Lesticus solidus Roux & Shi, 2011

Zhu, Pingzhou, Shi, Hongliang & Liang, Hongbin, 2018, Four new species of Lesticus (Carabidae, Pterostichinae) from China and supplementary comments on the genus, ZooKeys 782, pp. 129-162 : 129

Lesticus solidus Roux & Shi, 2011 Figs 18-23

Lesticus solidus Roux & Shi, 2011: 94 (type locality: Maoershan, Guangxi, holotype in IZAS).

Material examined.

Holotype of L. solidus : female (IZAS), body length = 29.1 mm, pin mounted, "Gaozhai, Maoershan Mt., / Xing’an, Guangxi, CHINA / 900m, by light trap, / 3.VIII.2005", "IOZ(E) 1891818", "HOLOTYPE♀ / Lesticus solidus / Roux & Shi 2011 / Des. Roux &Shi, 2011" [red label]; one male (IZAS), "Guangxi, Xing’an, Yong’an, 2009.VII.13 5-2", "IOZ(E) 1976781"; one female (IZAS), "China: Guangxi Prov, Chongzuo, Daxin county, Shuolong town, Heishuihe; 22.8194N, 106.8639E, 345m", "2016.IV.27N, on dead log; Shi H. L., Liu Y. & Liu Y. Z. lgt., Institute of Zoology., CAS.", one female (IZAS), "Guangxi Maoershan", "IOZ(E) 1976782".

Notes on synonym.

Lesticus solidus Roux & Shi was described based on a single female from Maoershan (Guangxi, China). Two years later, L. dubius Dubault, Lassalle & Roux was described from exactly the same locality based on four specimens including both sexes. In the present study, we compared the female holotype of L. solidus (Fig. 19) and a male (Fig. 20) and found that they are perfectly in accordance with the type locality and male genitalia illustrations ( Dubault et al. 2013) of L. dubius . They are different only in: L. solidus with very faint violet lustre on elytra, and elytra more widened to apex. These differences also correspond with the original description of L. dubius . Among all our examined materials, the females generally exhibited elytra more widened to apex. Thus we considered it as a sexual dimorphic character. About the very faint violet lustre of L. solidus , it is more likely an individual variation rather than a specific character. This case is similar to head and pronotum color variations of L. dubius which were noted by Dubault et al. (2013). So, we herein synonymize L. dubius with L. solidus .

Supplementary descriptions on endophallus

(Fig. 22): Endophallus straight, extending to apex, the angle formed by the axes of aedeagus and endophallus about 5°; major portion of endophallus located beyond apical lamella; gonopore (gp) located at a level well beyond apical lamella, pointing to aedeagal apex; gonopore lobe (gpl) long, a little spiral. Basal tubercle (bt) and basal band (bb) typical of the genus. Six distinct lobes recognized: dorsal lobe (dl) very large and rounded, on dorsal surface and sharply pointed out; right basal lobe (rb) divided into two separate lobes; right basal lobe I (rb-1) large and a little compressed, close to apical lamella, surface without scales; right basal lobe II (rb-2) a little larger than rb-1, rounded, at apical side of rb-1, decorated with sparse, fine scales; right apical lobe (ra) a little smaller than rb-1, rounded, between rb-2 and gp; left basal lobe (lb) large and compressed, close to apex of bb; left apical lobe (la) small and compressed, pointing out sharply, at left side of gp.