Eurydera oracle Kavanaugh and Rainio, 2016

Kavanaugh, David H. & Rainio, Johanna, 2016, Twenty-six New Species of Predaceous Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Carabidae) from Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (7), pp. 201-268 : 244-246

Eurydera oracle Kavanaugh and Rainio , sp. nov.

Figures 25–26

TYPE MATERIAL.— Holotype ( Figs.25A–B ), a male, in CAS, labeled: “CASENT 8005762”/ “ 21.25041°S / 47.41945°E MADAGASCAR, Fianarantsoa Prov Ranomafana National Park, Talatakely area , 900m, 10:1:2001 Col. K. Will headlamp search logs”/ “ HOLOTYPE Eurydera oracle Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. n. 2015” [red label] . Paratypes (total of 7): 1 male (in NMNH) labeled “ MADAGASCAR: Prov. Fianarantsoa, 7 km W Ranomafana, 1100 m 1-7 November 1988 W. E. Steiner ” ; 1 female (in NMNH) labeled “ MADAGASCAR: Prov. Fianarantsoa, 7 km W Ranomafana, 1100 m 27-31 October 1988 W. E. Steiner ”/ “ Malaise trap on island in stream, montane rain forest” ; 1 female (in EMEC) labeled “CASENT 1003844”/ “ MADAGASCAR, Fianarantsoa Province, Ranomafana National Park, Talatakely area , 900 m, mixed tropical forest, 2-22 January 2001,”/ “ 21.25041°S / 47.41945°E, Stop# DHK-01-001, D.H. & K.M Kavanugh, R.L. Brett, E. Elsom, F. Vargas, R. Ranaivosolo,”/ “ E.F. Randrianirina, N. Rasoamananana, T.J. Ravelomanana, and H.C. Raveloson collectors”/ “collected at night on underside of shelf fungus on rotting log on forest floor or suspended just above it” ; 1 female (in CAS) labeled “CASENT 1003739”/ “ MADAGASCAR, Fianarantsoa Province, Ranomafana National Park, Talatakely area , 900 m, mixed tropical forest, 2-22 January 2001,”/ “ 21.25041°S / 47.41945°E, Stop# DHK-01-001, D.H. & K.M Kavanugh, R.L. Brett, E. Elsom, F. Vargas, R. Ranaivosolo,”/ “ E.F. Randrianirina, N. Rasoamananana, T.J. Ravelomanana, and H.C. Raveloson collectors”/ “collected in daytime on underside of rotting logs on forest floor or suspended just above it” ; 1 female (in MNHN) labeled “CASENT 8068234”/ “ MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana, Bellevue at Telatakely , elev 1020 m 10-14 January 2002 ”/ “ 21°15.99’S, 47°25.21’E collector: R. Harin’Hala California Academy of Sciences malaise, secondary tropical forest MA-02-09C-11” ; 1 female (in MTEC) labeled “ MADAGASCAR: Fianaran. Pr. Ranomafana N.P. HQ. area 21°15’24”S 47°25’15E 25NOV1994, at night M.A. Ivie & D.A. Pollack”; and 1 female (in CAS) labeled “CASENT 8068052”/ “ MADAGASCAR: Province d’Antsiranana, Montaigne Francais, elev 150 m 6-20 March 2001 ”/ “ 12°19.5’S, 49°20’E California Acad. of Sciences R. Harin’Hala coll. Malaise along forested limestone ridge MA-01-06-0. All paratypes also bear the following label: “ PARATYPE Eurydera oracle Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. n. 2015” [yellow label].

TYPE LOCALITY.— Madagascar, Fianarantsoa Province, Ranomafana National Park .

DERIVATION OF SPECIES NAME.— The species epithet, oracle , is a noun in apposition and refers to Oracle Corporation , headquartered in Redwood City, California. We are pleased to name this new species for Oracle Corporation in recognition of and thanks for its generous support of the California Academy of Science 1998 Madagascar expedition, which produced many of the specimens on which this study has been based.

RECOGNITION.— Size above average for genus, SBL of males = 13.9–15. 3 mm, of females = 12.4–14. 1 mm. Members of this species ( Fig. 25A ) key to the armata group in Jeannel’s (1949) key based on the following combination of features: size medium; head ( Fig. 26A ) with posterior part of frons formed as a broad, flat, smooth, elevated plateau, reddish in color, laterally delimited by deep furrows extended posteriorly beyond the level of the posterior margin of the eye then medially at a 45° angle and joined posteriorly (but distant from the midline) with a deep transverse furrow across the middle of the head; mandibles moderately short and broad; median lobe of male genitalia without a large, angulate projection on the ventral margin of the shaft near the base. However, within the armata group, they cannot be identified to species using Jeannel’s key. They differ from members of Eurydera crispatifrons ( Fairmaire 1896) in having a deep, sharply defined transverse furrow across the back of the head behind the raised frontal plateau (this furrow absent or very shallow and poorly defined in E. crispatifrons members). They differ from members of Eurydera rufotincta ( Fairmaire 1868) in having the head large, nearly as wide as the pronotum (narrower in E. rufotincta members), black or piceous legs (rufous in E. rufotincta members) and in lacking transverse pale bands on the elytra (present in E. rufotincta members) and the deep oblong fossae present on the back of the frons in E. rufotincta members.

