Dolichoctis taiwanensis Baehr

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 : 95-97

Dolichoctis taiwanensis Baehr Figs 69, 70 A–D, 71D, 72

Dolichoctis taiwanensis Baehr, 2013: 152.

Types and other material examined.

86 specimens: 49 males and 37 females. For further details see EH Strickland Virtual Entomology Museum Database.

Type locality.

Taiwan. "Mt. Ari" = Alishan, Chiayi County, “Karapin” = Chaoliping.

Diagnosis.

Specimens of this species are distinguished from other species of Dolichoctis by elytra with small and circular maculae with anterior macula typically from only extending from interval 5 to 8.

Redescription.

OBL 4.50 - 5.67 mm. Length (n = ten males, ten females): head 0.48 - 0.56, pronotum 0.80 - 1.04, elytra 2.67 - 3.50, metepisternum 0.60 - 0.80 mm; width: head 0.88 - 1.10, pronotum 1.32 - 1.76, elytra 2.00 - 2.50, metepisternum 0.36 - 0.48 mm.

Body proportions. HW/HL 1.83 - 2.00; PWM/PL 1.62 - 1.80; EL/EW 1.29 - 1.43; ML/MW 1.64 - 1.90.

Color. Fig. 69. Dorsum of head brunneous to rufo-brunneous, dark, clypeus and labrum brunneous to rufo-brunneous, somewhat darker centrally, antennae and palpi brunneous; disc of pronotum brunneous to rufo-piceous, margins brunneo-testaceous, always lighter than disc; elytral disc rufo-piceous to piceous, with four testaceous maculae, two anterior and two posterior, anterior maculae near humerus, from interval 5 (sometimes into 4) to interval 8, closest to apex in interval 5 (sometimes 4), more or less circular, posterior maculae, extended from interval 3 to interval 5 or less, rarely from interval 2 to 6, circular; lateral margins testaceous to brunneous, somewhat translucent; ventral surface brunneo-testaceous to brunneous, metepisternum darker, apical edge of abdominal sterna darker; legs with trochanter and femora brunneo-testaceous to brunneous, tibia with dorsal surface partially piceous.

Microsculpture. Dorsum of head with granulate microsculpture, isodiametric, easily visible at 50 × magnification; pronotum with transverse mesh pattern, ~2 × longer than wide.

Macrosculpture. Pronotum shallowly rugulose near base; elytra with intervals somewhat flat, interval 3 with two punctures visible, no setae apparent, first near mid-length and second in apical macula, occasionally other punctures apparent but not as distinctive as the two in interval 3.

Luster. Head capsule moderately glossy; pronotum and elytra glossy; ventral thoracic sterna and abdominal sterna moderately glossy.

Head. Mandibles relatively short, mostly covered by labrum; labrum more or less rectangular, rounded at apex.

Pronotum. Anterior transverse impression very shallow; posterior transverse impression moderately shallow; median longitudinal impression moderately shallow; lateral margins explanate, apico-lateral margins rounded forming distinctive lobes, posterio-lateral margins typically broadly rounded, obtuse.

Elytra. lateral margins slightly explanate, hind angles nearly truncate.

Male genitalia. Fig. 70 A–D. Length 0.88 - 0.96 mm. Ostium catopic. Phallus cylindrical but distinctly flattened dorso-ventrally in apical half, phallus apex with dis tinctive form, more or less rectangular with rounded edges, curving ventrally at apex, endophallus straight and expanded apically.

Female genitalia. Fig. 71D. Width 0.76 - 0.84 mm. One spermatheca (sp1), dome shaped; distinctive spermathecal ring sclerite (srs) dividing spermatheca from spermathecal duct; one spermathecal accessory gland (sg) with spermathecal gland duct (sgd) attachment site on relatively large lobe (srsl) coming off of right side of ring sclerite when viewed from ventral aspect.

Habitat, habits, and seasonal occurrence.

The known elevational range of D. taiwanensis is from 170 to 2069 meters. Only two specimens have been collected at over 1000 meters, with the most being collected between 600 and 800 meters in elevation. Adults are found in mixed forest of montane areas. Many specimens of this species have been collected both from deadwood and trunks of live trees. Specimens have been collected from April to December. Methods of collecting include u.v. light, sweep netting, sugar baiting, canopy bagging, hand collecting, malaise trap, flight intercept trap, sticky trap, and insecticidal fogging the canopy of tree species Ficus irisana Elmer, Machilus zuhoensis Hayata, and Pinus morrisonicola Hayata, at night.

Geographical distribution.

Dolichoctis taiwanensis is known only from Taiwan. See Figure 72.