Harpalus fuscoaeneus Dejean, 1829

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 : 43-45

Harpalus fuscoaeneus Dejean, 1829

( Figs 29–31 , 33–36 )

Harpalus fuscoaeneus Dejean, 1829: 392 .

Harpalus nanus Dejean, 1829: 395 .

Harpalus precarius Péringuey, 1896: 443 .

Type material examined. Lectotype (present designation) of H. fuscoaeneus : ♂, labeled “ ♂ ”, “ fuscoaeneus Esch. ad Cap. Bon. Sp., D.” [Dejean’s handwriting], and “Ex Musaeo Chaudoir” ( MNHN).

Holotype of H. nanus : ♀, labeled “ ♀ ”, “nanus mi..., ad Cap. Bon. Sp. [Dejean’s handwriting]”, and “Ex Musaeo Chaudoir” ( MNHN).

Additional material examined. South Africa: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, “ Cap. B. Spei. ”, “ Coll. Mus. Congo Col. P. Basilews- ky”, “ H. fuscoaeneus Dej. P. Basilewsky det., 19 ” ( ZIN) ; 1 ♀, “ Cap. b. sp.”, “ Coll. Tschitshérine ” ( ZIN) ; 1 ♂, “C. b. Sp.”, “ fuscoaeneus Eschs. Cap. ” ( ZIN) ; 1 ♂, “ S. Afr. Cape Prov. 15 miles ENE Mount Frère. 6.III.51. No. 209”, “Swedish South Africa Expedition 1950–1951 Brinck—Rudebeck”, “ H. fuscoaeneus Dej., Basilevsky det.” ( ZIN) ; 7 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Cape Prov., De Hoop Nat. Res. , 34°27’S 20°24’E, 17.XI.1993, M. Uhlig leg. ( MFNB, ZIN) ; 4 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, NE Cape Prov., Barkly-East , 1800 m, 8–9.III.1992, H.J. Bremer leg. ( MFNB, ZIN) ; 1 ♀, Cape Prov., Mountain Zebra Nat. Park, p. Craddock , 11.III.1992, H.J. Bremer leg. ( MFNB) ; 2 ♀♀, “S. A. Cape Prov., Addo Elephant N. P., 25.03.93, fc. Arndt in” (cWR) ; 1 ♂, Free State, Harrismith, Sterkfontein Dam Nat. Park , 9.IV.1998, C. Saure leg. (cWR) ; 1 ♂, Free State Prov., Parys Distr., Farm Abel , 26°54’S 27°35’E, PFT dung, XII.2001, A. Frolov leg. ( ZIN) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, “ Caffar. ”, “ H. subaeneus Boh. ”, “ Coll. Tschitshérine ” ( ZIN) ; 1 ♂, “ H. fuscoaeneus Esch. leg.”, “ Coll. Tschitshérine ” ( ZIN) .

Diagnosis. Among Harpalus species from Southern Africa, H. fuscoaeneus can be recognized by the combination of the following distinctive features: small (length 4.9–6.1 mm); body ( Figs 29–31 ) dark brown to black, usually with more or less distinct green or copper luster on dorsum; palpi, antennomeres 3–11, in many specimens also femora, tibial apices and tarsi more or less markedly infuscate; pronotum widest before or in the middle, almost equally narrowed apically and basally, with rounded (occasionally almost straight basally) sides and rounded (occasionally obtusangular) basal angles; pronotal basal edge glabrous; pronotal disc impunctate, at most with a few very fine punctures within small and shallow basal foveae; elytra with very shallow, almost indistinct preapical sinuation, with (occasionally without) discal pore on interval 3, and with parascutellar striole in many specimens strongly reduced; microsculpture on head, pronotum and elytra consisting of more or less isodiametric meshes; metepisternum notably longer than wide, strongly narrowed posteriorly; metacoxa without additional median and posteromedial pores; median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs 35, 36 ) S-formed, strongly bent ventrally at the middle, with apical half markedly curved to the right; its ventral margin in lateral view not or only very slightly convex; terminal lamella in dorsal view notably longer than wide, almost parallel-sided, rounded apically, in lateral view markedly protruding ventrally just at apex; internal sac with two short spines: distal spine at the middle, and proximal one in basal portion close to basal bulb. Female genitalia— Figs 33, 34 .

Proportions (5 ♂♂ and 5 ♀♀ measured): HWmax/PWmax 0.64–0.71; HWmin/PWmax 0.50–0.57; HWmax/ HWmin 1.18–1.32; PWmax/PL 1.36–1.48; PWmax/PWmin 1.13–1.24; EL/EW 1.50–1.56 in male and 1.44–1.48 in female; EL/PL 2.43–2.65 in male and 2.45–2.64 in female; EW/PWmax 1.17–1.19 in male and 1.21–1.26 in female.

Distribution. Widely distributed in Southern Africa.

Comparison. In external characters and male genitalia, H. fuscoaeneus is very similar to H. asemus differing slightly from it in shape of the median lobe and in, on average, smaller body size. In H. fuscoaeneus , the median lobe is bent ventrally at the middle (more distally than in H. asemus ) and its terminal lamella narrower. These two species seem to be vicariants descending from one ancestor form.

Remarks. Dejean (1829) described H. fuscoaeneus from Cape of Good Hope (“cap de Bonne-Espérance”) on the basis of more than one specimen (the ranges of measurements are given). The single available specimen with Dejean’s original labels at MNHN is designated here as lectotype ( Fig. 30 ). Its characteristics well correspond to the original description.

The species is variable in coloration and shape of pronotum. Basilewsky (1951) treated Harpalus nanus , which was described from one female ( Fig. 31 ) also from Cape of Good Hope (“cap de Bonne-Espérance”), as synonym of H. fuscoaeneus , but its status needs further study because this female is rather distinct in having pronotum with very fine and short setae along the middle portion of basal edge; in addition, it has elytra with short parascutellar (abbreviate) striole and without discal pore on interval 3 and dorsum dark brown, without green or copper luster. The body length (5.9 mm) and proportions (HWmax/PWmax 0.67; HWmin/PWmax 0.52; HWmax/HWmin 1.27; PWmax/PL 1.44; EL/EW 1.48; EL/PL 2.64; EW/PWmax 1.24) are within variation of other examined specimens of H. fuscoaeneus .

Figures

FIGURES 29–32. Harpalus spp., habitus. 29–31, H. fuscoaeneus Dejean, 1929 (29, S Africa; 30, lectotype; 31, holotype of H. nanus Dejean, 1829); 32, H. australasiae Dejean, 1829 (holotype). Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 33–36. Harpalus fuscoaeneus Dejean, 1929 (Cape of Good Hope). 33, gonocoxite; 34, laterotergite, gonosubcoxite, and gonocoxite; 35, 36, median lobe of aedeagus. Lateral (33, 35), ventral (34) and dorsal (36) views. Scale bar = 0. 5 mm.