctured, base of pronotum coarsely punctured: disc gently wrinkled, without puncture. Impression on basal part of pronotum narrow and shallow. Median impression well developed. Pattern on pronotum almost reduced to only two unexpressed spots on the base of pronotum. Proepisternum smooth, with gentle but coarse puncture on the basal part. Prosternum smooth. PL of holotype: 2.38 mm, PW of holotype: 3.74 mm.

Elytra moderately convex, longitudinally oval. Sides slightly concave in two thirds of elytra. Elytra with 15 striae reaching from base to apex. Striae well developed, deep; intervals expressly convex, smooth. Base of elytra as wide as base of pronotum. Elytral pattern consists of irregularly shaped brown spots, which may be divided into three bands. Punctures are characteristic only for the first 6 elytral striae, less frequent and shallower in two thirds of elytra, evanescent towards apex. 11 elytral striae terminate in the first third of elytra. At the apical two thirds of elytra 3 rd stria joining 4 th, 7 th stria joining 8 th, and 9 th stria joining 10 th. The median band of elytral pattern converges with apical and basal bands in 6 th and 10 th intervals. Metasternum and metepimeron gently punctured. Sterna smooth, last three segments bisetose. EL of holotype: 4.98 mm, EW of holotype: 4.89 mm.

Comments. Morphologically, this species resembles O.(P.) schoutedeni , although O.(P.) vittulatum is at least 1.5 times smaller. O.(P.) vittulatum can be distinguished by its yellowish brown pronotum, lighter elytral pattern, and well developed puncture on the base of pronotum.

Significant differences in the build of aedeagus compared to other species of the Omophron (Phrator) subgenus were not observed in this species.

Distribution. Known only from one type location (Haut Sudan). Distribution map ( Fig. 8 ).

Material examined. Sudan: Haut Soudan, 1896 (1 male, Fairmaire leg.) (holotype) ( MNHN) .

References: Fairmaire, 1894; Rousseau, 1900

Figures

Fig. 8. Distribution map of Omophron (Phrator) vittulatum Fairmaire, 1894