Harpalus pseudoasemus, Kataev, 2021

Kataev, Boris M., 2021, On some Afrotropical Harpalus, with description of two new species, and remarks on Hypharpax australis (Coleoptera: Carabidae): misidentification, mislabeling and introduction to the Australian region, Zootaxa 5020 (1), pp. 31-56 : 40-41

Harpalus pseudoasemus sp. n.

( Figs 20 , 22–26)

Harpalus asemus: Basilewsky, 1951 (part).

Type material. Holotype. ♂, Tanzania: “ Coll. Mus. Congo Tanganyika Terr.: Oldonyo Dambu , 15 km N. Arusha, cratère, 1850 m 22–IV–1957 ”, “Mission Zoolog. I.R.S.A.C. en Afrique orientale (P. Basilewsy et N. Leleup)”, “ H. asemus Basilew. P. Basilewsky det. 19” ( ZIN; donation by P. Basilewsky) . Paratypes. Tanzania: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( ZIN) ; 1 ♂, “ Tanzania sept. Ngare Sero , 1200 m near Usa river 20 km east of Arusha 17.II.–6.III.1982 H.J. Bremer leg. ( MFNB); 3 ♀♀, same data but also “sub lapide 24–31.III.1981 ” ( MFNB, ZIN) ; 1 ♀, same data but also “aus Gebüsch geklopft” ( MFNB) . Kenya: 1 ♂, “ Kenya Naivasha , Rift Valley 1.900 m ”, “ Muséum de Paris Mission de l’Omo C. Arambourg P.-A. Chappuis & R. Jeannel 1932–33”, “ Harpalus asemus m. P. Basilewsky det.” ( MNHN) .

Description (3 ♂♂ and 5 ♀♀ measured). Body length 5.3–5.8 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 20 . Dorsum black, shiny, occasionally with light greenish or copper luster; ventral side black; palpomeres at least apically and two (occasionally one) basal antennomeres brownish yellow; palpomeres partly and antennomeres 3–11 or 2–11 distinctly infuscate, blackish brown. Legs brown, with femora, apical portion of tibiae and often tarsi more or less infuscate, usually blackish brown.

Head moderately sized (HWmax/PWmax 0.64–0.70, HWmin/PWmax 0.53–0.56), impunctate, with large and convex eyes (HWmax/HWmin 1.18–1.28). Tempora oblique, short and flat. Frontal foveae punctiform. Supraorbital seta situated near supraorbital furrow at level of posterior margin of eye or slightly before it. Genae about as wide as antennomere 1. Labrum almost straight or with very shallow emargination anteriorly. Labium similar to that of H. impressus ; paraglossae each with one marginal seta. Dorsal microsculpture fine, consisting of isodiametric meshes.

Pronotum transverse (PWmax/PL 1.36–1.44), almost equally narrowed apically and basally, widest slightly before middle (PWmax/PWmin 1.14–1.21). Sides in apical half evenly rounded, in basal half more widely rounded or almost straight. One pair of lateral setae in widest point of pronotum. Apical margin shallowly emarginate, almost straight or arcuate in middle portion, bordered only laterally. Apical angles rounded, slightly prominent. Basal angles obtuse, blunted or narrowly rounded at apices. Basal edge completely bordered, glabrous, more or less straight in middle portion, oblique or very widely rounded laterally, slightly longer than apical margin and slightly shorter than elytral base. Surface convex, without lateral depressions, with basal foveae small, elongate, shallow, very finely and sparsely punctate; several very fine punctures occasionally also present just at basal angles. Microsculpture fine, consisting of distinct transverse meshes on disc and of more or less isodiametric meshes within small area at basal angles.

Elytra comparatively wide (in male, EL/EW 1.41–1.45, EL/PL 2.33–2.46, EW/PWmax 1.16–1.23; in female, these indices 1.39–1.45, 2.38–2.57, and 1.19–1.30, respectively), widest about the middle; sides almost rectilinearly diverging in basal half and rounded in apical half; preapical sinuation very shallow. Shoulders slightly prominent, angularly rounded, each with very small and indistinct denticle recognizable from behind. Basal border glabrous, forming a very obtuse angle with lateral elytral margin. Sutural angle not projecting posteriorly, slightly less than 90°, blunted at tip. Striae impunctate, superficial almost along entire length, only slightly impressed apically. Para- scutellar setigerous pore present. Parascutellar (abbreviate) striole more or less strongly reduced. Intervals impunctate and glabrous, flat on disc, only slightly convex at apex. Interval 3 with or without discal setigerous pore; intervals 5 and 7 without discal pores. Marginal umbilicate series more or less widely interrupted at middle. Microsculpture very distinct, consisting of moderately transverse meshes.

Hind wings fully developed.

Prosternum with very fine and short setae along anterior margin and laterally. Metepisternum noticeably longer than wide, strongly narrowed posteriorly.

Metacoxa, in addition to the two obligatory setigerous pores, with a posteromedial setigerous pore (Fig. 22). Femora, tibiae and tarsi as described above for H. impressus .

Abdominal sternites without additional long setae, only medial portions of sternites III and IV finely pubescent. Last visible abdominal sternite (VII) in male subtruncate, in female rounded at apex, in both sexes with two pairs of marginal setae.

Female genitalia (Figs 25, 26): gonocoxite moderately wide, with long setae on dorsal edge and in scrobe of outer side.

Median lobe of aedeagus (Figs 23, 24) bent ventrally about the middle, with apical portion rather strongly curved to the right; ventral margin in lateral view markedly convex in apical half. Terminal lamella in dorsal view slightly longer than wide, slightly narrowed posteriorly and rounded apically, in lateral aspect its apex protruding ventrally. Apical orifice shifted to the left. Internal sac with two spines in apical portion of median lobe: distal spine larger and wider than proximal one.

Etymology. The species name refers to the similarity of the new species with H. asemus .

Distribution. Known from Tanzania and Kenya.At least some of the published records of H. asemus ( Basilewsky 1951, 1962) are apparently based on this new species.

Comparison. This new species is very similar in habitus to H. asemus , but, on average, smaller and stouter; it easily differs from the latter, as well as from H. impressus , in having elytral microsculpture consisting of moderately transverse meshes, metacoxa with posteromedial pore and last visible abdominal sternite (VII) of male subtruncate. In addition, unlike H. asemus , median lobe of aedeagus of H. pseudoasemus sp. n. is bent ventrally about the middle, with apical portion more strongly curved to the right and with ventral margin in lateral view markedly more convex in apical half; its internal sac has two spines situated in apical portion of median lobe.

Figures

FIGURES 20, 21. Harpalus spp., habitus. 20, H. pseudoasemus sp. n. (paratype from Naivasha); 21, H. merkli sp. n. (holotype). Scale bar = 1.0 mm.