They differ from Eurydera armata Laporte (1831) and Eurydera latipennis ( Klug 1835) members in having the lateral furrows on the back of the head angularly convergent toward the posteri- or transverse furrow whereas these furrows are virtually parallel posteriorly in E. armata members or very slightly convergent posteriorly in E. latipennis members and joined with the transverse furrow more laterally in members of both species. Also, the posterior part of the frontal plateau is much more elevated in E. oracle males than in those of these other two species as well as males of Eurydera cuspidata ( Klug 1835) , Eurydera ornatipennis ( Fairmaire 1897) , Eurydera sulcicollis Mateu (1973) and Eurydera ambreana Mateu (1973) . Most members of E. armata and E. ornatipennis have pale bands or spots on the elytra, although some specimens lack all pale markings. None of the specimens of E. oracle that we have examined have similar pale markings, although several of our specimens have the apical one-fifth of elytral interval 1 narrowly pale, and two specimens also have interval 2 more dimly pale in the same area. Overall, members of E. oracle are most similar to those of E. sulcicollis , but they differ from the latter in having greater sexual dimorphism, with E. oracle males having relatively larger heads, more prominent eyes, frons more wrinkled and with the posterior portion of the medial area more elevated, the transverse groove deeper, and the pronotum shorter and distinctly wider than in E. sulcicollis male. Females of these two species are very similar. Finally, the median lobe of the genitalia of E. oracle males ( Fig. 26B–C ) is distinct from that of males all other species in the genus (compare with Jeannel 1949, Figs. 489, 491–498, 500, and Mateu 1973, Figs. 1–8 ) in the combined forms of the shaft and apex.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.— We have examined specimens from only two areas. Seven specimens were collected in Ranomafana National Park, the type locality, on the eastern slope off the central plateau in the northeastern part of the southern half of the island of Madagascar. The eighth specimen, a female, was collected at Montagne des Français , in Antsiranana Province, at the northern end of the island and just over 1000 km distant from Ranomafana . No specimens have been recorded from intervening areas

HABITAT DISTRIBUTION.— The specimen from Montagne des Français was collected in a malaise trap set on a forest limestone ridge at an elevation of only 150 m. All of the specimens from Ranomafana National Park were collected in secondary montane rainforest in the Talatakely area at elevations ranging from 900 to 1100 m. They have been collecting using malaise traps or by hand. In daytime, they have been found hiding on the underside of logs on the forest floor; and at night they have been found on the underside of shelf fungi on rotting logs and stumps.

Figures

FIGURE 25. Digital images of holotype male of Eurydera oracle Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. nov. A. Habitus, dorsal aspect; B. Label. Scale line = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 26. Digital images of holotype male of Eurydera oracle Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. nov. A. Head, dorsal aspect; B–C. Aedeagus of male genitalia; B. Left lateral aspect; C. Dorsal aspect. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 1. Map showing location of Ranomafana National Park in Madagscar (yellow dot in inset) and Park area, collecting sites and other places named in the text. Scale line = 5.0 km.

FIGURE 2. Digital images of holotype female of Brachypelus ranomafanae Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. nov. A. Habitus, dorsal aspect; B. Labels. Scale line = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 3. Digital images of holotype female of Brachypelus ranomafanae Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. nov. A. Head, dorsal aspect; B. Elytral base, dorsal aspect. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 4. Digital images of holotype female of Caelostomus latus Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. nov. A. Habitus, dorsal aspect; B. Labels; C. Head, left lateral aspect (arrow points to tranverse depression between eyes); D. Right anterior tarsus, dorsal aspect. Scale lines A = 1.0 mm, C–D = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 5. Digital images of holotype female of Caelostomus rotundiformis Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. nov. A. Habitus, dorsal aspect; B. Labels; C. Right anterior tarsus, dorsal aspect. Scale line A = 1.0 mm, C = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 6. Digital images of holotype male of Dactyleurys minimus Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. nov. A. Habitus, dorsal aspect; B. Labels. Scale line = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 7. Digital images of holotype male of Dactyleurys ranomafanae Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. nov. A. Habitus, dorsal aspect; B. Labels. Scale line = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 8. Digital images of pronota of Dactyleurys spp., dorsal aspect. A. Holotype of D. minimus Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. nov.; B. Holotype of D. ranomafanae Kavanaugh & Rainio sp. nov.; C. D. anomalus Tschitschérine. Scale lines = 1.0 mm