Acoptodera (Pericalocephala) paradoxa, Anichtchenko, 2024

Anichtchenko, Alexander, 2024, To the knowledge of the subtribe Pericalina Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiinae), with description of new genus, new subgenus and species from Oriental region, Zootaxa 5453 (3), pp. 369-378 : 377-378

Acoptodera (Pericalocephala) paradoxa sp. n.

Material. Holotype, male: “ Tonkin. / June 1917 / R. V. de Salvaza”, “Brit. Mus. / 1921-89”, “ NHMUK 010791376 [QR code]” ( BMNH) . Paratype, 1 female, with the same label data, but “ NHMUK 010791374 [QR code]” ( BMNH) .

Diagnosis. As for subgenus.

Description. Habitus ( Fig. 3 ). Male body length 8.0 mm; female (teneral), 7.2 mm. Body and legs shiny black; tarsa, antennae and mouthparts dark brown; elytral patches yellow-reddish. Anterior patch consists of small spots, staggered in intervals 3–7. Spot in third interval is elongated, located at a distance equal to two of its length from the base of elytra; spot in fourth interval sub square, located behind the first one at a distance equal to two of its length; in intervals 5–7 spots square, touch with their hands. The posterior patch consists of two small square and staggered spots in intervals 2 and 3; large rounded spot in intervals 4–6, and elongate spot in interval 7. Microsculpture on vertex, pronotal disc and elytra indistinct. Antennae moderately long, exceeding base of pronotum by four antennomeres. Scape with 1–2 additional, thin setae.

Head. The mandibles long, evenly tapering to a sharp, curved apex. Labrum long, trapezoidal, its apex is twice as narrow as the base. Anterior margin slightly concave, with six apical setae, two external ones are very long and strongly displaced to the sides, and situated just before the mid-length ( Fig. 8a ). Clypeus with two long setae, sparsely and minutely punctate, with 4–6 short and shallow rugae in the middle of its base. Eyes large and strongly prominent, genae long, straight, meeting both neck and eye at obtuse angle. Frons with 6–8 very strong and slightly uneven, longitudinal wrinkles on each side of frons and vertex, these diverging slightly behind; inner wrinkles being more or less wavy, reaching or nearly reaching level of posterior margin of eyes. Medial part of head between wrinkles, as well as neck punctate and covered with short setae.

Pronotum transverse, PW/PL = 1.69, broadest in anterior third, much wider than the head (PW/HW = 1.33); posterior margin as long as anterior margin; anterior margin straight between apical angles, these wide and slightly projecting forwards, strongly rounded, with 15–18 setae; lateral margins rounded in the middle, slightly sinuate before posterior angles; lateral seta situated slightly behind anterior third; posterior angles nearly rectangular, projecting laterally, with a long seta a little before posterior angles; lateral expansions widely explanate and strongly reflexed; apical transverse impression shallow, basal transverse impression very wide and shallow; lateral fovea obsolete, para lateral lines shallow; apical bead complete, lateral bead obliterate, basal bead complete, very narrow in the middle; disc of pronotum flat, evenly covered with setiferous pores bearing long hairs, and minutely punctate throughout; median line shallow, not reaching anterior and posterior margins.

Elytra widely ovate, flattened; EW/ EL = 0.78; much wider than pronotum, EW/PW = 1.81; broadest behind the middle; base truncate, humeri rounded; apical truncation weakly sinuated; outer apical angles widely rounded, indistinct; sutural angles blunt, not pointed; striae deeply incised, minutely punctate; sutural stria long, not connected with first stria; scutellar pore situated near the base of first stria; third interval with two setigerous pores, the first one at approximately basal seventh, the second close to apex; the first one adjacent to the third stria, the second close to the second stria; all intervals distinctly convex; in basal third all intervals moderately punctate, on the disc of elytra internal intervals sparsely and external moderately punctate; in apical third intervals 2 and 4 smooth; all punctures bearing short hairs; lateral expansions widened at basal third; lateral edge with dense row of setae. Umbilical series consist of 15 pores. All ventral segments covered by short setae.

Anterior margin of mesofemora with 15–18 stout setae. Tibiae and dorsal side of tarsa densely setose. Claws pectinate, with 4 teeth near the base, 3 longer and one very small at the base.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 5 ) with median lobe of aedeagus stout, strongly dilated after wide basal orifice, and abruptly narrowed before short and blunt apical lamella; ventral margin nearly straight in the middle, dorsal margin evenly curved; apical orifice large, reaching one forth length of the median lobe, opened to the left; endophallus with fine spiniform scales all through length, with five sclerotized elongate formations near apex of endophallus. Left and right parameres as in ( Fig. 5c–d ). Genital ring with wide, evenly rounded apex ( Fig. 5e ).

Female genitalia. Due to the fact that the single known female is teneral, it was impossible to study internal reproductive system structure. Gonocoxite 2 of ovipositor scimitar-shaped, abruptly bent to the outer side at apical fifth; length approximately three times basal width; outer margin with three equidistant, dorsolateral ensiform setae; inner margin with one dorsomedial ensiform seta near apex ( Fig. 8b ).

Etymology. The Latin adjective paradoxa meaning “marvelous, strange” was chosen to reflect the unusual combination of morphological features.

Distribution. Known from type locality only in the north of Vietnam.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Habitus of Acoptodera (Pericalocephala) paradoxa subgen. n., sp. n. Holotype.

FIGURE 5. Male genitalia of Acoptodera (Pericalocephala) paradoxa subgen. n., sp. n. (a) left view; (b) right view; (c) right paramere; (d) left paramere; (e) genital ring.

FIGURES 6–8. Labrum (a) and gonocoxite (b). (6) Trichocoptodera maculata Louwerens, 1958; (7) Acoptodera (s. str.) piligera (Chaudoir, 1883); (8) Acoptodera (Pericalocephala) paradoxa subgen. n., sp. n.