Bradytulus shalulishanica

Hieke, Fritz, Kavanaugh, David H. & Liang, Hongbin, 2012, A new species of Amara (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Zabrini) from Sichuan Province, China, with additional records for other Amara species from the region, ZooKeys 254, pp. 47-65 : 48-51

Amara (Bradytulus) shalulishanica Hieke & Kavanaugh sp. n. Figs 12

Type material.

Holotype, a male, in IZCAS, labeled "CHINA, Sichuan, Litang County, Zhuosang Township, Shalulishan, Haizishan Yakou, 29.47366°N, 100.21921°E "/ "4623 m, 16 September 2007, Stop # 2007-041, D. H. Kavanaugh & H. B. Liang"/ "Holotype Amara shalulishanica Hieke and Kavanaugh" [red label]. Paratypes: Total 4 specimens, 1 male and 1 female in CAS, 1 female in IZCAS and 1 male in ZMHB, all with same label data as holotype, except third label reading "Paratype Amara shalulishanica Hieke and Kavanaugh" [yellow label]. Type locality: China, Sichuan Province, Litang County, Zhuosang Township, Shalulishan, Haizishan Yakou [29.47366°N, 100.21921°E].

Diagnosis.

Adults of Amara shalulishanica sp. n. have all the features of other members of subgenus Bradytulus Tschitschérine (1894), namely: pronotum with greatest width at or slightly anterior to mid-length; prosternum of male without a punctate fovea at middle; prosternal intercoxal process unmargined and apically asetose; mesofemora bisetose ventrally; mesotibiae of the male with a distinct subapical tooth (seen also in Curtonotus males) on medial margin and a brush-like patch of setae ventrally in apical one-fourth. The absence of an apical hook from the right paramere of male genitalia is shared with males of most other Bradytulus species.

No other species of subgenus Bradytulus is known from the Shalulishan (Shaluli Mountains) of Sichuan Province, China. Most species of this subgenus live in the Himalaya Mountains and/or Xizang Province (Tibet) ( Hieke 2003b). Amara thibetana Tschitschérine, 1894 has been recorded from northern Xizang, Qinghai and Gansu Provinces and may also occur in far northern Sichuan. Its members differ from those of Amara shalulishanica in being smaller (body length less than 6.0 mm) and having the pronotum with its base more markedly punctate and lateral margins sinuate near the posterior angles. Amara micans Tschitschérine, 1894 is widespread in China, especially in Sichuan, and its members differ from those of Amara shalulishanica in being larger (body length greater than 8.0 mm in most individuals) and having the pronotum with lateral margins sinuate near the posterior angles and the front angles more distinctly extended forward of the anterior margin. Although some brachypterous specimens have been recorded from the Himalayan region, all Amara micans specimens from Sichuan examined are macropterous and have long metepisterna. The only other Bradytulus species with brachypterous members recorded from Sichuan is Amara platynota Hieke, 1994 (known from Daxueshan). Its members are larger (body length more than 8.0 mm), have a relatively wider body, broader head and darker legs, and its males have an S-shaped (in dorsal view) median lobe of the aedeagus ( Hieke 1994, figs 88-89) and therefore cannot be confused with the new species.

Description.

Dorsal habitus as in Fig. 1a-b.Body length male 6.8-7.0 mm, female 6.6-7.0 mm. Color of body dark brown, antennae, palpi and legs reddish brown. Dorsal microscuplture comprised of isodiametric or nearly isodiametric sculpticells throughout, very faintly impressed on head in both sexes, more shallowly impressed on pronotum and elytra in males than in females; males with shinier dorsal luster than females.

Head smooth, broad, with distinct, hemispheric eyes.

Pronotum slightly transverse, with the greatest width slightly anterior to middle and posterior margin narrower than the base of elytra; lateral margins more rounded on anterior half, less arcuate or nearly straight in basal half; posterior margin slightly concave in middle; posterior angles distinct, slightly obtuse, narrowly rounded apically; anterior angles rounded, only slightly extended (about the diameter of the second antennomere) anteriorly beyond the front margin; inner basal foveae formed as short, deeply impressed longitudinal grooves; outer basal foveae absent; basal region with scattered, very fine punctures in and around inner basal foveae. Prosternum of male without a punctate fovea at middle; prosternal intercoxal process smoothly rounded apically, unmargined, asetose apically.

Pterothorax with metepisterna short, not longer than width across anterior margin.

Elytra with slightly curved sides and finely punctate striae; parascutellar striae short, located between striae 1 and 2 and extended from basal margin near base of stria 2 apicomedially toward stria 1; basal borders nearly straight, very slightly arched forward laterally; humeral teeth small but distinct and sharp; umbilicate setal series sparsely and unevenly spaced in the middle region; stria 7 without subapical setiferous pore punctures.

Hind wings short, reduced to a minute scale, hence adults flightless.

Legs with all femora bisetose; mesotibiae of males with a well-developed subapical medial tooth; metatibiae of males with a brush-like patch of setae ventrally in apical one-fourth.

Abdomen with venter only punctate laterally on the sternites 2 and 3. Male with one pair and female with two pairs of anal setiferous pore punctures at the apical margin of the last visible sternite.

Male genitalia with median lobe of aedeagus relatively broad, with apex rounded, apical lamella wider than long in dorsal view (Fig. 1c); right (longer) paramere without apical hook.

Female genitalia with gonostyli broadly oval (Fig. 1d), each with a short basolateral ensiform seta and an subapicoventral nematiform seta.

Etymology.

The species epithet, shalulishanica, is a Neolatin feminine adjective derived from the mountain range in which the type specimens were collected.

Geographical distribution.

Known only from the type locality, where adults were found in a high alpine meadow at 4500 m elevation; probably endemic to the central Shalulishan SSW of Litang.

Habitat distribution.

All five specimens of the type series were collected within the area shown in Fig. 2b, under stones on barren substrate interspersed with areas of sparse, low, dry tundra vegetation. Stones under which beetles were found, even in more barren areas, often had accumulations of fine-scale vegetative debris, probably deposited there by wind. Specimens of the new species were collected along with those of two other Amara species, Amara micans Tschitschérine and Amara litangensis Hieke, 1994, in the same habitat.

Remarks.

All but one specimen (the smallest female) of the type series are teneral. Consequently, the color characteristics provided in the description are based solely on that one fully pigmented female specimen. However, because that specimen represents the far end (6.6 mm) of the size range of the type series (all others range between 6.8 and 7.0 mm in length), the holotype male was selected from among those other specimens despite its teneral condition. One consequence of this selection is that detailed structure of the internal sac of the male aedeagus, which typically includes more darkly pigmented or more heavily sclerotized features, cannot be distinguished in the holotype.